The Hidden Cost of Webmail

This article discusses the growing use of web-based email and its effects on developing world institutions, in order to answer the questions: "Is webmail appropriate when bandwidth is expensive and limited? How does it compare to the alternatives?"

Alternatives to webmail include the use of a desktop email client programme, such as Thunderbird or Outlook. "These programs use the IMAP [The Internet Message Access Protocol] or POP [Post Office Protocol] protocols instead of websites to access emails on a server....While this is generally much more bandwidth efficient, it does require having an email service to connect to."

By comparing bandwidth usage on a single message using an IMAP protocol and using webmail in a variety of scenarios, the author found that the webmail usage was up to 9 times the bandwidth of the alternative. He then translated that usage to cost based on 2006 figures of African university bandwidth payments. Using that cost figure, the university might have saved as much as US$1,400 using an alternative to webmail.

The document recommends policy implementation that governs how an organisation’s internet connection is used. It states that stakeholders must participate in setting policy and that policy should include how bandwidth is used.

According to the author: "The most bandwidth efficient way of providing an email service is to run your own email server within your institution..." A large proportion of tan organisation’s emails may be "internal" - from one member to another, not necessitating accessing the worldwide web. However, "... running an email server require[s] some skill and effort, [as well as] hardware and a reliable power supply.....An email service needs to be reliable and running your own email server can be more reliable than webmail. If your Internet connection goes down, your email server will keep running and still allow internal emails to be sent and read." In addition, Spam can filtered out "relatively cheap[ly]" by an internet service provider (ISP) or company in that field of service and can save money by reducing wasted bandwidth.

If setting up one's own email server is not possible, "Google, Hotmail and Yahoo provide IMAP and POP interfaces to their webmail services. This means that you can connect a desktop client to access your webmail account. For instance you could use Thunderbird to access your Gmail account. The POP and IMAP interfaces are sometimes provided through paid-for services." Internal email is not possible with this connection; all email leaves through the server and returns via the same route.. Also, "[w]ebmail services are using more JavaScript or 'AJAX' in their web pages...", sometimes to the detriment of users of older computers.

The article concludes: "Webmail may have improved but using desktop applications is still more efficient. If you don’t want to run your own email server consider using a paid-for service from a webmail provider and using their IMAP or POP interface. Good policy is key to making the best use of your Internet connection - consider webmail when you set policy."