IMAP Service

Information Technology Services to Offer IMAP E-mail Service, July 15, 2008
On Tuesday, July 15, Information Technology Services (ITS) will offer the IMAP e-mail service to Penn State faculty, staff and students who use Penn State's e-mail services, including Penn State WebMail at . The Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a service that permits e-mail clients to access messages stored on a remote server as if the messages were locally available on the user's own computer system. E-mail stored on Penn State's IMAP server can be accessed from a home computer, an office computer, or a laptop. IMAP is typically ideal for people who need to check e-mail on multiple machines on a regular basis, especially for those who travel regularly.

While the IMAP service is free-of-charge, interested individuals will need to apply for this service by filling out the Web-based enrollment form (available on July 15) at: https://www.work.psu.edu/access/email/. Participants can expect their IMAP service to become active one business day after the application is received and processed.

It should be noted that WebMail will temporarily require the "leave mail on server" option to be on in order to take advantage of the IMAP service. WebMail users who apply for IMAP will have this option activated automatically (for those who do not have this option already chosen) once their service becomes available. In addition, IMAP mail will be stored in a folder separate from a user's WebMail folder; however, it is expected that same-folder storage will be made available in the near future. Once available, updates regarding the "leave mail on server" option and folder storage will be noted via WebMail's splash screen. Inquiries and requests for assistance should be directed to ITS Help Desk staff at helpdesk@psu.edu. Information about how to configure e-mail clients to use IMAP is available through the ITS Knowledge Base at http://kb.its.psu.edu.

As noted previously, this service is free-of-charge and does not require the ITS For-Fee Services Form.