What is an Extranet?
This information is from an Executive Guide to Intranets and Extranets http://guide.darwinmag.com/technology/web/intranet/index.html When people outside the company use a corporate intranet, it becomes an extranet. Extranets are networks that connect companies with customers and partners. When it comes to extranets, a company has to work with the other organizations on the network, so that it’s available to specific people or groups outside of an organization. Extranets require more security and technical consideration because they have to send private information securely over public networks. When done correctly, extranets provide a safe way to allow transactional business-to-business activities and can save your company some serious time and money. The automotive industry uses extranets to cut down on its redundant ordering processes and keep suppliers up to date on parts and design changes, allowing quicker response times to suppliers’ problems and questions. Suppliers can receive
Companies often use extranets to provide nonpublic information to a select group of people, such as business partners or customers. So while an extranet may look like an ordinary Web site, you have to enter a password or use digital encryption to access it. For example, Federal Express’s customers can track packages on the company’s extranet by simply entering a tracking number. And Bank of America’s extranet lets users transfer funds or look up account balances online. Using an extranet can help companies save money by allowing customers to find information themselves, without having to call and talk to a person.
A company LAN, or local area network, can house a private Internet-like environment called an intranet. The intranet is basically a set of HTML pages relating to internal company business, for employee’s eyes only, and is not available to the Internet. If access to or from the Internet is provided, it will be through a firewall gateway that will require a username and password. In this case the intranet becomes an extranet. In short, an extranet is the extension of an intranet to include public access. An extranet can allow public access to employees, customers, clients or partners. The extranet uses Internet protocols so users can navigate with a browser, but resides on the company’s private server rather than on a public Internet server. Extranet access from the Internet can be controlled through various architectures that are password or username specific. In other words, areas of the extranet will be available according to password credentials. This limits users to extranet pages r
Similar to an intranet — a private Internet for people inside a company — an extranet widens the circle to privileged outsiders. An extranet can streamline the sharing of information, as well as applications and services. For example, a public relations agency may want to review marketing materials with a client. Rather than e-mail a large file, or fax it, or send it via costly overnight mail, the agency could put the materials on a private website. An extranet. The agency might also want to use this extranet to collaborate with clients, sharing calendars, project management tools, and other applications. “An extranet allows the organization to have a closer, interactive relationship with its customers, partners, etc., without the need for complete management of the users or their IT environment,” says Ray Wagner, research vice president with Gartner Inc., of Stamford, Conn. How does it work Extranet functionality comes in different forms. A public website is a simple extranet, Wagne
An extranet is similar to an intranet but it is made accessible to selected external partners such as business partners, suppliers, key customers etc, for exchanging data and applications and sharing information. As with an intranet, an extranet can also provide remote access to corporate systems for staff who spend lots of time out of the office, for instance those in sales or customer support, or home workers. Extranet users should be a well-defined group and access must be protected by rigorous identification routines and security features.
