use IO::Socket;

   # ....

   ## open socket to smtp server
    #
   syslog('debug', "Opening smtp socket");
   $smtp = IO::Socket::INET->new(Proto => "tcp",
                  PeerAddr => "${mailhost}:25")
      or do { ## bad news
         $mailhostDown = 1;
         syslog('crit', "Mail server down!", $!);
         exception('crit', "Unable to open socket to $mailhost!", $!);
      };


   ## write to socket, sending email
    #
   <$smtp> and print $smtp "EHLO $hostname\r\n";
   <$smtp> and print $smtp "MAIL FROM: <$fromAddr>\r\n";
   for ( @{ $recipients } ) {
      next unless $_;
      <$smtp> and print $smtp "RCPT TO: $_\r\n";
   }
   <$smtp> and print $smtp "DATA\r\n";
   <$smtp> and print $smtp "From: $fromName <$fromAddr>\r\n";
   print $smtp "To: $to\r\n";
   print $smtp "Subject: $msg_subject\r\n";
   print $smtp "@{$msg}\r\n";
   print $smtp "\r\n.\r\n";
   <$smtp> and print $smtp "QUIT\r\n";

   <$smtp> and $smtp->close;