OVERVIEW OF INTRANET(Part 1)

What is  Intranet ?

·         Smaller private version of Internet. It uses Internet protocols to create enterprise-wide network which may consists of interconnected LANs.

·         It may or may not include connection to Internet.

·         Intranet is an internal information system based on Internet technology and web protocols for implementation within a corporate organization.

·         This implementation is performed in such a way as to transparently deliver the immense informational resources of an organization to each individual’s desktop with minimal cost, time and effort.

·         The Intranet defines your organization and display it for everyone to see.

If everyone knows

·                what the company stands for,

·                what the company’s strategic vision is,

·                what the guiding company principles are,

·                who the clients and partners are,

then they can focus more clearly on what their own contributions are to the organization.

Every organization can constantly refer to the central messages and develop their own supporting sites accordingly. Use the Web as an information, communications, and project-management tool across the organization.

Who needs an Intranet:

In an Intranet environment is used to communicate over two or more networks across different locations.

1. Users having multi-locations with multi-networks.

2. Users having single locations with multi-networks.

3. Users having single locations with single networks.

What’s really HOT about Intranets:

From a technology point of view, an Intranet is simply beautiful. because:

1. It is scaleable.

2. It is Interchangeable.

3. It is platform independent

4. It is Hardware independent.

5. It is vendor independent.

Why Intranet for an Organization:

·         Quick access to voice, video, data and other resources needed by users.

·         Variety of valuable applications of Intranet applications improve communication and productivity across all areas of an enterprise.

An Intranet can give immediate access to products specifications, pricing charts and new collateral’s, sales lead, competitive information and list of customer wins including profit/loss analysis, thus boosting the success of the business.

A Decision Making Tool

The intranet links together all of the information in your organization. By using interactive forms one can prune and graft information, which helps analyze market trends, or business behavior. You can share results with colleagues, clients and partners, and modify business decisions accordingly.

A Complete Communication Tool

The intranet helps in integrating, all departmental communications, all group communications and all individual communications. Intranet creates a repository of information accessible to everybody in the organization.

A 21st Century Telephone.

The intranet has become a utility in many companies, much like a telephone. Using it you empire a knowledge environment in which individuals within the organization, knows who they are talking to, what they represent and how they fit into the organization.

An ISO Tool

The intranet can satisfy a lot of your ISO 9000 requirements. You can provide all information on-line in one location and can identify processes, metrics, and project contacts on-line. It becomes a solid source or repository which enables many of the ISO requirements.

A Target Marketing Tool

The elements of a traditional business-to-business marketing and sales programs can be integrated within the web environment in order to create target marketing which attracts highly qualified customer/client prospects and engages in an ongoing product/sales dialogue. The end result can be more profitable.

Applications of Intranet

Publishing Corporate documents

Corporate documents such as newsletters, annual reports, maps, company facilities, price lists, product’s information literature can be easily published and propagated across an organization. Intranet technology facilitates efficient, timely and accurate communication across the entire corporate organization and cuts down on the cost of publishing the information on paper every now and then.

Access into searchable directories

Intranet provides rapid access to corporate phone books and the like. By using this technology, information can be made more widely available.

Excellent Mailing Facilities

With Intranet mail products mailing attachment of documents, sound, vision and other multimedia is facilitated. With the evolution of this web technology one-to-many communication has become more effective.

Proper Sharing of Information

Using Intranet technology, applications such as Bulletin Board Services can help every individual in an organization to put forth his views on various topics and discuss it with others in the organization.

Developing Groupware Applications

The flow of documents can be automated by incorporating intranet in an organization. Thus the overall efficiency of an organization increases as less manual and paper involvement will be required. Typical examples are sanctioning of expense reports/travel reports, Conference room booking, etc.

Brief :

·         Organizational & personnel changes can be immediately communicated on intranet.  Mergers, new ventures, new projects, product releases can be immediately communicated.

·         Instant availability of the latest organizational information.

·         Conference type online interaction.

·         Employees can view benefits programs, Company policy and procedures online.

·         Distribution of software and manuals centrally.

·         Reduce paper work with the organization.

·         In manufacturing units all products details and company standards can be put centrally on the Intranet.

A Typical Intranet setup