Intranets as Platforms for Business Applications and Decision Support

Business Operation and Management
Intranets have moved beyond merely making hypermedia information available on Web servers or pushing it to users via net broadcasting.

Intranets are also being used as the platform for developing and deploying critical business applications to support business operations and managerial decision making across the internetworked enterprise.

For example many companies are developing custom applications like order processing, inventory control, sales management, and executive information systems that can be implemented on intranets, extranets, and the Internet.

Many of these applications are designed to interface with and access existing company databases and legacy systems.

The software for such business uses is then installed on internet Web servers. Employees within the company; or external business partners, can excess and run such applications using Web browsers from anywhere whenever needed.
Intranets as Platforms for Business Applications and Decision Support

Applications of Intranets

Applications of Intranets
Communication and Collaboration
Intranet can significantly improve communications and collaboration within an enterprise. For example, intranet browser and PC can be used to send and receive e-mail, voice mail, and paging, and faxes to communicate with other within organization, and externally through the internet and extranet. Intranet groupware features also can be used to improve team and project collaboration with services such as discussion groups, chat rooms, and audio and teleconferencing.

Web Publishing
The advantages of developing and publishing hyperlinked multimedia documents to hypermedia databases accessible on World Wide Web servers has moved to corporate intranets. The comparative ease, attractiveness, and lower cost of publishing and accessing multimedia business information internally via intranet websites have been the primary reasons for the explosive growth in the use of intranets in business. For example, information products as varied as company newsletter, technical drawings, and product catalogs can be published in a variety of ways, including hypermedia Web pages, E-mail, and net broadcasting, and as part of in house business applications,. Intranet software browsers, servers, and search engines can help easily navigate and locate the business information needed.
Applications of Intranets