Chapter 3

Intranets Versus Traditional Groupware

• Major Differences
  • PCs Versus File Servers
• Basic Static Corporate Information
• Corporate Data
• Communication
• Expanding LAN Groupware Applications into Intranet Applications
• Summary

Establishing an intranet can help provide easy access to information and communication in an organization. Although the traditional legacy groupware platform also offers these benefits, an intranet expands an organization's capability to access information and does so in a way that uses open standards and flexible or interchangeable client software. An intranet offers a more open architecture for building and customizing software and interfaces and greater forward compatibility. Legacy groupware typically refers to closed-architecture, proprietary applications like Lotus Notes or Groupwise.

The traditional groupware platform is designed for users who are working in a geographically confined area, such as one office. One of the first uses for groupware was for users who needed to control devices, such as sharing a printer, modem, or scanner. Now, legacy groupware systems are used for a range of communications and data exchange functions and are slowly becoming useful for remote users. An intranet, on the other hand, is for users who are in geographically diverse areas and want to control information dispersed throughout different offices or homes, or even while employees are traveling. An intranet can even be used to allow customers, vendors, or other outsiders access to appropriate information quickly and easily.

The differences between the two technologies are explored in detail in this chapter, which is written to help you gain a better understanding of how intranets differ from traditional groupware and why an organization would choose an intranet over traditional groupware.