Information systems (IS) and functional department managers quickly identified the power of this new communications medium as a resource to be leveraged on the corporate network as well. Many are installing Web servers on their corporate networks (intranet applications) for internal usage only. Two-thirds already have or are considering some involvement with intranet applications. These companies have identified the intranet as a powerful mechanism to make information more readily available.
With corporations under tremendous pressure
to empower employees and to better leverage internal information resources,
intranets provide a highly effective communications platform, one that
is both timely
and extensible. A basic intranet can be
set up in hours or days and can ultimately serve as an "information hub"
for the entire company, its remote offices, partners, suppliers, and customers.
Intranets leverage the concept that the Web
browser is quickly becoming the universal information interface. An increasing
number of workers gain Internet access from their work desk every day and
are
becoming accustomed to retrieving information
through the now ubiquitous browser. While most of this information today
comes from beyond the firewall, International Data Corporation (IDC) reports
that,
even in 1995, sales of Web servers for intranet
use outdistanced those sold for Internet use.
Furthermore, IDC forecasts that by the year
2000, server licenses sold for intranet usage will outdistance those for
Internet usage by a factor of 10 to one.
