The Mail-Box Management and Email Aliases Management capabilities will be addressed first as these require configuration prior to configuring the default Email settings in the direct communications section.

It is important to note that the email-based functionality described herein will only be effective provided CentreBill is integrated into the service provider's email systems. CentreBill uses a MySQL database for updating the email server's information. The update frequency is programmatic. Not all information is presented in both MI3 and MI9. Only the email information necessary for the billing and support function against the customer is presented in MI9. This may be enhanced by the service provider if required.

As part of the Correspondence drop down menu, the following submenu appears:

• Mail-Box Management
   
• Email Aliases Management

The Email Aliases Management submenu item only appears should the customer have domain hosting with the service provider.

Mail-Box Management

Each service is configured in CentreBill's main Services Configuration area in MI9. As part of the service configuration, the number of mail boxes allocated to the service is entered. This number then determines the quantity of mailboxes which may be added by the customer in the Mail-Box Management area in MI3.

A default email box is created for all services and this cannot be deleted by the customer. The screen below shows the summary view for a service which has ten mailboxes available for use, four of which have been configured. The first one is the default mailbox and cannot be deleted.

Furthermore, should the customer have more than one service with the service provider, a dropdown menu will appear allowing the customer to configure the mailboxes for each of the services subscribed to.

For each mailbox, the following parameters can be configured:

• Forward to another mailbox as part of the service provider's own email service
   
• Forward to an email address hosted with an external service provider
   
• Each mailbox may have "vanity" addresses (an alias of an email address delivered directly to the customer's mail box) associated with them and the email may be forwarded to one of these vanity addresses

For each new mailbox, alias or vanity address added, CentreBill will ensure that the requested address is unique before assigning it to the customer.

Email Aliases and Domain Management

If the customer has domain hosting with the service provider, CentreBill's MI3 customer portal will reflect this automatically. If more than one domain is hosted for the customer, then a drop down list will appear with a list of domains and the customer will select which one is to be modified.

Once the customer selects which alias is to be modified, a detailed view with all alias parameters is displayed.

The customer may perform the following actions:

• Add a new alias and direct this to any preconfigured mailbox associated with the contact's email boxes in CentreBill
   
• Modify an existing alias
   
• Delete an alias

The total number of aliases configurable against a customer may be programmatically changed.

Default Email Address

Once the customer has completed all changes and/or additions to their mail-box and email management area, they may then decide which is to be their default email address for receiving billing information and other critical notifications from the service provider.

The default email address will then appear against the customer's record in both the contact information field in MI3 and the Contact View in MI9.

Default Snail-Mail (Postal) Address

Based on the configuration parameters set up initially in MI9, the information presented to the customer in MI3 will reflect this information. Should the customer wish to change any of their snail-mail correspondence details, they may do so on line as shown below. All changes are immediately reflected in both MI3 and MI9 and an entry is added to the Notes section in MI9.

Default Fax Address

The customer may change their fax information in exactly the same way as they can change their postal information.