messageries

Messageries is a term used to describe the systems, facilities, and organizations involved in sending and delivering messages. In French, messagerie denotes both mail services and messaging in a broad sense, and in English contexts the word is sometimes used to refer to messaging systems or mail services as well. The plural form messageries is uncommon in general English usage but may appear when discussing multiple networks, departments, or institutions that handle message exchange.

Historically, messageries referred to courier and postal networks responsible for transporting written communications between locations. These systems depended on physical routes, depots, and personnel to ensure timely delivery and tracking. With the advent of electronic communications, the scope of messageries expanded to include digital message exchange, such as electronic mail (email), instant messaging, SMS, and enterprise messaging platforms. Modern messageries typically rely on servers, clients, and routing protocols, with emphasis on reliability, privacy, and auditability.

Types and components can be broadly categorized as:

- Postal or courier messageries: physical delivery of letters and packages, including routing, tracking, and delivery confirmation; often operated by government or private postal and courier services.

- Electronic messageries: digital messaging systems, including email, instant messaging, and enterprise messaging, using standards and protocols such as SMTP, IMAP/POP3, XMPP, and various secure messaging platforms.

Common concerns across messageries include security, privacy, spam management, interoperability, and regulatory compliance. See also postal service, courier, email, instant messaging, and messaging platforms.