ETO Home
Telework
Teletrade
Telecooperation
Links
Definitions
FAQs
Events
Search
Feedback
Discussion
Site management
Page updated:
7 February 1997
Page owner:
ETO Site Team
What is an Intranet
and what is its value?
Where the Internet connects people and organisations and information
sources by using common protocols to link computers on a public and open-to-all
basis, an Intranet uses the same common protocols for internal
company or group purposes. Instead of adopting a common propietary standard
for its communications, information storage and presentation etc, the company
(or any group of people or companies) decides to use Internet standards
and methods.
Business benefits of Intranets
There are lots of business benefits, including:- People use and get accustomed to the same kinds of approaches and
systems for internal company/group working, working externally with other
groups/companies/individuals, and private use for work or leisure purposes.
This shortcuts learning curves.
- The company/group and its people have access to the very wide and
rapidly increasing range of applications, products and services flowing
from the world wide acceptance of Internet methods, and the very attractive
prices that result from intense competition among suppliers - as well as
a lot of free or very low cost applications and information.
- The skills needed to develop, maintain and enhance applications are
converging, and companies will be able to obtain technical skills from a
wider pool.
- Employees and jobs can become more flexible and mobile, since the
Intranet approach means that applications and information are readily shared
regardless of geography and time zones, and people share a common platform
of learning.
- A common approach to internal information and published information enables signficant savings, for example in design and print of publications - customers and staff can access the same data at the same time.
Surely there are drawbacks?
Of course! Any approach to information systems has limitations. In the case of Intranets, the constraints include:- Performance limitations - some applications that have been well optimise
for conventional and proprietary systems create a heavy system workload
when migrating them to an Internet paltform or merging them with Intranet
presentation; this problem will reduce with enhanced Internet technologies
and continuing improvements in hardware price-performance.
- Presentational issues - some people whose experience is rooted in
paper presentation want web pages (for example) to look like printed equivalents,
and burden the systems and their users with unnecessary and sometimes tedious
"graphics", which often get in the way of the information rather
than making it more accessible and attractive. This is really a learning
curve matter, at some stage the users' real needs tend to come to the fore.
- The "me too"syndrome - the Internet world spawns innovations on a daily or even an hourly basis. Its very difficult when a novelty first appears to know whether its a genuine advance or a passing fad, but some systems people can't resist the urge to use the newest capabilities. There's also a tendency for suppliers to promote new application function that will only optimise with next generation technologies, and that can cripple the two, three or four year old systems that most people use at any particular time. These problems can be avoided by confident management that manages change in a progressive but deliberate way.