Huh? IMAP is a standard protocol for mail servers. Would you prefer POP3??
They don’t want to host data in the US.
I guess it is because you are connecting directly to a private webserver, whereas with google as a third party, they can use your data.
Also with imap or pop3 you can access emails from thunderbird or another desktop application, which has more features compared to gmail.
On the list of annoying things you will have to deal with in a Japanese company, this is probably the least annoying one…
My company always had webmail as alternative, but most people prefer to use POP3/IMAP and a client in their work PC just so nobody expects them to check e-mails outside of working hours.
I think you need only look at the fax machine sitting in the office to appreciate the technological adoption rate as far as corporations are concerned.
I work in IT.
IMAP is the standard for (incoming) mail. Gmail is IMAP/SMTP under the hood, but Google has added a web-based interface on top that makes it easier to use for non-technical users.
To use Gmail for your business (Google Workspace) you have to pay Google per user, plus the IT admins in your company need to have some training on Google Workspace administration. It’s not too complex, but it’s non-trivial.
Most likely your company runs their own mail server, either on-premises or as a rental service in some hosting provider, and they haven’t bothered to install a tool to provide a web interface on top. This would require extra administration (at the very least a web server and an application server running the web mail software). That’s probably why they just give you the IMAP configuration details and tell you to use a native mail client on your computer.
7 comments
Huh? IMAP is a standard protocol for mail servers. Would you prefer POP3??
They don’t want to host data in the US.
I guess it is because you are connecting directly to a private webserver, whereas with google as a third party, they can use your data.
Also with imap or pop3 you can access emails from thunderbird or another desktop application, which has more features compared to gmail.
On the list of annoying things you will have to deal with in a Japanese company, this is probably the least annoying one…
My company always had webmail as alternative, but most people prefer to use POP3/IMAP and a client in their work PC just so nobody expects them to check e-mails outside of working hours.
I think you need only look at the fax machine sitting in the office to appreciate the technological adoption rate as far as corporations are concerned.
I work in IT.
IMAP is the standard for (incoming) mail. Gmail is IMAP/SMTP under the hood, but Google has added a web-based interface on top that makes it easier to use for non-technical users.
To use Gmail for your business (Google Workspace) you have to pay Google per user, plus the IT admins in your company need to have some training on Google Workspace administration. It’s not too complex, but it’s non-trivial.
Most likely your company runs their own mail server, either on-premises or as a rental service in some hosting provider, and they haven’t bothered to install a tool to provide a web interface on top. This would require extra administration (at the very least a web server and an application server running the web mail software). That’s probably why they just give you the IMAP configuration details and tell you to use a native mail client on your computer.