Electronic mail, or email, allows for the exchange of computer-stored messages over telecommunication networks like the internet. It has several uses, including communication between individuals and groups, record keeping, group work, and transmitting documents. Email systems operate using a store-and-forward model, with email servers accepting, forwarding, delivering, and storing messages. The key components of an email system are user agents that allow composing and reading messages, mail servers that receive and store messages, and SMTP that transfers messages between servers using a client-server protocol over TCP connections.