What is an intranet?

Today’s employees need flexibility and quick accessibility to information, people, and resources, so workplaces can maintain peak performance. Why? Because the business landscape is in constant motion. Organizations on a daily basis are not only collecting and creating a lot of data, but they’re also structurally scattered and need a secure digital platform to centralize growing information and teams. An intranet accomplishes this and more by facilitating collaboration, centralizing knowledge, and streamlining communications. Companies can bring together the tools different teams need while also connecting employees to each other and the company culture.

The purpose of an intranet is to connect employees to the information and people they need to do their jobs effectively. This is supported through an intranet with tools for internal communication, knowledge management, team collaboration, employee engagement, supporting remote work, and building company culture.

The internet is a public network accessible to everyone globally, enabling information sharing and communication. In contrast, an intranet is a private, secure network used within an organization for internal communication and resource sharing among its members, or employees. The primary difference lies in accessibility and purpose: the internet is for public use, while the intranet is restricted to specific users within an organization.

An intranet is a private network used within an organization for internal communication, collaboration, and resource sharing among employees. An extranet, on the other hand, extends this access to external parties such as customers, vendors, and partners, allowing controlled interaction and data exchange between the organization and these external entities. The key difference lies in the scope of access: intranets are limited to internal use, while extranets provide selective access to outsiders. Some intranets, like Axero, supports both audiences.

There’s no standard framework that every intranet follows, nor is there a standard buying process for every organization. Your internal processes will be different than another company’s. With that said, here’s a general idea of what to expect:

• See a live demo – This usually involves your department heads who represent the needs of their team and what will work for their department.
• IT/Security review – Your IT team may need to meet with the vendor separately to review security requirements.
• Executive team demo – Sometimes the decision makers who ultimately sign the contract will want to see the platform and meet with the vendor.
• Pricing call – Once you narrow down your vendors, a call with the sales person to discuss pricing and plans will happen.
• Legal review – Your legal team may need to meet with the vendor and/or submit NDAs or special forms before signing off.
• The final signature – Your executive or final decision maker signs the contract!

The process can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to 5 or 6 months. It will all depend on your timeline and bandwidth. To get ahead of planning, check out our Buyer’s Guide!