Characteristics of an intranet versus the internet :
1. Users:
- Intranet:
- Used by organization employees who know a lot about the company.
- Users are familiar with the organization’s structure, products, and culture.
- Internet:
- Used by customers and others who may not know much about the organization.
- Users may have less interest or knowledge about the company.
2. Tasks:
- Intranet:
- Used for everyday activities within the organization, including complex transactions and communications.
- Internet:
- Mainly used to find information, with simple transactions as a secondary use.
3. Type of Information:
- Intranet:
- Contains detailed information necessary for organizational functioning.
- Information can be frequently added or modified.
- Internet:
- Presents more stable information, such as marketing, customer/client information, and reports.
4. Amount of Information:
- Intranet:
- Typically much larger than the organization’s public internet site.
- Can be ten to one hundred times larger than the corresponding public site.
- Internet:
- Contains a relatively smaller amount of information.
5. Hardware and Software:
- Intranet:
- Operates in a controlled environment with restricted or standardized hardware and software.
- Allows for faster performance due to less need for cross-platform compatibility.
- Internet:
- Requires compatibility across various devices and platforms, leading to potentially slower performance.
6. Design Philosophy:
- Intranet:
- Implements current text-based and GUI applications for a user-friendly experience.
- Internet:
- May have more traditional GUI designs with visual appeal but without unnecessary promotional features.
- Results in GUI hybrids that are richer and more effective for users.