In most companies today, many workers who use computers are tethered together by what's called a Local Area Network (LAN). This is a way of linking together dozens or even hundreds of computers in a network where people can communicate, collaborate and share information.
Since the introduction of personal computers in the early 1980s, Local Area Networks have been the standard. But now there's a new kid on the block.
The challenger is the Intranet, which is an internal network based on the same standards and protocols of its more famous cousin, the Internet. All this means is that computers on this particular network all speak and understand the same language.
When we think of the Internet, what usually comes to mind is an open, worldwide treasure troveof Web sites to explore and files to download. The Intranet reverses that concept. While the Internet allows you to connect with far-flung Web sites and transfer files around the world, the Intranet is an opposite mirror image; a network turned inward, where those from the outside face what's known as a firewall, which is an electronic barrier that denies access.
The information found on Intranets includes company and corporate information, announcements, manuals, references, company policies and procedures, directories, databases, documents, schedules and much more. The popularity of the Intranet is giving rise to a debate about whether such software products, known as groupware, should continue to be used or pushed aside to make room for an Intranet.
If your curious about Intranets, how they work or plan to develop and setup your own Intranet,there are plenty of sites available on the Internet to assist you.
The Intranet Journal This site contains the Intranet Journal newsletter, news of the latest Intranetdevelopments, links to other Intranet resources, discussion groups, advice from experts, FAQ's, and a number of design tools to help you build your own Intranet. http://www.brill.com/intranet/
The Intranet Information Page Here you'll find a series of "White Papers" which explain thedifferent uses of an Intranet. There are also links to other sites that provide informationon what the Intranet is all about and ways to adapt it to your needs. http://www.strom.com/pubwork/intranet.html
The Complete Intranet Resource From Intranet information for newbies to detailed case studies,jobs listing, Intranet news, an events schedule and more. This site is a cornucopia of Intranet information. If you can't find it here, it may not exist. http://www.lochnet.com/client/smart/intranet.htm/
Intranet White Paper Here you'll find a abstract of a White Paper prepared for the Internet Society for presentation at the annual INET '96 Meeting. The paper explains what an Intranet is and what it was designed to do. It also examine the phenomenal growth of Intranets and even takes a look at growing the Intranet v. groupware battle. http://www.process.com/intranets/wp2.htp
Web Service Resource Site An Intranet? In addition to getting a tutorial about Intranets, you'll also find some real-life, practical examples of how Intranets are used in the health and insurance fields. http://www.frontiertech.com/swebres/Page1.htm |
