It is therefore important to brief management and exempt staff on the history, uses, benefits and drawbacks of the Internet, as well as the support and commitment needed to develop and maintain a site. The evolution of information technologies has an impact on many professionals in the areas of communications, information management and technology. Communications advisors have a key role to play in developing partnerships with other information management professionals in the organization, such as computer and systems supporters and librarians to ensure that the content of the information is of high quality and that the right information delivery mechanisms are used. The Internet and its applications can help to instill a sense of pride in the organization. A well managed Web site will often receive recognition and provide staff with a sense of accomplishment and ownership.
Intranets are an area of important growth in Internet development.
Firewalls are not only advisable between the internal network and the Internet, but necessary to protect sensitive data such as personnel information posted on an intranet. This protection slows down response time when accessing the Internet, which requires balancing this fact with the internal communications requirements of an organization. As staff depends more on intranet information, methods have to be put in place to allow access for valid requests from outside the firewall, such as in the case of access off-site. Content Intranet user information needs must be addressed as large organizations spread over several different geographic locations exploit the potential of intranet technology to do business in a new way. The paper burden can be greatly reduced and staff communication improved with access to newsletters, best practices documents, plans and reports, business cases, job postings, meeting schedules, discussion fora, spreadsheets, fact sheets, manuals and procedures, training information and tools, software upgrades, etc.