What is an intranet? The full definition
A Quick History of Intranets
The definition of intranet,
“A network operating like the World Wide Web but having access restricted to a limited group of authorized users (such as employees of a company).“
– Merriam-Webster
The intranet has been around since the 1990s, but previously only performed basic functions such as document storage. Today’s interactive platforms that enable the fast and efficient exchange of internal information are quite different from those of the past.
An intranet software is a business’s own internal version of the Internet. It’s a piece of software that needs a web server to function. It provides a collaboration platform that promotes internal communications . The meaning of an intranet is a digital place that unites participants and information sharing.
For business, an intranet can be used to:
Publish company communications : The intranet can be a place for staff to read company news, announcements and blogs./
Store and share files : Files can be stored in one location instead of on different computers.
Track time : Employees can log work time and project managers can record project time.
Book appointments : It’s easy to coordinate a meeting on an intranet calendar. It can immediately tell you who’s free and when.
Set reminders : This is a useful tool to place project milestones.
Plan projects and workloads : The intranet can be used to schedule timelines, coordinate departments and allocate work. It can target relevant sections, such as sales and marketing, human resources, finance, development…
Hold meetings : Using the intranet to hold a virtual meeting saves time and expenses.
Have informal chats : An internal message system that allows virtual chats.
An intranet is a private network that is more secure than the Internet. Employees can access certain areas, depending on their role.
Intranet 2.0: The Cloud-Based Intranet
What is intranet 2.0 or Social Intranet? It’s the result of an evolving intranet. This is the new version of the original intranet. In the past, company intranets usually only consisted of a welcome page and perhaps some company information and announcements.
This basic tool has evolved into the new intranet 2.0 that:
Allows employees the flexibility of remote working
Promotes the social exchange of information
Supplies access to documents
Maintains employee engagement
Today’s Intranet 2.0 encourages collaboration, rather than just communication. It uses advances in technology to create a platform that allows a company to become a digital workplace .
Does intranet 2.0 need the internet to function? Yes it does, as it’s a branch that links to the internet and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. Data and files are stored in the Cloud, which is the storage and delivery of information via the Internet.
The digital workplace is evolving fast, and remote working supports it. But how do you access an intranet from outside? Employees who use a company’s intranet can get into it from their mobile, tablet or laptop, depending on their access rights. Employees who need to access the intranet from outside or away from an internet connection will need 4G to connect to the company intranet.
Global working is also an important part of an intranet. International business means employees are based all over the world. In the past, we communicated with our colleagues abroad through email or telephone. The intranet changes this.
So an efficient intranet is essential . This virtual replacement of the physical workplace depends on a fully-functioning intranet for it to be successful.
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CMS Employee Intranet: the Difference Between WordPress and Drupal
What is a CMS employee intranet? CMS stands for content management system. This is the system within the intranet for the creation and management of content. This content is the information employees and users use in their day-to-day work and activities. It could be:
Press releases
Research papers
Financial documents
Company procedures and policies
Minutes of meetings
Data information
Sales and marketing presentations
Style guides
Document templates
The CMS has to be well-managed and organized. It should be up-to-date and hold information that is easy to find. Using the CMS should be a rewarding and useful experience for employees. It should encompass management tools for everyone.
A content management system must also be secure (as should the whole intranet). Users should only have access to relevant information. Security should be of the highest level, both to prevent hackers from accessing the content and prevent staff from seeing confidential information.
What are WordPress and Drupal? These are two popular content management systems. WordPress is more well-known than Drupal, but this doesn’t mean it’s better. Both CMSs have their pros and cons and will suit different kinds of businesses. Web developers may have experience in one or both, and which one a company decides to go with will depend on its long-term goals.
Unfortunately, both tools are not employee intranet CMS . They are very different from an intranet which regroups directly all the features you can need.
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What’s the difference between an Intranet, Extranet, and the Internet?
An intranet, extranet and the Internet all facilitate communication, but in different ways. Each can be used for various reasons, depending on the user’s needs. Here’s a simple explanation of the differences between these three networks:
Intranet :
An intranet is a private network , similar to the Internet, but only accessible to authorized people. It is used by a business to publish and store information that is useful to employees. This information can be used by staff to carry out their jobs. A modern intranet also allows employees to work on its platform and create, use, and share documents.
It can be designed to suit a company’s needs. Modern intranet solutions integrate with external resources such as:
Google Workspace
Microsoft 365
Box
Slack
Okta
Zendesk…
An intranet needs a firewall to protect it from unauthorized access. A firewall is a barrier that prevents unwanted traffic from entering the intranet.
Extranet :
An extranet is a branch of the intranet that gives access to a third party not authorized to use the company intranet. This could be a partner, supplier, vendor, or client. An example of extranet use is a retail supplier that can access stock information to facilitate deliveries. This saves the company having to place orders as it is an automated system. Another example is access to a company’s press releases for the media.
As with an intranet, an extranet also needs an additional firewall for security purposes.
Internet :
The Internet is a global network of computers that connect and is accessible to everyone. The World Wide Web (sometimes confused with the Internet) is the service that the Internet provides – websites, email, online gaming, video streaming, file sharing, etc.
To access the Internet you need a device that will connect to it, such as a computer or mobile phone with a Wi-Fi or 4G connection. No one regulates the Internet and it is not owned by any company. Security is the responsibility of the individual company or person that implements it.