Advantages of e-mail
There are many advantages of e-mail and the usage of e-mail versus postal mail. Some of the main advantages are listed below.
■ Free delivery - Sending an e-mail is virtually free, outside the cost of Internet service. There is no need to buy a postage stamp to send a letter.
■ Global delivery - E-mail can be sent to nearly anywhere around the world, to any country.
■ Instant delivery - An e-mail can be instantly sent and received by the recipient over the Internet.
■ File attachment - An e-mail can include one or more file attachments, allowing a person to send documents, pictures, or other files with an e-mail.
■ Long-term storage - E-mails are stored electronically, which allows for storage and archival over long periods of time.
■ Environmentally friendly - Sending an e-mail does not require paper (paperless), cardboard, or packing tape, conserving paper resources.
Disadvantages of e-mail
Some of the main disadvantages are listed below.
■ Need of technology - The recipient needs access to the internet to receive email.
■ Viruses - Viruses are easily spread via email attachments (most email providers scan emails for viruses on your behalf).
■ Phishing - sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be a legitimate company to scam the user into providing information, such as personal information and bank account numbers on a bogus website. The details will then be used for identity theft.
■ No guarantee - The mail will be read until the user logs on and checks their email.
■ Spam - unsolicited email, ie junk mail.
■ Sending emails by mistake - at a click of a button, an email can go to the wrong person accidentally, potentially leaking confidential data and sensitive business information. You should take care to minimise the likelihood of business data breach and theft.
■ Data storage - electronic storing space can become a problem, particularly where emails with large attachments are widely distributed.
