Modern Extranets


Before we can tackle some of the more advanced issues related to developing and harnessing the power of extranets, one of the first orders of business is to answer what ought to be a very simple question: what is an extranet? Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of confusion in the business world as to what specifically constitutes an extranet; ask 10 executives to define the term and you're liable to be confronted with 17 strikingly dissimilar answers!

"Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of confusion in the business world as to what specifically constitutes an extranet; ask 10 executives to define the term and you're liable to be confronted with 17 strikingly dissimilar answers!"

Now, we'll get to a working description of a modern extranet in just a moment. Let's take a brief look at three factors that help us to understand why extranets have proven to be such a troublesome concept for the business world. This may be just a bit helpful in framing your thoughts should you ever need to convince your management of the necessity of an extranet - but if the next few paragraphs seem patently obvious to you, feel free to jump ahead to the next section.

First and foremost, extranets are still a relatively recent addition to the "holy trinity" of e-business services. Extranets are so new, in fact, that most managers (even those with plenty of Internet and intranet experience) have had little to no exposure to even the concept of an extranet, let alone gained any first-hand experience with or benefited from one. Only as more time passes and extranet successes and failures become better known, will executives be able to intelligently address the theory and practice of deploying extranets in enterprise environments.

Second, the basic building blocks used to create extranets - specifically, the programming languages, hardware, software, database systems, and so on - are essentially identical to those used in Internet and intranet development.

Third is the simple fact that there are only so many ways to reduce costs, enhance productivity, and increase revenue through the use of Internet-based products and services. As it stands, by 2003 (nearly eight years since the rise of the "commercial" Internet) we've identified and adopted the vast majority of the ways in which Internet technologies can benefit the business world. From real-time customer service solutions that reduce corporate reliance and expenditures on call centers, to online collaboration tools that eliminate the need for costly travel or video-conferencing, to portals and e-commerce that provide for targeted marketing and 24-hour sales opportunities, there aren't many revolutionary ideas waiting to be discovered - at least until new generations of wireless platforms and other infant technologies mature significantly.

So how then, how can we define the core characteristics of an extranet and end up with a reasonable framework for deciding what is - and isn't - an extranet?

An extranet:

  • Is targeted specifically to business-to-business (B2B) markets

  • Involves multiple companies within a single, focused supply chain

  • Provides controlled, secure access to one or more of the following: strategic data, transactions, and collaborative tools that enhance the overall effectiveness of the enterprise organization

"An extranet facilitates communication and transactions between groups both internal and external to your company"

Essentially, an extranet facilitates communication and transactions between groups both internal and external to your company that support your core business - vendors, corporate customers, consultants, and so on. The extranet connects your employees with people who work on behalf of your organization but are not, themselves, employees of your company - yet still require access to your proprietary information and other systems in order to keep your supply chain (or segments thereof) running smoothly. Or to put it another way: an extranet services the various corporations across an enterprise in much the same way that an intranet supports the various divisions within a single business.




Practical Intranet Development
Practical Intranet Development
ISBN: 190415123X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 124

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