yeh@netix.COM (Shannon Yeh) (05/17/91)
[I apologize for the extra delay in getting this article posted.
I found it sitting in my mailer's incoming queue. It was stuck
there, because my mailer couldn't deal with the "To:" address
of "moderator.;@ICS.UCI.EDU" in the mail header. -mod]
Netix Communications, Inc. is announcing a mail message handling system for
PCs. The current release is Ver 1.1.
1. Security
Since the operating systems for PCs usually do not provide a mechanism
for user authentication, several locks have been included in
Netix Mail Handler for message submission, retrieval and checking
through using the following protocols:
- Message Posting Protocol (MPP RFC1204)
(for submission authentication)
- Post Office Protocol (POP3 RFC937)
(for retrieval authentication)
- Message Checking Protocol (MCP Netix proprietary protocol)
(for message checking)
User has to correctly enter its password for submitting/retrieving
messages.
2. Backgroung Mailbox Checking (for PC!!)
Since PC machines usually do not support mulitasking environment,
Netix Mail Handler provides a TSR message ckecking program for users
to check their mailbox status in background mode.
3. Full power of Message Handling
Netix Mail Handler provides the following message handling
functionalities:
- message composing (with option to choose the editor)
- message redistribution
- message forwarding
- message replying-to
- message incorporating (from mailbox or named file)
- message submission
- message displaying (with nice screen control)
- message packing/unpacking
- message scaning (with nice screen control)
- message selection (by date or text-string constrainsts)
- message sorting
- message annotation
- message refiling (to named folder)
- message deletion
- message queuing (store the out-going mail in a submit queue)
- mail alias resolution
- system-level alias addressing
- folder creation
- folder switching
- folder deletion
- folder information query
All the file/directory management mechanisms are directly used for message
and folder handling.
4. Configurability
User can configure the following system options:
- frequency of automatic message checking
- editor
- ethernet interface
- modem interface
- IP address of domain name server
- hostname of MPP server
- hostname of POP3 server
- hostname of MCP server
- hostname of SMTP server
- IP address of router/gateway
- port number (for MPP, MCP, POP3)
5. Reachability
The entire design of Netix Mail Handler fully complies with RFC 822.
As long as the mailbox names in the message header are valid RFC 822
addresses, and user's network is well interconnected with Internet,
the message will be able to reach anywhere as directed by its sender.
6. Library
The lower level protocols (TCP, IP and interface drivers) were
modifiedf based on the CMU and MIT PC/IP libraries.
7. Operation mode
The Netix Mail Handler provides users with three types interface mode:
- menu driven (various sub-systems will be generated once user
initiates the IMAIL main program)
- visual mail handleing system (an interactive window based working
environment which can accept single-character commands)
- separate commands with variety of command line options
8. Hardware supported
Netix Mail Handler currently
- supports MPP on Sun-3, Sun-4, SPARC (with SunOS 4.0 or higher)
and PC (DOS 3.0 or higher) platforms;
- supports MCP on Sun3, Sun4, SPARC (with SunOS 4.0 or higher);
- supports Mail Handler on PC (DOS 3.0 or higher) platforms;
- supports 3Com, Western Digital and SLIP network interface.
9. Purchasing and Price Information
Part Number Product Name Price
NMS1001 Netix Mail Handler $550.00
NMS1002 Netix MPP (DOS Version) $180.00 **
NMS1003 Netix MPP (Unix Version) $300.00 **
NMS1004 Netix MCP (Client) $250.00 &&
NMS1005 Netix MCP (Server for Unix) $250.00 ** &&
NMS1006 Netix SMTP (Server for DOS) $120.00 &&
NMS1007 Netix Mail Documentation Set $150.00
** ONE server module can provide service for FIVE client modules.
&& optional
End Users are eligible for a volume discount of 10% at quantity 10
of client modules (i.e. 2 sever modules) and 20% at quantity 30 of
client modules (i.e. 6 server modules).
A signed End User Agreement is required for all end users.
9. Misc
The size of the entire package is a little bit higher than 2-Mega.
In the next release, a news reader program (for contacting NNTP
server) will be available in the next release.
For more information or purchasing requests, contact:
- email: info@netix.com
- phone: (714) 727-9335
- FAX: (714) 727-3922
- US Mail Netix Communications, Inc.
15375 Barranca Parkway, A-215
Irvine, California 92718
Shannon Yeh