So what is intranet and what benefits does it provide for an organization? If you must define an intranet as a system of computer network, then you could describe it in this manner: the intranet is an internal network that is accessible only to the officially authorized users of an organization/company, where in it is used to quickly and securely to exchange all knowledge and data within that organization. The Intranet could be described as a system of interconnected electronic networks which are separated by a firewall or other barriers of both physical and logical nature which allows users of the Internet to access other users as well as other systems and applications on these systems without the use of network connection.
As we know, Intranet has contributed a lot to the development of information technology, particularly in the field of collaboration and shared information. Intranets have brought the first place to the process of education, research, medical transcription and scientific experimentation. The Intranet has proved its worth and the advantages of intranets, so much so that many public institutions, businesses and governments are already adopting this technology into their internal network for the benefit of their entire work force. With Intranets, collaboration and sharing is made possible in any department of the organization, which allows for rapid information exchange and collaborative effort among all the employees in that particular organization.
In a nutshell, intranets helps the employees of an organization to collaborate with each other. This results to greater efficiency within the organization and allows for quick information exchange. Intranets also provides the employees to work independently, while still having their own “brand-new” IP network (in the case of scientific research and experiments). This provides them with the freedom from the traditional constraints associated with personal and organizational communications and interaction.
How many companies have benefited from intranets? As for the answer to this, it would be too big to count. In fact, there are many companies that distribute their content through the Internet to multiple locations or computers. Some of these companies include the likes of eBay, Amazon, Facebook, Harvard University and Wikipedia.
Intranets can also bring additional benefits to the workforce. With this, the workforce will now have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues and take advantage of shared document management. Intranets can also bring the opportunities for internal communications as well as enhanced productivity, which will improve overall efficiency within the company. What’s more is that intranets provide a much more viable option over the current system of file sharing, which is why many employers are now looking to install intranets into their company’s internal network.
So what is the difference between the two types of computer systems? Extranet is a form of public internet access, whereas intranet is strictly a private communication system, which allows users to form their own networks. The main difference between the two is that an individual can share knowledge with other people who are in the same room, but on the other hand, an individual cannot share knowledge with an individual who is not in the same physical location. An example of this is the Internet, as well as an intranet. Another difference is that an intranet runs a mixture of text, audio and video, whereas an extranet has information only contained in text.
Also Read: What is Big Data? – Definition, History, Values and More
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