INTRANET VS EXTRANET: AREN’T THEY THE SAME THING?

Because intranetandextranetboth sound thesame, many mistakenly believetheydothe same thing. As we haveseen, both function in overlapping areas. However,they also have distinct differences, mainly focusingon intent.

Oneofthekeydifferences is engagement.

Engaging internal staff is often the driving force behindan intranet. Whether it’s celebrating achievements, promoting company culture, employeerecognition, or sharingcompanynews, intranetsare designed around staff engagement. They putthe ‘social’ in business socialnetworks. Intranets increase productivitybypromotingmorale,companyculture,and cross-functionalrelationships.

Although stilla fantastic tool for engaging with externalpartners, extranets have a different emphasis. Their intent is moreabout clear, efficientcommunication and the secure exchange ofdataand knowledge.

The valuepropositionofthe two technologies is, therefore, slightly different. Extranet software adds value to customers andsuppliers. The increasedtransparencyofdata,reduced errors, andenhancedresponse times contribute to more efficientrelationships with externalpartners.

By comparison, intranets are muchmore internallyfocused. They add value to theorganization itself byimprovingcommunications,collaboration,andengagement.