mail retrieval agent (MRA)

A Mail Retrieval Agent (MRA) or Message Retrieval Agent is a component of a Message User Agent(MUA) that retrieves mail from the mailbox of a remote mail server and stores it on a local server. For fetching the mails, Message Retrieval Agents use the Post Office Protocol( POP) in the POP3 version. Mail retrieval agents are typically used for dial-up services.