Corporate computer networks are hardly new. But, increasingly, businesses are taking their cues from the Internet's multimedia segment, the World Wide Web, when setting up linked companywide computer systems. Intranets are private networks that mirror the structure of the Web, with servers connected to PCs across vast distances. These intranet systems are generally connected to the Internet so corporate users can browse the Net. Intranets are attracting corporate interest for several reasons.
Intranets also are less costly to build and maintain than other networks.
That means companies save on computer training costs. And since most corporations already have intranet building blocks in place, with various types of computers and servers hooked to local and wide-area networks, systemwide deployment can take place quickly. Not surprisingly, intranet usage is growing in corporate America. In addition to Levi Strauss, companies like Ford Motor and Eli Lilly are employing the new systems. Web products have been commercially available for little more than a year, yet some 16 percent of major U.S. businesses have set up intranets.