A message transfer agent (MTA) or sometimes known as a mail server is a software application that transfers emails between different computers, usually between those of a sender and a recipient. In short, it’s used within an Internet Message Handling System (IMHS) and is responsible for transferring email messages from a sender’s computer to a recipient’s computer.
What is Message Transfer Agent (MTA)’s Used For?
A message transfer agent has several main functions. The first is accepting messages that originate from the user agent and forward them to their destination or other user agents.
The next purpose of a mail transfer agent is to receive all messages that are transferred from other user agents for further transmission.
It also keeps track of every mail activity and analyzes and stores the recipient list to perform routing functions in the future. Lastly, it’s also responsible for sending auto-responses to users about non-delivery when an email message does not reach the recipient.
In simple terms, it’s responsible for the essential tasks relating to email. Or in other words, it’s involved with sending and delivering email, scheduling, data transfer, bounce generation, tracking of delivery status, and more.
Why is Message Transfer Agent (MTA) Important?
When one considers the above, it’s easy to see why message transfer agents are important. They play an essential role in the Internet Message Handling System and how email messages between users are sent and delivered.
They are also important because they directly impact email deliverability. This is simply because message transfer agents can protect and strengthen the sender’s reputation of a business. So, businesses that rely on email extensively, must implement the necessary warming up strategies before using any new IP addresses to send for sending any emails to customers.
For this reason, it’s also important that these businesses should use the right MTA. Here, businesses should consider the MTA’s performance which determines the speed, volumes, and latency of sending emails. In addition, businesses should also look at an MTA’s configuration options. These options often allow a business to improve its MTA’s performance.
By using the right strategies, and the right message transfer agent, businesses can ensure that they achieve a high level of email deliverability. This ensures that their customers get their email messages when they need to and limits the possibility of important emails finding their way directly to their customers’ spam folders.
