An inhouse Web site on the company's local area network (LAN) that serves employees only, and almost every medium to large company has an intranet. Although intranet pages may have links to Web sites on the Internet, the intranet is not exposed to, or is accessed by, the general public. It provides a standard way to publish company policy, news, schedules, medical and insurance forms and training manuals. The intranet is also a venue for publishing blogs, wikis and social activities such as sports and exercise schedules.
Since the Web browser is the primary interface, intranets offer cross-platform support between Windows, Mac and Linux desktops.
An Internal Web
Intranets use the same HTTP server (Web server) technology, protocols and hypertext links as the public Web. The major difference is that they reside inside the firewall, fortified from the outside world. See HTTP and firewall.
A Tongue Twister
For anyone discussing intranets, the terms intra-net and Inter-net must be pronounced very carefully to avoid confusion. The term was more popular in the mid-1990s, but it is still used. See LAN, Web site, Web server and Internet.
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