As a messaging architecture, MAPI enables multiple applications to interact with multiple messaging systems across a variety of hardware platforms. See also MAPI subsystem, messaging system.
As a client interface component, MAPI is the complete set of functions and object-oriented interfaces that forms the foundation for the MAPI subsystem's client application and service provider interfaces. In comparison with Simple MAPI, Common Messaging Calls (CMC), and the Active Messaging Library, MAPI provides the highest performance and greatest degree of control to messaging-based applications and service providers.