If you have a cloud web hosting package and you set up an email address, you may take the option to send and receive emails for granted, however, this isn't always the case. Sending e-mail messages isn't necessarily included in the hosting packages that service providers offer and an SMTP service is necessary to be capable to do that. The acronym means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol and that is the software application that allows you to send e-mails. If you are using an email application, it creates a connection to the SMTP server. The latter then requests the DNS records of the domain, which is a part of the receiving address to find out what email server manages its e-mails. After system information is exchanged, your SMTP server provides the e-mail to the remote IMAP or POP server and then the e-mail is finally delivered in the corresponding mailbox. An SMTP server is necessary if you use some sort of contact page as well, so in case you work with a free of charge hosting plan, for example, it's probable that you won't be able to make use of this type of form since many cost-free website hosting companies do not allow outgoing emails.