Electronic Mail
Whilst it may have been simpler to bundle OfficeTalk with an existing E-Mail package, it was decided at an early stage to incorporate E-Mail into OfficeTalk's core functionality. Mail can be sent out with attached documents to individual users or user groups with CC and BCC addressing.
OfficeTalk can send mail to contacts held in Microsoft Mail (MAPI) and Lotus CC Mail (VIM) address books, as well as receiving mail from these systems. This enables workgroups in large companies to adopt OfficeTalk whilst still integrating into corporate mail system. Users with the appropriate SMTP gateways for MS Mail or CC Mail other other compliant mail client can send and receive Internet and CompuServe mail.
Messages can be routed through a number of users, and each user can enter their password to acknowledge receipt. Task assignments can be mailed directly to individual users' task lists. Messages can be sent to public bulletin boards which are accessible by every user on the system. This has two advantages: firstly, it reduces the amount of E-mail traffic on the server as only one message needs to be sent; secondly, it allows information to be centrally co-ordinated.
Received mail can be stored in a set of personalised folders and sub-folders. In this way information can easily be retrieved. The status of all sent mail can be tracked, thus informing the sender of when the mail was opened, passed on and whether any assigned tasks were completed or not. All mail messages, folders and bulletin boards can be searched through by key words. Once received mail has been replied to, copies can be sent to other users.