Every day, tens of thousands of state agents send and receive emails via a messaging system that resembles neither Gmail nor Outlook. This messaging system is MEL, short for Mélanie 2 Web.
It serves as the official email platform used by several French ministries for their daily professional exchanges. Behind this name, which is little known to the general public, lies a tool designed to meet specific requirements for security, digital sovereignty, and collaborative work between administrations.
Cerberus, MEL, and Bnum: three components of the same digital ecosystem
Understanding MEL requires placing it within a broader context. The messaging system does not operate in isolation. It integrates into an inter-ministerial ecosystem composed of three complementary elements.
Cerberus is the single sign-on portal through which each agent accesses their digital tools. Instead of multiplying usernames and passwords for each application, the agent logs in just once via Cerberus. This mechanism reduces vulnerabilities related to managing multiple credentials in large organizations.
Once authenticated, the agent accesses Mélanie 2 Web (MEL) for their emails, as well as Bnum, the inter-ministerial digital office. Bnum includes shared calendars, instant messaging spaces, document storage, and file co-editing. Therefore, MEL is not just a simple webmail: it is the gateway to a complete work environment.
To delve deeper into the functioning of this tool and its technical specificities, you can consult the MEL messaging system on Esceri, which details the various layers of this architecture.
Strong authentication and remote access to MEL: what changes for agents
Have you noticed that accessing certain online services now requires two successive validations? This principle applies to MEL, and strictly so. Access from outside the ministerial network is conditioned on two-factor authentication.
In practical terms, an agent working from home or while traveling must first connect via a ministerial VPN (virtual private network). This VPN creates a secure tunnel between their computer and the internal network of the administration. Without this step, the connection to MEL is simply blocked.
This constraint is not trivial. It is part of an inter-ministerial policy to secure remote access, strengthened after the increase in cyberattacks targeting local authorities and public administrations in recent years. The VPN and two-factor authentication are mandatory outside the internal network, which distinguishes MEL from public messaging systems where a simple password suffices.
Web browser and compatibility
MEL operates directly in a web browser. The agent does not need to install dedicated client software on their workstation. This approach simplifies maintenance and updates, as only the central server evolves.
In return, the browser used must be up to date and compatible with the required security protocols. An outdated browser may prevent connection or cause display malfunctions.
Digital sovereignty: why the state refuses private messaging
Why not use a conventional commercial messaging system? The answer can be summed up in one word: sovereignty. The data exchanged by ministerial agents may concern regulatory decisions, budgetary arbitrations, or personal information of citizens.
Entrusting these exchanges to a foreign private provider would expose this data to extraterritorial legislations. Some laws allow third-party governments to demand access to data stored by their national companies, even if the servers are in Europe. By hosting MEL on state-controlled infrastructures, the data remains under exclusive French jurisdiction.
This logic extends beyond just messaging. France is actively pushing to replace private instant messaging tools (like WhatsApp) with sovereign open-source solutions, including at the European level. The Tchap application, reserved for public agents, illustrates this strategy for instant exchanges, while MEL covers the structured email aspect.
Concrete features of the MEL digital office
Beyond sending and receiving emails, the Bnum linked to MEL offers collaborative tools that structure the daily work of agents. Here are the main components available:
- Shared calendars between services and departments, with the possibility of viewing the availability of colleagues from other ministries connected to the same system
- Documentary spaces allowing for the storage, organization, and co-editing of files in real-time, from any connected workstation
- Instant messaging rooms, public or private, for quick exchanges that do not require a formal email
- Thematic working groups where agents can share resources and track the progress of cross-cutting projects
The entire system operates with a single technical identity per agent, that provided by Cerberus. No additional account needs to be created to access the calendar or document storage.
Difference between MEL and Mélagri
Mélagri is the historical messaging system for the public agricultural education community. It has long operated as a standalone tool with its own thematic conferences and its “free space” for exchanges. MEL (Mélanie 2 Web) is aimed more broadly at agents from various ministries and relies on the Bnum architecture.
The two systems still coexist, but MEL represents the convergence towards a unified inter-ministerial tool. Mélagri, used by the agricultural educational community, retains certain specificities related to its historical networking of institutions since the late 1990s.
Frequent connection issues and reflexes to adopt
Access difficulties to MEL follow recurring patterns. Before contacting IT support, three checks are usually sufficient in most cases:
- Is the VPN properly activated? Without it, any attempt to connect outside the internal network will systematically fail
- Is the browser up to date? An old version may block Cerberus authentication without an explicit error message
- Has two-factor authentication been activated on the account? This step, sometimes forgotten when starting a new position, conditions all remote access
These three points resolve the vast majority of blockages reported by agents. The rest generally pertains to server maintenance or a network incident on the ministry’s side, which the user has no control over.
MEL is not just another webmail. It is an infrastructure choice that engages the security of public exchanges and the control of data by the state. For agents, the trade-off of this requirement translates into a few additional connection steps, but also into an integrated work environment that goes well beyond simple email.