Running head: INTRANET, EXTRANET AND INTERNET 1. Intranet, Extranet and Internet. Jeneen Willemssen. Rasmussen College.

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1 Running head: INTRANET, EXTRANET AND INTERNET 1 Intranet, Extranet and Internet Jeneen Willemssen Rasmussen College Author Note This assignment is being submitted on August 26, 2011 for Lisa Reed s B136 Introduction to Business course.

2 INTRANET, EXTRANET AND INTERNET 2 Intranet, Extranet and Internet Intranet, extranet and internet all seem like interchangeable terms, but they are not. All are networks that share data and communications between computers, but the people allowed to access and use each type of network varies. Intranets are the most restrictive of the three, followed by extranets, and then by the Internet. To be more precise, an intranet is a network confined to a single organization (Downing, Covington and Covington, 2009, p. 258). An extranet, on the other hand, is an extension of the intranet to external partners...the networked and computing resources of two of more companies with security features preventing access to others (Ling and Yen, 2001, p. 40). Finally, the Internet is a worldwide network of networks that allows users to access the World Wide Web, exchange electronic mail, participate in discussion forums (newsgroups), send files from any computer to any other...and even use each other s computers directly (Downing, Covington and Covington, 2009, p. 256). The Internet does not restrict access to only a few like intranets and extranets do. Intranets, extranets and the internet are used by businesses in different ways and have different values. Intranets are used by companies and organizations to manage and share internal business information between employees in a relatively secure environment. The value to an intranet is that employees have easy, ready access to confidential files, documents, customer information, and other internal business information necessary to do their jobs effectively. In addition, their ready access to that data is secured by the structure of the intranet; only those with the proper credentials can get in. At my current place of work, for example, we use an intranet to share information about customers, policies, business strategies, marketing, and other proprietary data. The intranet is protected by a firewall and only those with the proper passwords can enter.

3 INTRANET, EXTRANET AND INTERNET 3 Extranets, in the business world, enable trading partners, suppliers, and customers with common interests to form a tight business relationship and strong communication bond (Ling & Yen, 2001, p. 40). Thus, extranets enable businesses to partner with other businesses in an effective manner because they allow all partners have easy, immediate access to information and data they are sharing or have agreed to share, while still protecting that data from the outside world (aka competitors). In the pre-extranet world, that information and data would need to be shared on an on-demand basis, a much slower and more awkward process than what an extranet allows. One example of an effective extranet arrangement might be the sharing of information between school systems. The public elementary and secondary schools in a region could participate in an extranet with institutions of higher education. The two types of institutions could share data about student performance, grades, transcripts, and other official records. Educational testing organizations could also participate in such an extranet, allowing easy access of testing scores to be shared between themselves and the educational institutions that demand them, without risk of breaching confidentiality. The value of the extranet, then is in its ability to allow the different entities to partner more effectively. Finally, the Internet has allowed businesses to share a variety of public, non-proprietary information (annual reports, required financial data, marketing materials, product information, customer service guides, and more) with the world in an easier way than the old method of publishing and sending out printed materials. The value to business is a potential worldwide audience for its information, at minimal cost. As an example, my company uses the Internet to share information about its products and services with its stakeholders: to let potential customers

4 INTRANET, EXTRANET AND INTERNET 4 connect with sales representatives; to let current customers connect with trainers; to sell branded clothing and media via the online store, and to generally share information about the company.

5 INTRANET, EXTRANET AND INTERNET 5 References Downing, D., Covington, M., & Covington, M. M. (2009). Dictionary of computer and internet terms. Hauppauge, NY: Barrons. Ling, R. R., & Yen, D. C. (2001, Spring). Extranet: A new wave of internet. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 66(2), Retrieved from

Differences between an Extranet, an Intranet and the Internet?

Differences between an Extranet, an Intranet and the Internet? What is an Extranet? An extranet is a private network that uses Internet protocols and the public telecommunication system to securely share part of a business's information or operations with suppliers,