Telephones are devices that allow the user to communicate messages across lines electronically. Alexander Graham Bell invented the first telephone in 1876 in Boston. It is difficult to estimate the total number of telephones that exists today. They are ubiquitous (present everywhere) because of their extreme importance as a communications tool.
Telephone skills become important as technology and equipment change rapidly. Good communication skills will always be highly essential when using the telephone. Evolving technology will enhance the use of telephone in the future. Effective telephone skills are predicated on strong communications skills. Telephone etiquette refers to the principles of behaviour that one should use during a telephone conversation.
An e-mail is a digital message sent electronically from one computer or device to other computers or devices. E-mail or "electronic mail," is one of the most widely used features of the Internet, along with the web. Ray Tomlinson is universally known as the creator of e-mail as part of a program for ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) in 1971. Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) in India, launched the country's first public internet service on 14th August 1995, and thereafter e-mail become an essential part in our life.
E-mail is information stored on a computer that is exchanged between two or more users over internet. More precisely we can say e-mail is a message that may contain text, files, images, or other attachments sent through a network to an individual or group of individuals.
E-mail etiquette refers to the principles of behaviour that one should use when writing or answering e-mail messages. E-mail etiquette depends upon the person to whom you are writing: friends & relatives, partners, customers, superior or subordinates, etc. It is also known as the code of conduct for e-mail communication.
There are pros and cons for both telephone and e-mail communication. The most important thing is the context, i.e. why you need to communicate, and what you are communicating. Some things are best discussed through e-mail, and some are best though the phone.