What is Intranet? – Definition, Uses, Benefits and More

Intranet Definition

An intranet is a private network within an organization that only employees have access. This network can consist of systems connected local area (Local Area Networks, LAN) or sometimes, even extensive area networks (Wide Area Networks, WAN). Through a gateway, intranet users also have regular internet access, sometimes with certain restrictions.

How is the Intranet Used?

An intranet is used within large companies to give all employees (sometimes even overseas branches) access to the information and services of the internal computer systems. All the different types of operations connect to the intranet. Thus, for example, integration with a document management system ensures that workers have a vision of company information.  And also, can collaborate with documents. Also, communication platforms for projects or even for social events can configure during and after work.

Sharing intranet with external

In some cases, companies want to share their internal work networks (temporarily) with external ones. In this case, we no longer talk about intranet but extranet. The need to set up an extranet may arise. For example, when a company works on specific projects collaborating with external parties. For the external ones, the entire intranet will not be available, but the parts that are necessary for it to work.

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Intranet Uses

Intranets are being used to deliver tools, For example, collaboration (to facilitate working in groups and teleconference) or sophisticated corporate directories, sales and other customer management tools, project management.

Corporate culture-change platforms use intranets. A large number of employees discussing key issues in the intranet forum application leads to new ideas in quality, management, productivity, and corporate matters.

In huge intranets, website traffic is often similar to public website traffic and can understand better by using web metrics software to track the overall activity. User surveys also improve intranet website effectiveness.

More substantial businesses allow the users to access their [intranet] within public internet through the firewall servers. They can screen messages incoming and outgoing, keeping security intact. When a part of an intranet is made accessible to customers and others outside the business, it becomes part of an extranet.

Intranet Benefits

Productivity

Intranets help users to locate and view information fast and use similar applications to their roles and responsibilities. With the help of a browser interface, users can access data held in any database the organization wants to make available.

Time

Intranets allow organizations and employees to distribute information on an as-needed; Employees may link to similar information to their convenience, rather than they get distract indiscriminately by email.

Business operations and management

Deploying applications use [intranet] as a platform for developing to support business operations and decisions across the internetworked enterprise.

Built for the audience

Many higher companies dictate computer specifications in which, it allows [Intranet developers] to write applications that have to work on one browser (no cross-browser compatibility issues). Being able to address your “viewer” is explicitly a great advantage.

Immediate updates

When dealing with public incapacity, specifications, laws, and parameters can change. Intranets make it possible to provide your audience with “live” changes so they are up-to-date, which can limit a company’s liability.

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