Chapter 5

An Intranet Shopping List

• Choosing Server Hardware for Your Intranet
• Server Operating Systems
• Server Software 
• Client Hardware
• Client Software
• Connectivity
• Security
• Summary

Part I, "Introducing Intranets," laid out the basics:

• Where the Internet ends and the intranet begins
• What you can do with an intranet and what an intranet can do for you
• Intranets versus traditional groupware
• Client/server basics and theory

With this foundation, you are ready to build your intranet. What do you need? What do you want? What are your costs? What will you get for the money? The answer is simple-anything you want. There have been intranets built with Scotch tape and baling wire. Some intranets that work well and are functional cost only a few hundred bucks. On the other hand, large corporations, such as Ford and Silicon Graphics, have spent millions on their intranets. It really depends on your intranet dreams and wish list. Here I'll help you create a shopping list of products to make your dream intranet come true, as shown in Figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1: Your shopping list might include categories for both server and client machines.