What Is An Intranet? Definition and Uses...

An intranet is basically a private web based network. It uses all of the technology of the internet but is safe and protected behind a firewall that keeps unauthorized personnel out. Companies have been using them for years as a method of streamlining their internal communications.
Because a web browser can run on any type of computer, the need to maintain multiple paper copies of documents that are constantly changing can be eliminated. Documents like training manuals, internal phone books, procedure manuals, benefits information, employee handbooks, requisition forms, etc. can be maintained as electronic documents and updated at almost no cost. The savings in paper and other material costs can be significant, but the most powerful aspect of an intranet is its ability to display information in the same format to every computer being used. That allows all of the different software and databases a company uses to be available to all employees without any special equipment or software being installed on their systems.

This universal availability of information is sparking an era of collaboration unlike anything ever seen before. The departmental barriers that exist in many companies are slowing breaking down because now colleagues can share information readily using the company intranet.

Options for implementing an intranet

There are a variety of options for setting up an intranet. They include building your own intranet technology, purchasing and installing third-party software, or purchasing access through an extranet ASP. Here is a quick summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach:

1. Building it yourselfAdvantages:

Complete control of user interface design; ability to customize level of functionality; integration into internal systems, and direct access to user activity.
Disadvantages: High up-front development cost; requires staff expertise in the development of extranets, commitment of internal staff for 6 months to a year for planning, execution, review and implementation; and an ongoing commitment of internal staff for internal and client support, hosting, maintenance and upgrades.

2. Purchasing/installing third-party softwareAdvantages:

Proven track-record of packaged solution; ability to choose functions and tocustomize user interface, more rapid implementation compared to building it yourself.
Disadvantages: High up-front purchase cost; commitment of internal staff for customization and implementation; on-going commitment of internal staff for internal and client support, hosting, maintenance and upgrades; and extensive internal and client training

3. Using a Service Provider (ASP)Advantages:

Proven track-record of the application; low cost of entry and predictable cost over time; virtually immediate implementation; no commitment of internal staff for internal support, hosting, or maintenance; and upgrades at no cost by extranet experts, and savings on internal server use.
Disadvantages: Less freedom in user interface design, and fixed functionality.

In the final analysis…The approach you choose depends on how you work, the technical and financial resources at your disposal, and how rapidly you need to move forward.

Surfing the Web Anonymously

Whenever you surf the web it is possible to find out information about you even when you do not want to publicize who you are. This is a fact, even if your computer contains no virus or malware software. The information that can be tracked easily include IP address, country, computer system being using, browser, browser history, and other related information. It gets even worse. People can get your computer's name and even find out your name. Also, cookies can track your habits as you move from one computer to another.

How do people get this basic information about you?

When you visit one website to another web site, information about you can be recovered. Basically, information is intercepted and used by others to follow your Internet activities.

How do you stop this from happening?

First of all, it is possible to surf the web anonymously and thereby stop leaving a trail for others to find. Note that this is not fool-proof, but it makes it much harder for people to know who you are. There are some sophisticated products called anonymous proxy servers that help in protecting you. These anonymous proxy servers replace user’s Internet address for its own. This has the effect of hiding your IP address and making it much harder for people to track you.


How do I get an anonymous proxy server?

There are many vendors who sell anonymous proxy servers. There are also free proxy servers available to you. Two such products are ShadowSurf and Guardster. They provide various services for anonymous and secure access to the web, some are paid and some are free as well. They provide anonymous surfing at their site for free. Go to it and you will find a box to enter a URL that you want no one to track. There are many others, but here are two that are frequently used.

Another wonderful product, given the recent news about the Google search engine filtering its findings for the Chinese government, is Anonymizer. This company pressed that it is developing a new anti-censorship solution that will enable Chinese citizens to safely access the entire Internet filter-free

Does an anonymous proxy server make you 100% safe?

No. Still, you are much better off if you use such technology.

What other things should I be concerned about when trying to keep my private information private?

Three other items come to mind when trying to keep your information private. First, you can use an encrypted connection to hide your surfing. Secondly, delete cookies after each session. Third, you can configure your browser to remove JavaScript, Java, and active content. This actually leads to limitations, so you need to think about the cost/benefit of this course of action.

The Future World of Computers and Networking

Can you imagine the future world of Modern Technology? It’s totally amazing that the Web World is 20 years old now. Children ask us what we all did before the Internet by which they mean the browser based world of Google, E-bay, You Tube and Club Penguin.

How did we communicate when there were no computers and modern means of communication? Well, I remember that we used to write lots of letters to friends and relatives to stay in touch and were thrilled when someone wrote back. Also it was too expensive to make long distance phone calls in those days. I also spent a lot of time in the library and in book stores looking for books, magazines, research papers etc. for want of information.
Now, after Personal Computer revolution and World Wide Web transformation, it definitely feels like the golden days that my grandparents lived in. Now-a-days we blog, post, comment, Google, Instant Message, Twitter, Web conference, share screens, capture group chats. We can turnaround our ideas in minutes, feel Real presence, Global distribution, Shared authoring in real time.

What about the Future?

I do not think we have to look very far to find what lies ahead in the next five years because it’s already here in primitive form. It’s user friendly IM, VoIP, desktop and Tele presence video conferencing, real-time co-authoring, Web-centric productivity and collaboration tools, much better search through company information and data, virtual world meeting spaces, unified conferencing. Remote team members as connected to you as those a single floor away, meeting centric collaboration platforms, content derived expertise identification, tag clouds at the heart of semantically drive search, analytical graphs at the heart of expertise location, and of course all services available from a mobile Internet device. More and more online shops are defining new ways of shopping.