What is an intranet?

This term is used by IT professionals often enough, but not always correctly interpreted by users. So it makes sense to discuss it.

Under the intranet is usually understood to a local area network (detailed, for example, within an organization), based on the same technical solutions as the "big" Internet, that is, based on the IP-protocols. In their own corporate intranet contains information resources - corporate portal, corporate forum, corporate bulletin board, etc. They are implemented in such a way as to be accessible only to internal users (employees of the organization), but are accessed using a conventional browser.

It is worth noting that although the above at all times referred to the intranet as a corporate network, in practice this internal network can exist not only in organizations but also, say, in the dormitories or in private homes. And absolutely not necessary that the intranet was organized in some sort of separate geographically localized place - through the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Networks, VPN) access to intranet resources can receive and those who live overseas.

Naturally, the resources available for HTTP/HTTPS, - are not the only services that are used in the intranet. Also, users with "a reduced copy of the Internet" is usually available internal e-mail (SMTP and POP3/IMAP), the internal file servers (FTP), and in many cases operating under the corporate network instant messenger, VoIP-system.

Intranet services are simply convenient for work, so today and got a very widespread practice around the world. Current Intranet solutions allow organizations using them to save on their implementation by eliminating the need to install additional software on client workstations staff, and, moreover, intranet services rather convenient in cases when users are working under different operating systems, as an intranet technologies are inherently cross-platform. Of course, the intranet itself needs serious protection from unauthorized external access, as well as some additional effort on the part of system administrators, but it's all be more than compensated the advantages that it offers.