Please can we keep the thread focussed on the use of the MAPI protocol and whether it's continued support is required.  This is specifically about Email Management Server Options (sagecrm.com) NOT the Outlook Plugins. 

OK.  To be crystal clear.  The functionality of the Outlook Plugins is irrelevant to this discussion.  The replacement of the Outlook Plugin functionality is irrelevant to this discussion.  If you want to discuss the Outlook Plugins and what will replace them then please discuss that elsewhere under one of the blog articles.  This question is ONLY about whether MAPI is needed for the Email Management Service aka Advanced Email Manager.  

OK.  To be crystal clear.  The functionality of the Outlook Plugins is irrelevant to this discussion.  The replacement of the Outlook Plugin functionality is irrelevant to this discussion.  If you want to discuss the Outlook Plugins and what will replace them then please discuss that elsewhere under one of the blog articles.  This question is ONLY about whether MAPI is needed for the Email Management Service aka Advanced Email Manager.  

As requested my reply above makes no mention of the Outlook plug-in and simply states

"If however you are looking to implement EMS as the primary method of filing emails into CRM then MAPI becomes more relevant. "

So, as things currently stand the removal of MAPI from the Email Management Server would be an inconvenience.  The majority of situations where EMS is implemented MAPI is irrelevant as we are communicating with an email server other than Exchange. 

However, if the current situation changes and we are implementing EMS more frequently, for example if it becomes the primary method of filing emails into CRM, then MAPI will be critical.  POP3 is not a appropriate way to connect to an Exchange server in many circumstances.