What Is the Purpose of an Intranet?

The purpose of an intranet is to create a computer network that can service the needs of a company by keeping it private, secure and affordable. An Intranet generally means an internal network, and its functions resemble the Internet. In fact, many people choose to think of an intranet as a company's own personal Internet, where data can be exchanged and communication is kept secure using encryption technology.

What are the advantages of an intranet?
Using an intranet to exchange files with other branches, companies or people is much faster than traditional methods. Global communication is another advantage-when employees all over the world can tune in to see what the company standard is or what the latest ruling on a topic is from the company.

Ease of use is a second advantage for this type of inter-office network communication network. It's not difficult for employees to learn to use the intranet, even those who aren't computer-savvy. Other benefits of developing an Intranet are timely updates, cross-platform capability (Mac to PC and vice versa), remote collaboration on projects and ease in archiving data.

Who could benefit from an intranet?
An intranet system can benefit small companies interested in reliable and secure communication via an internal network without the worry of maintaining a private network that includes customer access (an extranet). Large companies also use intranets as a means to share information among hundreds or even thousands of employees. Any business, large or small, has a better chance of success when communication, time management and unity of information are improved.

Are intranets secure?
Security is a big issue with any kind of data transfer, and an intranet is no exception. In order for a company to ensure security with an intranet technology, there must be steps in place for authenticating users, blocking unauthorized users and encrypting information. For example, you'll need a firewall, which is software that blocks access to the network of the intranet. The Web server must also feature security measures, from things as simple as username and password authorization to secure sockets layer (SSL).

While it might seem like a hassle to set up, especially regarding security, an intranet can help simplify spreading information through your company. In the long run, setting up an intranet can pay off by making your company more efficient.