Intraneti

An intranet is a private network used by an organization to share information and computing resources among its employees. It operates as a closed counterpart to the public internet, with access restricted by authentication and network controls such as firewalls. Remote access is typically supported through secure connections like VPNs or mobile apps.

Intranets provide centralized portals for internal news, policies, documents, forms, calendars, HR information, and project spaces. They often include collaboration features such as wikis, discussion boards, chat, and workflow-enabled applications. Content management, enterprise search, and knowledge bases are common components designed to improve information discovery and consistency.

Architecturally, intranets rely on identity management, often integrating with directory services (eg Active Directory or LDAP) to control who can access which resources. They may connect to other enterprise systems (CRM, ERP, document repositories) and support multiple devices via web interfaces or mobile apps. Security considerations include access controls, encryption, activity auditing, and data retention policies.

Deployment models vary: on-premises, cloud-based (SaaS), or hybrid. The concept originated in the 1990s as static employee portals and has evolved into dynamic, collaborative environments sometimes referred to as social intranets. Recent developments emphasize personalized dashboards, intelligent search, and AI-assisted content curation.

Benefits typically include faster information sharing, standardized corporate communications, reduced email burden, improved onboarding, and streamlined processes. Challenges include ongoing maintenance, governance to avoid information overload, user adoption, and ensuring data security and compliance.

Intranets remain a core tool for internal communication, collaboration, and process support in many organizations, often serving as the central hub of the digital workplace.