Applications of Extranets Extranet links are used to interconnect the intranet of a business with the intranets of its customers, suppliers, or other business partners in order to facilitate communication and collaboration. Applications of Intranets Applications of intranets can be grouped conceptually into a few user services categories that reflect the basic services that intranets offer to their users: communications and collaboration, information publishing and sharing, and business operations and management. Business Value of Extranets The business value of extranets is derived from several factors: The web browser makes customer and supplier access of intranet resources a lot easier and faster than previous business methods, enable a company to offer new kinds of interactive and build and strengthen strategic relationships with its customers and suppliers, enable and improve collaboration by a business with its customers and other business partners, and facilitates an online, interactive product development, marketing, and customer-focussed process that can bring better designed products to market faster. Business Value of Intranets Internet using organizations are deriving business value from their Internet applications in areas such as: publication cost savings, training and development cost savings, and measuring costs and benefits. Calendaring and Scheduling Using electronic calendars and other groupware features to automatically schedule, notify, and remind the computer networked members of teams and workgroups of meetings, appointments, and other events. Chat Systems Software that enables two or more users at networked PCS to carry on online, realtime text conversations. Collaboration Encompasses the concept of working with each other in a cooperative way that transcends the coordination of individual work activities found in a typical workgroup. Collaborative Work Management Tools Software that helps people accomplish or manage joint work activities. Data Conferencing Data conferencing is a method where a groupware package connects two or more PCS over the Internet or intranets so a team can share, mark up, and review a whiteboard of drawings, documents, and other material displayed on their screens. Desktop Videoconferencing The use of end user computer workstations to conduct two-way interactive video conferences. Discussion Forums Provide an online network discussion platform to encourage and manage online text discussions over a period of time among members of special interest groups or project teams. Electronic Communications Tools Software that helps you communicate and collaborate with others by electronically sending messages, documents, and files in data, text, voice, or multimedia over the Internet, intranets, extranets, and other computer networks. Electronic Conferencing Tools Software that helps networked computer users share information and collaborate while working together on joint assignments no matter where they are located. Electronic Mail Sending and receiving text messages between networked PCS over telecommunications networks. E-mail can also include data files, software, and multimedia messages and documents as attachments. Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS) Using a meeting room with networked PCS, a large screen projector, and EMS software to facilitate communication, collaboration and group decision making in business meetings. Enterprise Collaboration Systems The goal of enterprise collaboration systems is to enable us to work together more easily and effectively by helping us to: communicate, coordinate, and collaborate. Extranets A network that links selected resources of the intranet of a company with its customers, suppliers, and other business partners, using the Internet or private networks to link the organizations' intranets. Faxing Transmitting and receiving images of documents over the telephone or computer networks using PCs or fax machines. Groupware Software to support and enhance the communication, coordination, and collaboration among networked teams and workgroups, including software tools for electronic communications, electronic conferencing, and cooperative work management. Intranets An Internet-like network within an organization. Web browser software provides easy access to internal web sites established by business units, teams, and individuals, and other network resources and applications. Intranet Technology Resources Resources which include TCP/IP client/server networks and related hardware and software, such as web browser and server suites, HTML web publishing software, hypermedia databases, and network management and security programs. Knowledge Management Organizing and sharing the diverse forms of business information created within an organization. Includes managing project and enterprise document libraries, discussion databases, hypermedia web site databases, and other types of knowledge bases. Task and Project Management Team Managing team and workgroup projects by scheduling, tracking, and charting the completion status of tasks within a project. Teleconferencing The use of video communications to allow business conferences to be held with participants who are scattered across a country, continent, or the world. Videoconferencing Realtime video and audio conferencing, (1) among users at networked PCS (desktop videoconferencing), or (2) among participants in conference rooms or auditoriums in different locations (teleconferencing). Videoconferencing can also include white-boarding and document sharing. Voice Mail Unanswered telephone messages are digitized, stored, and played back to the recipient by a voice messaging computer. Virtual Teams A team whose members use the Internet, intranets, extranets, and other networks to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with each other on tasks and projects, even though they may work in different geographic locations and for different organizations. Web Publishing Creating, converting, and storing hyperlinked documents and other material on Internet or intranet web servers so they can easily be shared via web browsers with teams, workgroups, or the enterprise. Whiteboarding (Also called data conferencing) is a method whereby a groupware package connects two or more PCS over the Internet or intranets so a team can share, mark up, and revise a whiteboard of drawings, documents, and other material displayed on their screens. Workflow System Workflow systems involve helping knowledge workers collaborate to accomplish and manage structured work tasks within a knowledge-based business process. Workgroup Two or more people working together on the same task or assignment.