Mail Transfer Agent

It receives messages from another MTA (relaying), a Mail Submission Agent (MSA) that itself got the mail from a Mail User Agent (MUA), or directly from an MUA, thus acting as an MSA itself. The MTA works behind the scenes, while the user usually interacts with the MUA.

The delivery of e-mail to a user's mailbox typically takes place via a Mail Delivery Agent (MDA); many MTAs have basic MDA functionality built in, but a dedicated MDA like Procmail can provide more sophistication.

According to various surveys
Security Space Mail (MX) Server Survey , 1st Aug 2007.
MailChannels.com Mail Server Survey , 2006
''Anonymous'', Open source Mail Server Comparison , November 2003
Daniel J. Bernstein, Internet host SMTP server survey , November 2001
the most popular mail server software are Sendmail , Postfix , Microsoft Exchange Server , Exim , IMail (by Ipswitch, Inc. ), MDaemon by Alt-N Technologies , MailEnable , Merak Mail Server and Qmail .
Dan Shearer, MTA Comparison , January 2007
Many organizations use the services of e-mail security services such as Postini, MXLogic or Concentric Hosting to receive e-mail.

SEE ALSO

MAIL SERVER SURVEYS

	CATEGORIES ABOUT MAIL TRANSFER AGENT

	e-mail

	mail transport agents

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