The term 'behind the Firewall' refers to an organizations transition point of where the Internet stops and the Intranet begins. Application of Intranet Technology When discussing Intranets, it is important to remember that the underlying technology is identical to that of the Internet. Only in application are the two different, private vs. public. What is implemented on one can be implemented on the other. The client software applications, Web browser, FTP, Gopher, Email, WAIS, etc., have been consolidated to from a dozen or more down to as few as one or two.
Organizations can leverage the volume market power of the global Internet for reduced costs.
Illustrated here are a handful of typical Intranet applications. The first level of implementation, beyond proof of concept prototype, is moving common printed and workgroup specific material to an Intranet Web Server. Nearly anything printed could be published electronically. Publishing lead time is reduced to near zero and no shipping or printing costs are incurred. The information is more timely and can be revised more frequently.