Page 105 - DLIS408_INFORMATION_TECHNOLOGY-APPLICATIONSL SCIENCES

Information Technology and Application

Notes These are in addition to the hardware and software decisions (like content management systems),
participation issues (like good taste, harassment, confidentiality), and features to be supported.
Intranets are often static sites. Essentially they are a shared drive, serving up centrally stored
documents alongside internal articles or communications (often one-way communication).
However, organizations are now starting to think of how their intranets can become a
‘communication hub’ for their team by using companies specializing in ‘socialising’ intranets. The
actual implementation would include steps such as:
Securing senior management support and funding.
Business requirements analysis.
Identify users’ information needs.
Installation of web server and user access network.
Installing required user applications on computers.
Creation of document framework for the content to be hosted.
Users’ involvement in testing and promoting the use of intranet.
Ongoing measurement and evaluation, through benchmarking against other intranets.
Another useful component in an intranet structure is to maintain the Intranet. For feedback on the
intranet, social networking can be done through a forum for users to indicate what they want and
what they do not like.

Self Assessment
State whether the following statements are true or false:
6. Intranets can serve as powerful tools for communication within an organization vertically
and horizontally.
7. Intranets does not promote common corporate culture.
8. Most organizations devote considerable resources into the planning and implementation
of their intranet as it is of strategic importance to the organizations success.

9.5 Summary
An intranet is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to securely share
any part of an organization’s information or network operating system within that orga-
nization.
Intranets are being used to deliver tools and applications, e.g., collaboration (to facilitate
working in groups and teleconferencing) or sophisticated corporate directories, sales and
customer relationship management tools, project management etc., to advance productivity.
Intranets can serve as powerful tools for communication within an organization, vertically
and horizontally.
Users can view information and data via web-browser rather than maintaining physical
documents such as procedure manuals, internal phone list and requisition forms.
The intranet can also be linked to a company’s management information system, for
example a time keeping system.

9.6 Keywords
Intranet : An intranet is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to
securely share any part of an organization's information or network operating
system within that organization. It is the connection of computer networks in a
local area.
Fragmentation : In computer storage, fragmentation is a phenomenon in which storage space is
used inefficiently, reducing storage capacity and in most cases reducing the
performance.
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