If you're ready to update and consolidate your Web and email services under a domain name, moving the whole deal to an Internet Presence Provider is probably a cost-effective move. Larger organizations, or those with a technically sophisticated staff, may wish to consider the option of installing an in-house mail server. We generally don't think this is an appropriate choice for most grassroots activist groups, as the financial and administrative costs of setting up and maintaining your own mail server are significant. Advantages Maximum control of email accounts Potential for advanced features such as shared email folders, centralized calendars, etc. Cost of access.
Mail servers work best with a permanent Internet connection.
There are ways to use mail servers behind dialup connections, but it requires some technical sophistication from both the group and the Internet Service Provider. For more information See the Getting Connected section of the Toolkit for information on providing Internet access for each of your computers. See our document Recommended Internet Software for information on the email programs we recommend. Our document Internet Domain Names , for information on choosing and registering a domain name for your organization. The book Poor Richard's Web Site , for a very useful guide to choosing a Web Presence Provider.