Intranet – Simply Explained

by Mike

⁠Many people are familiar with the internet, but few know exactly how an intranet works. It is an internal network for secure communication and collaboration within companies.

Intranet explained: What it is and how it works

An intranet is a private network. Intranets are used by companies, universities, and government agencies. However, the pages of an intranet are protected by a special login. This means that only authorized employees have access.

  • However, an intranet is based on the same technologies as the internet. So there are websites, servers, and protocols.
  • The purpose of an intranet is to make information and applications available within an organization in a secure manner.
  • Employees can use the intranet to access company news, look up contact details, manage their personnel accounts and time records, or download forms, for example.

Advantages of the intranet: convincing features

An intranet offers numerous advantages, especially when it comes to exchanging data and ensuring smooth internal communication.

  • Data and documents are stored centrally so that employees can access them directly.
  • Internal communication often runs more efficiently via the intranet, for example through chat systems, messengers, or dedicated email services.
  • Since all data is stored on the company’s own servers, confidential information is prevented from passing through third-party servers on the internet.
  • Security is a major advantage for companies: data exchange is protected, making external attacks much more difficult.
  • Intranets often offer additional administrative functions, such as access logs or authorization levels, which companies can use to control usage.
  • Last but not least, companies can promote productivity by restricting Internet access, for example by reducing private use during working hours.

Intranet applications: How companies use the platform

Modern intranets have long been more than just platforms for providing data—they offer numerous functions that make everyday work easier and improve collaboration.

  • Employee portals bundle central information such as internal news, documents, forms, or vacation requests.
  • Workflow management systems support workflows, approvals, or project management.
  • Internal messaging systems and social features such as feeds, comment columns, and group rooms promote communication.
  • Personalization options and mobile access ensure that employees can work effectively even when working from home or on the go.

Thanks to technological advances, intranets no longer have to be operated exclusively locally. Today, they often run over the Internet, but like a VPN, so that access remains isolated from the outside world.

  • Many intranets can now be used on mobile devices, which suits the networked working world.
  • They combine classic data storage with modern social media functions. This allows employees to not only exchange documents, but also collaborate interactively.
  • North Korea provides an extreme example of a closed intranet: instead of a free internet, the population only has access to a state-controlled network where only approved content is available.

Related Articles

Leave a Comment