These internet protocols run in the background to help you manage your email account from Webmail to your chosen Email Client. POP or POP3 (in its latest iteration), stands for “post office protocol”, and is the preferred protocol for individuals with just one email account and one email client. POP3 allows the user to access his/her emails despite not being offline; it presupposes that you have been online prior. IMAP, or “internet mail access protocol”, is the older protocol. Here, your email can only be accessed online. Exchange is the protocol Microsoft uses and while bearing similarities with IMAP, it has built-in integrations such as calendars, tasks, and even address books that are helpful if you’re running an organization.