Public folders and shared mailboxes are both features in email systems that allow multiple users to access and collaborate on emails. However, there are some key differences between the two.
1. Access and Collaboration: Public folders are designed as a companywide collaboration tool. They can be accessed by anyone in your organization who has the necessary permissions. Public folders can be used to store, organize, and share emails, contacts, calendars, and other data. On the other hand, shared mailboxes are more limited in terms of access. They are typically used for a specific group or team within the organization, allowing members to share a common mailbox for communication and collaboration.
2. Mailbox Functionality: Public folders can be mail-enabled, which means they can receive emails directly. This makes them suitable for scenarios where you want to receive emails and collaborate on them as a team. Shared mailboxes, on the other hand, are primarily used as a contact mailbox. They do not have individual logins or passwords and cannot receive emails directly. Instead, emails can be forwarded to a shared mailbox, and members of the team can access and respond to them.
3. Organization and Structure: Public folders have a hierarchical structure, allowing you to create multiple folders and subfolders to organize your data. This makes it easier to categorize and find specific emails or other items. Shared mailboxes, on the other hand, do not have a hierarchical structure. All emails and other data are stored in a single mailbox, which may make it more challenging to organize and locate specific items.
4. User Management: Public folders can be managed by administrators who can set permissions to control access to the folders at various levels. They can define who can view, edit, delete, or create items within the folders. Shared mailboxes also have similar permission settings, but they are typically managed by the team or group using the mailbox. Members of the team can be given different levels of access to the shared mailbox based on their roles and responsibilities.
Public folders are a companywide collaboration tool with a hierarchical structure, while shared mailboxes are more focused on a specific group or team and primarily serve as a contact mailbox. Public folders can receive emails directly, while shared mailboxes need to have emails forwarded to them. Both have permission settings to control access, but public folders are typically managed by administrators, while shared mailboxes are managed by the team or group using them.