Intranets

For many years, companies have struggled to find ways to provide useful information (rather than just data) to their employees. Human resource departments want to communicate policies and procedures and distribute forms efficiently. Training departments want to provide updated course materials in a timely manner. Legacy information maintained on older systems still has value, but must be made available to employees who may be based in another city, state, or even country. As the Internet has developed as a communication tool for businesses and individuals, increasing numbers of organizations are recognizing that an internal internet, an intranet, can provide enhanced communication for employees. With recent advances in telecommunications and software, it is now easier than ever to develop and deploy an intranet over a company's own network. This research examines the use of intranets, the benefits that can be expected from establishing an intranet, and some of the drawbacks and considerations that companies must keep in mind when making the decision to implement an intranet.

Intranets are private networks designed to help employees share information within the company. Typically, they are used to improve communications and provide access to information among employees, and occasionally, vendors and clients (Adams, 2000, p. 56). Nearly all intranets are similar in appearance to the Internet, and provide various ways for users to navi

Related Essays

Use & Benefits of Intranets This research examines the use of intranets, the benefits that can be expected from establishing an intranet, and some of the drawbacks and considerations that .... (3000 12 )

Using an Intranet in a Financial Institution .... By the nature, intranets link users within a single enterprise with each other. .... Financial institutions have a wide variety of uses for intranets. .... (956 4 )

The Internet Explained Although their names sound similar, the internet, intranets, and extranets are significantly different from one another. They have .... (1017 4 )

Internet Use at Wells Fargo Bank .... By the nature, intranets link users within a single enterprise with each other. .... Financial institutions have a wide variety of uses for intranets. .... (1507 6 )

INTERNET QUESTIONS .... Intranets are similar to the Internet in that much of the same information is available as on the web, and that HTML is often the preferred language for .... (1508 6 )

expects to realize in the short-term. The most general benefit that companies expect is an increase in productivity, ostensibly because employees will have access to information which formerly they would not have had, or which they would have needed the assistance of another employee in order to access. Examples of this type of productivity increase are posting employee benefits on the intranet, including policies and procedures, and posting access to pricing information for products and services. Improved communication is another expected benefit of intranets. Companies which implement intranets fully expect that employee communication will improve both from a top-down perspective as well as peer-to-peer. While intranets can also be used for bottom-up communication, companies typically do not expect (nor do they realize) significant benefit in this area. Some companies assume that the improved employee communication is part of the increased productivity that they expect, but companies who take such a simplistic view overlook the very real effect that increased and easier communication can have on morale. Companies which have a significant amount of information available, whether through an intranet or through some other m

Category: Science - I