|
An intranet
is a private computer network that uses Internet protocols, network connectivity,
and possibly the public telecommunication system to securely share part of an
organization's information or operations with its employees. Sometimes the
term refers only to the most visible service, the internal website. The same
concepts and technologies of the Internet such as clients and servers running
on the Internet
protocol suite are used to build an intranet.
HTTP and other Internet protocols are commonly used as well, especially FTP
and e-mail. There is often an attempt to use Internet technologies to provide
new interfaces with corporate 'legacy' data and information systems.
Briefly, an intranet
can be understood as "a private version of the Internet," or as a
version of the internet confined to an organization.
Extranets
Intranets
differ from "Extranets" in that the former is generally restricted
to employees of the organization while extranets can generally be accessed by
customers, suppliers, or other approved parties. There does not necessarily
have to be any access from the organization's internal network to the internet
itself. When such access is provided it is usually through a gateway with a
firewall, along with user authentication, encryption of messages, and often
make use of virtual private networks (VPNs). Through such devices and systems
off-site employees can access company information, computing resources and internal
communications.
Increasingly, intranets
are being used to deliver tools and applications, e.g., collaboration (to facilitate
working in groups and teleconferencing) or sophisticated corporate directories,
sales and CRM tools, project management etc., to advance productivity.
intranets
are also being used as culture change platforms. For example, large numbers
of employees discussing key issues in an online forums could lead to new ideas.
intranet
traffic, like public-facing web site traffic, is better understood by using
web metrics software to track overall activity, as well as through surveys of
users. intranet
"User Experience", "Editorial", and "Technology"
teams work together to produce in-house sites. Most commonly, intranets
are owned by the communications, HR or CIO areas of large organizations, or
some combination of the three.
Advantages
1. Workforce productivity: intranets
can help employees to quickly find and view information and applications relevant
to their roles and responsibilities. Via a simple-to-use web browser interface,
users can access data held in any database the organization wants to make available,
anytime and - subject to security provisions - from anywhere, increasing employees'
ability to perform their jobs faster, more accurately, and with confidence that
they have the right information.
2. Time: With intranets,
organizations can make more information available to employees on a "pull"
basis (ie: employees can link to relevant information at a time which suits
them) rather than being deluged indiscriminately by emails.
3. Communication: intranets
can serve as powerful tools for communication within an organization, vertically
and horizontally.
4. Web publishing allows 'cumbersome' corporate knowledge to be maintained
and easily accessed throughout the company using hypermedia and Web technologies.
Examples include: employee manuals, benefits documents, company policies, business
standards, newsfeeds, and even training, can be accessed using common Internet
standards (Acrobat files, Flash files, CGI applications). Because each business
unit can update the online copy of a document, the most recent version is always
available to employees using the intranet.
5. Business operations and management: intranets
are also being used as a platform for developing and deploying applications
to support business operations and decisions across the internetworked enterprise.
Disadvantages
1. Publication of information must be controlled to ensure only correct and
appropriate information is provided in the intranet.
2. Appropriate security permissions must be in place to ensure there are no
concerns over who accesses the intranet
or abuse of the intranet
by users.
|
Intranets