What is the purpose of email?

The purpose of email is to speed up the communication process. Email has revolutionized the time it takes for written communication to arrive. It also provides an alternative to leaving a phone message.

Email facilitates collaboration because many people can be added as recipients. This allows for the speedy exchange of thoughts and ideas. Email has also reduced the expenditures for paper, envelopes and postage by individuals and businesses.

Email is older than the Internet. The first email system was used by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was a simple file directory that allowed one user to place a file on another user's computer drive.