It would provide a universal email directory service, and the system could be economically scaled to provide all students with email, if and when such provision becomes University policy. It is necessary that IT staff across the University gain practical experience with the system before it would be possible to put a firm recommendation. It is not anticipated that existing mail services would be withdrawn, or that migration to Eudora would be mandatory. QuickMail and Banyan require proprietary servers. Unix mail and OpenVMS mail are transported by the Internet-standard SMTP protocol.
Gateways are computers and software which interface directly with two or more mail systems.
They translate mail messages between protocols. Gateways make it possible for a person using Banyan mail to exchange email with those who use QuickMail, Unix mail or VMS mail. This is reflected in the University network, where SMTP is the common gateway protocol. Each mail system provides its own directory service. They are less reliable than Unix and VMS systems.