What is Intranet

Intranet refers to an isolated network set up within a business enterprise or organization. An intranet may have numerous local area networks that are inter-linked and utilize leased lines within a broader area network.

Intranets generally consist of connections made through a single or multiple computer gateways linking to the external internet network. The major purpose of setting up an intranet is to facilitate information sharing within a company and enable employees to compute resources. In many cases, intranet enables people to participate in teleconferences and working groups

Work Efficiency

• Intranet helps in improving the efficiency of a business or organization as they use it to deliver business news and information by publishing documents and directories on the web.
• It also serves as a cost effective for managing documents by permitting employees to view, edit and print documents like spreadsheets collaboratively
• Through intranet, people can process and access different kinds of courses through online learning. Intranet facilitates provides training content to a user’s desktop enabling them to gain new knowledge and skills.
• Organizations and business can use intranet to improve workflow by automating administrative procedures
• With intranet, companies and organizations can send a shared interface between information systems and databases
• It also allows companies to distribute information effectively by allowing integration of email services with business content.

Benefits of Using Intranets: – The major benefits of using intranets include:

• Efficient communication between employees in a company because information is stored in a central place where it can be easily authenticated.
• Since intranets make it possible to create virtual communities, organizations are able to share resources, information and best practices as well as work in a collaborative manner.
• Companies that use intranets are able to improve their service to customers by providing better access to consistent, secured and timely information. This leads to effective customer service.
• Since most documents are accessed through filled and approved online, intranets lead to a reduction in the use of papers. This also makes it easy to track the trail during audits.

Difference between Intranet and Extranet

• Though intranets are similar to extranets, extra-nets are set up in such a way that they can be accessed by specific partners outside of a business or organization.
• Such external users may include being suppliers, business partners and major customers who need to access a businesses’ network for purposes of exchanging applications, data or providing information.
• While intranets enable employees within the business office premises to access data and information from the company systems, extra nets allow employees who spend most of their time outside the office to access company systems remotely. Employees that may require access to company data and information remotely include those that provide customer support, sales and marketing staff or those working from home.
• Unlike intranets, users of extranets need to be defined well and their access characterized by security features through identification routines and use of passwords.
• Intranets are mostly used to share internal documents while extranets are used to share external documents such as electronic and inventory orders.