EXTRANET

EXTRANET

 Bryman A. (2004) extranet is a network based on web technologies that links selected resources of a company intranet with its customer’s supplies or other business partners. Enables your business to communicate and collaborate more effectively with selected business partners suppliers and customer .an extranet can play an important role in enhancing business relationships and improving supply chain management.

 An extranet is a private network that uses Internet technology and the public telecommunication system to securely share part of a business's information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or other businesses. An extranet can be viewed as part of a company's intranet that is extended to users outside the company. It has also been described as a "state of mind" in which the Internet is perceived as a way to do business with other companies as well as to sell products to customers.  

An extranet requires security and privacy. These can include firewall server management, the issuance and use of digital certificates or similar means of user authentication, encryption of messages, and the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) that tunnel through the public network.

Companies can use an extranet to:

· Exchange large volumes of data using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

· Share product catalogs exclusively with wholesalers or those "in the trade"

· Collaborate with other companies on joint development efforts

· Jointly develop and use training programs with other companies

· Provide or access services provided by one company to a group of other companies, such as an online banking application managed by one company on behalf of affiliated banks

· Share news of common interest exclusively with partner companies

The use of web servers and browsers has been extended within organizations for private use. Many organizations build intranets with the same technology used on the Internet. The difference is that the access to intranets is limited to members of the organization or other authorized persons. Intranets typically use the same network that an organization uses for other purposes in including accessing the Internet.

Its importance:                             

·         Keep privacy of the organizations information

It keeps matters of the organization private no one is able to access the information but only the working staff can be able to because they have the passwords and also usernames so someone else cannot access the information.

·         Enables more effective collaboration between the business partners perhaps members project team by enabling them to work online on common documentation

·         Enables a single user interface between  you and your business partners since exchange  can take take place more effectively

·         Helps shared news of product development exclusively with partner companies

·         Increase accuracy and timeliness information

This is also another importance that it increases accuracy and also the information that is found there is new so you get new and also accurate information so this helps in good product of work and also information

·         Flexible working for staffs as an extranet allows remote and mobile staff to access core business information all day long even in a irrespective location`

·         Collaborative, group working

This is also another importance of  extranets that it also enables group working due to that all the information of the company is shared so it is easy to divide work and also make collaboration in working hence it builds a good relationship between workers

                BY

                             KIMATI  ELITRUDA. BAPRM 42582