INTRANET AND SECURE EXTRANET SITE DEVELOPMENT

Why do I need an intranet or extranet site?

Organisations that don't communicate with staff online typically spend time sending lots of email attachments and printing out documents to circulate:

• Newsletters
• Staff handbooks
• Staff telephone directories
• Policy documents
• Holiday request forms, expenses forms
• Internal reports, surveys and consultations

In an organisation of any size this list can seem endless. By migrating all of these communications online, you can save both time and money.

Key documents can be uploaded as a range of files from PDF's and PowerPoint to Flash video and audio files. Maintaining your information online can be done quickly and easily via a content management system (CMS).

How secure is my content?

For both intranets and extranets the content can be password protected, which makes content much more secure than having a printed equivalent available:

• Protected by a generic password
• Protected by an individual password
• Protected at varying levels of access
• Integrated with existing system permissions, such as Active Directory

Password protection of content ensures that people can only see the content you want them to see. Therefore, you can safely provide access to all staff content, as well as 'departmental', 'membership' or 'trustee' only content.

Administrators and those who generate and maintain content can be given access in exactly the same manner.

Create an online community

More orgnaisations are not just using their intranets and extranets for compliance and information purposes. Many are developing 'community sites', bringing together and engaging with staff, members, partners and suppliers. You can use online communications for a wide variety of functions:

• Email alerts and SMS messaging
• Divisional or geographic microsites
• Campaign microsites
• Training, courses and membership
• Internal consultations and surveys
• Discussion forums and blogs
• Video broadcasts
• Interactive slideshows
• Event and course bookings
• Interactive learning tools and resources

An intranet or extranet can be as flexible, diverse and interactive as any website.

Updating your intranet or extranet site

When developing an intranet or extranet site, we typically recommend utilising a content management system to maintain and update your content, as well as allow your organisation to implement varying levels of access and user rights. This can be accessible securely over the internet via a web browser, removing geographic restrictions. Staff and users simply need to be connected to the Internet and they can securely access your intranet or extranet site.

This flexibility creates an efficient and cost effective environment for organisations that operate over multiple locations (or countries) and those that have remote staff, for example home workers or support staff who are often out of office.

Extranet functionality extends to allow secure interaction with users such as partners, suppliers and members. This is of great benefit for sharing selected information and data. A well planned, structured and implemented extranet can significantly improve organisational efficiencies.

Key intranet benefits

• Communicate between offices and remote staff securely and instantly
• Share, organise and schedule people and resources
• Content Management System (CMS) allows administrators to securely manage information
• Enhance staff communications and procedures
• Manage staff functions such as booking holidays, inductions, training
• Search and locate information efficiently
• Build knowledge and document libraries for easy reference
• Communicate company news instantly including monthly newsletters
• Group and distribute relevant information to relevant people
• Allow interaction such as discussion forums and message boards
• Integration with existing third-party and legacy systems 
• Branded intranet design and intuitive interface development
• Secure intranet hosting

Key extranet benefits

• Communicate with valued partners such as customers, suppliers and members
• Communicate securely and instantly 24/7 via an internet connection
• Content Management System allows authorised administrators to securely manage the Extranet
• Manage and disseminate branded information – Share, organise and schedule people and resources
• Publish reference documents
• Process expense and other claims
• Build knowledge and document libraries for easy reference and search
• Communicate news and press releases
• Allow interaction through discussion forums and blogs
• Personalise user profiles and access
• Integrate with existing back-office and legacy systems
• Branded extranet design and intuitive interface development
• Secure extranet hosting

Take a look at some of the case studies to get a flavour of the intranet and extranet sites that we've developed.