FREE online courses on Information Technology - Chapter 8 NETWORK & COMMUNICATIONS IN I T - Intranets

 

          Internet technology is having a major impact on companies through networks called “Intranets” as opposed to Internet. A firm sets up servers and clients following Internet protocols and distributes a web browser to its users. The network is probably not connected to the Internet, rather it is used to publish information internally within the company. This information is likely to be proprietary so the company does not want  other Internet users to have access to it. For example, Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, has an extensive Intranet and encourages its employees to publish all of their work on it. That way any member of the firm with a browser can access information like research reports on a company or industry.

          It is estimated that 40 percent of the largest U.S. firms are developing or have Intranets. While most of the information on Intranets is textual, one could make some transactions information available as well. If these data become widely available, we can envision an environment in which most employees in a company have access to all of the information they need through one, common browser interface.