We are in a time when email is under a rapid transformation as well as the target for scammers and spammers.  I have watched the protocol transform from text messenging to becoming full graphical advertisements over the last 10 years.  This has caused a change in the market place for email software - and for us as users of that software.

The most important things to note currently is:

1. Many large companies are attempting to change how the email protocol is used in delivery and verification.
2. Email software is evolving into vertical market driven development instead of just simply transferring text from one computer to another.

The first point is up to the companies that are competing to get their system used and considered the standard...I always put my money on whatever Microsoft backs, no due to the fact I am a Gates follower but rather because they seem to have major influence (monetary?) on the market.

The second is more exciting (although full evolution will only happen after the first is resolved).  The fact that email software can be used to aid in order tracking, help desk, sales and marketing tools, customer service and other various areas is just the icing on the cake.  The true excitement lies in the fact that software developers are forming software around these functions and that the term of an 'email client' is sometimes lost in the overall functionality. 

A second area of evolution is in program features.  Email clients are now featuring faster searching through internal programming or add ons, filtering plugins and web based interfaces that rival desktop software.  In fact, I forsee software being developed as more of a front end interface to a regular email program - especially in the form of email searching and email extraction for marketing purposes (i.e. pull anyone that has requested info on Product X).

Why does the state of affairs for email software matter?  Simply put, a business owner will see increased productivity and decreased overhead (training in generic application, employee focus) within this evolution.  In a recent AOL study, it was shown that people rely on email more than most forms of communication and are more prone to have a schedule for using it.  Email dominates most business communications and is easily the standard communication tool in most offices.

Watch for new changes in the area of email and how your business can benefit.