What is the difference between intranet and extranet?

Intranet is a private network accessible only to an organisation's staff, while an extranet provides controlled access to outsiders.

Intranet is a private, secure network system used within a company or organisation to facilitate communication, collaboration, and information sharing among employees. It is essentially a private version of the internet, hosted within the organisation and accessible only to its staff. The intranet can host multiple private websites and serve as a platform for internal communication and collaboration. It can include services like email, forums, search engines, and databases, all tailored to meet the specific needs of the organisation. The main purpose of an intranet is to streamline internal communications, improve efficiency, and promote a collaborative work environment.

On the other hand, an extranet is an extension of an organisation's intranet that is partially accessible to authorised outsiders. While the intranet is completely inward-facing, an extranet allows controlled access to certain areas of the organisation's network for external parties such as suppliers, customers, or partners. This controlled access can be achieved through the use of various security measures such as firewalls and encryption. The main purpose of an extranet is to facilitate business-to-business communication and collaboration, allowing for more efficient information sharing and transaction processing with external parties.

In essence, the key difference between an intranet and an extranet lies in their intended users and the level of access provided. An intranet is designed for internal use by an organisation's employees, providing a secure platform for communication and collaboration. An extranet, meanwhile, extends certain parts of this platform to authorised external users, facilitating efficient business-to-business interactions. Both intranets and extranets play crucial roles in modern business operations, helping organisations to streamline their internal and external communications, improve efficiency, and foster collaboration.