By Michael Connick
Anyone who has been reading my past articles for PalmPower Enterprise Edition should be familiar with a constant lament of mine. This concerned the fact that there was no email package for Palm handhelds that supported SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) security. Well, I'm finally happy now. This is because Eudora Internet Suite Version 2.1 (at http://www.eudora.com/internetsuite/) now offers an email package for the Palm OS that supports secure email for the enterprise. Not only that, but this package is free!
What is Eudora?
Eudora was originally developed way back in 1988 as a Macintosh freeware product by Internet pioneer Steve Dorner. He developed it at the University of Illinois, where Mosaic (an early Web browser) was also eventually developed. Over the years Eudora has been improved and enhanced, and now it runs on many other computer platforms: everything from Windows PCs to UNIX systems.
EIS (Eudora Internet Suite) is the version of Eudora that runs on Palm OS devices. It includes both an email package and a simple Web browser. Both of these applications include optional conduits for synchronizing with a PC. Both the email and browser support wireless or wired Internet connections. The email package can synchronize with Outlook, Outlook Express, or Netscape Email PC email packages.
The Eudora browser component can directly access Web sites without the need for a proxy server. It displays text only, with no graphics, but it's extremely fast and efficient. However, my main interest in Eudora is its email functionality, and the rest of the article will concentrate on that.
The Eudora Email main screen is pictured in Figure A.
FIGURE A
Here's the Eudora Email main screen.
What are some of the features of EIS 2.1 email?
The email component is quite sophisticated and rivals many commercial Palm handheld packages in functionality. It supports multiple accounts, and will allow you to check a single account or many accounts during a single session. Both POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) and IMAP4 (Internet Messaging Access Protocol 4) mail accounts are supported. Setting up new accounts is very easy with the New Account Creation Wizard.
Filtering on an account basis is also supported along with support for custom folders. The email addressing function interfaces to the Palm Address Book. Multiple signatures can be created and automatically appended to outgoing messages. A Eurdora email message is shown in Figure B.
FIGURE B
Here is how a Eudora email message appears on the Palm handheld screen.
What security features does EIS 2.1 offer?
In my opinion, the most important feature of EIS 2.1 is the support for SSL-based secure email. More and more enterprises are moving to secure their email by utilizing SSL. EIS 2.1 is the only email package I'm aware of for Palm OS devices that supports SSL email. The company I work for utilizes SSL email, and with EIS 2.1 I'm finally able to pick up my business email using my Palm OS-based Sony CLIE N710C.
