According to Taylor, of Intuitive Systems, an intranet setup can run from a few thousand dollars—if the firm drops a free Web server onto an existing workstation—to many millions—if it hires a few Web developers, translates large bodies of text to an online format, and buys commercial-quality indexing software for searching. For a modest start, the firm will need a server; server software (much of which is available free on the Internet); a browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer; and some expertise with HTML or Web authoring software.

The firm will not need an external Internet connection, though the benefits of having Internet access can be tremendous in their own right. However, a basic network infrastructure is needed so that the employees' PCs can be linked to one another. "If [companies] don't already have LANs and WANs, they will have to plunk down some serious money to get this part of the infrastructure built," . It's also somewhat time-consuming to have someone install TCP/IP (the basic Internet protocol) onto each computer; and negotiating a corporate license for some browsers can be a hefty up-front expense.

Training and support costs, however, are minimal. Users need to know little more than how to point and click with a mouse, though it's important for them to learn how to use the applications effectively and to have an overall understanding of how using the intranet helps the business.

The time investment, of course, will vary, but Taylor says a company building an intranet should expect the project to take at least a few months of planning and education. "The more thought that goes into the process, the more value comes out when it's online," he says.