Initially running on Windows PC, the application has also been modified to run on IBM i without a GUI (Graphical User Interface) - it instead produces a comprehensive log file to assist with diagnosing any problems. Running on IBM i also allows the application to be monitored, stopped and started in a more strategic way whilst making use of the IBM Power PC reliability. With IEP licenced on a per server basis rather than by the number of emails processed or mailboxes monitored, it can be an extremely powerful tool in the automation of email process for an organisation.
Of course the original version has its limitations. Version 1 support is limited to the IMAP and SMTP protocols for receiving and sending emails. This had allowed connection to pretty much any mail server to be used with the IEP, however, in recent years companies have been more reluctant to allow direct IMAP access to their mail server (required by version 1). Whilst typically on-premise Microsoft Exchange based mail servers have been the standard that IEP connects too, many organisations are moving to Microsoft Office 365 or other cloud based SaaS solutions.
The greatest change has involved encapsulation of the basic functions (receiving and sending emails) in an agnostic way, that is, a way that the differing protocols can implement in their own way to achieve the same desired outcome. Modules have been written to implement IEP services against IMAP, SMTP and MS Graph (the new addition) - these modules basically form what might be termed the transport layer. It would be fairly easy to add access to Gmail (for example) by writing another module should a customer have that requirement. This layer approach gives IEP even greater flexibility for our future clients and to handle any future protocols. The core IEP application now focuses on polling the mailboxes, handling shut down, out of hours, sleeping etc and delegates the actual email handing to the transport layer.
So what changes have taken place for the better alongside general performance improvements?
Some of the above enhancements are already in development and should be showcased in our newsletter very soon.
For existing IEP customers running version 1, PacSol will be in touch over the coming months to offer an upgrade to version 2. If your business has an upcoming infrastructure change that may require IEP version 2 to be implemented sooner (Ms Graph required), please contact PacSol support and we will discuss the potential to add your system to our early adoption roster.
And don't forget, our licensing model is per server. If your organisation wants to add further mailboxes to IEP (related to different business areas or process), simply contact PacSol to discuss the processing requirements for the additional stream and reduce the manual burden further.
If your organisation is regularly processing the content from emails to drive business process, whether shared, specific or even individual mailboxes, IEP could reduce the employee time overhead significantly by automating that initial categorisation, data extraction, secure storage and task allocation. What is more, through automation, the risk of duplication, data loss or failure to process are greatly reduced, making processes not only more efficient but helping to keep clients, regulators and suppliers alike happy.
Come and talk to us at PacSol about where and how our solution could help your organisation streamline email processing.
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