Web-Based Collaboration
Using Extranets and Intranets

The web is a tremendous resource for facilitating collaboration among teams. Using the Internet, anyone can share documents, calendars, comments and more with selected business colleagues, clients and vendors, 24 hours a day, from any location.

Typically, an intranet provides secure access to information to employees within a single company. Access can be limited to specified individuals, and information can be further restricted by folder or document.

With an extranet, access is typically expanded to select individuals outside the company, such as clients or vendors. While an organization typically uses a single intranet, there may be several extranets, often one for each project or client, so that information can be restricted to the appropriate workgroups.

Intranets and extranets can be installed and maintained on your own computers or outsourced to an application service provider or ASP, who will host the intranet or extranet for you.

Extranet-Collaboration.com provides free listings of extranet and intranet vendors, as well as a directory of additional useful business resources. There is also a discussion forum, where you can ask questions or share your views on collaboration and other topics.