What Is An Intranet?
An intranet can be found in any large corporation and is becoming increasingly common in smaller organisations. So what is it? An intranet is, simply put, an internal, private internet, primarily used as an organisational tool for information management and sharing. We all know, in essence, what the internet is even if we cannot fully define it. If you are reading this then you are an internet user. An intranet is a network of select IP addresses within which an authorised user can search, share and send information. The key difference between the two being that anyone can access the internet, whereas an intranet is a secure restricted environment.
How do you create an intranet? Intranets can be custom created or created using various dedicated software packages and then customised. They can be created in house or by specialist development agencies. The best option for your business will depend on exactly what you want to gain by building an intranet. Therefore it is very important to determine your project goals before assessing the most suitable method of implementation.
The best business intranet software packages include Microsoft SharePoint, Source Intranet Software, Vialect Noodle and Claromentis Intranet Manager. Since most businesses run on a primarily Microsoft based operating system and use Microsoft software SharePoint solutions can be the easiest to integrate into your network. They also tend to be the easiest for employees to adapt to. However, there are various advantages to the alternative solutions, it really does depend on what you are looking to achieve.
Why would a business want an intranet? Large corporations and particularly multinationals rely on their intranets for information sharing. It would be inefficient and time consuming for a business with an office in Australia and an office in London to email information to each other. Through an intranet they can securely upload and save any and all information that a colleague in another office may require. It also allows the centralisation of systems so everyone within the business, whatever the size, knows where to look to find different information.
What kind of information would be shared on an intranet? An intranet could be used to publish a periodic internal newsletter, to communicate press releases to staff, to internally advertise recruitment openings or to plan work events, such as the Christmas party. If a project or presentation is being prepared which requires input from more than one party it can be shared on the intranet and simultaneously updated. This is far more efficient than colleagues agreeing timeslots when they will each work on the presentation or they accidentally overwrite someone else’s work when saving their own.
John McE writes articles on a number of subjects including SharePoint solutions, software development, document management, Microsoft training, business integration and network consulting.
