What Is Intranet Technology Used for?

What is intranet technology, and why do you need it? Intranet solutions bring a lot to the table, and they provide a way for your company to share important information and harness valuable tools to improve your business model.

What is intranet Technology?
Basically, an intranet is an HTML system restricted entirely within an organization. In many cases, an intranet is hosted on a local area network, with no connection to the Internet in any way. If an intranet exists on systems with Internet access, the intranet is typically behind a firewall to prevent restricted access from unauthorized users. Because it's an entirely local restricted network, the intranet is typically utilized to share valuable and proprietary company information.

What's an intranet for?
Organizations use intranets for a variety of internal functions. A human resources department could use intranet functionality to share important information with employees, such as benefits information, employee handbooks and other proprietary company information.

An accounting department could use an intranet to track expenses within the company, manage payroll and create and manage budgets. Supply management systems can use intranet connections to maintain supply levels and alert users to place orders when supplies reach a critical level. In other words, you can use an intranet for many functions that streamline the workplace and allow easy information exchange within an organization.

How secure are intranets?
An intranet is a restricted network with no access to the Internet. If Internet connectivity or portals are added, it becomes an extranet. Intranets are intentionally kept on a local area network to avoid security risks through external contact. It's possible to control intranet content because it's a restricted network, as compared to an Internet-based HTML system in which information is shared with any user.

Intranet systems may require users to login to access proprietary or restricted information. Network administrators can use intranets to establish different levels of information sharing within an organization. If you have programs or data that you only want certain employees to be able to access, you can individually manage access levels via a secured intranet logon portal.

How does an intranet work?
In many cases, an intranet is as simple as having an HTML interface to share data and access information. The intranet portal may look just like another Web site, except it's all hosted on a local area connection; no Internet involved. Intranet protocols are similar to Internet protocols, and similar coding works for both systems. However, the TCP/IP accesses involved in intranet maintenance may require professional IT installation and maintenance, so keep this in mind if you're planning an intranet for your company.

Intranet protocols also support e-mail and FTP within the intranet. This is extremely important for companies that need high levels of security; it's possible to send e-mails or transfer files on an intranet that remain entirely within the company, and therefore maintain a high level of security. Intranet solutions prevent companies from having to invest in advanced security protocols because the information never leaves company servers.