The next step, generally, is to evaluate its usefulness in other business communications objectives. As it turns out the Information Super Highway, in the form of Intranets, is serving a vital role in internal corporate communications. You can think of an Intranet as a privately owned, scaled down version of the Internet. An Intranet site can span many different locations through private connections or the Internet. Access and control, however, lie with the owner of the Intranet through firewalls, passwords, and permissions.
Intranets have the same inherent benefits as the Internet.
They can be accessed from virtually anywhere in the world and are platform independent, clearly a big advantage to any company with a host of geographically dispersed field offices. The uses of a company wide Intranet are many and varied. One of the most common uses is to put the Human Resources department on-line, including company policy manuals, employee benefits information, and health and safety issues. The Intranet can become an important resource for company news, monthly, quarterly and annual reports, the company phone directory, new product information, events calendar and self-facilitated training. Unlike the reams of company disseminated manuals that quickly become out-dated, the Intranet is a central and dynamic resource that is always current.