A client is a piece of software or a device that connects to a server to request and use services or resources over a network. When you open a web browser you are using a client to ask a web server for a web page. An email application acts as a client when it retrieves messages from a mail server. Clients range from desktop computers and smartphones to specialised programmes and terminals, each designed to access particular services. The client–server interaction means that clients rely on servers to store data, process requests and host content while presenting the results to the user.
