The Internet is such an exciting new frontier that many people tend to over-simplify it and think of it as just one thing. In fact, the original definition of the Internet is the "network of networks"; and although the 'Net continues to change daily, that definition seems to becoming more and more relevant. I think it's important to remember that the web is made up of many new media forms and these new media forms include a variety of new kinds of networks.

These days, the web is not only the Internet (which includes many new ways to communicate electronically), but also the many "threads" of the web that are extending themselves to include new kinds of networks as well. The most familiar of these for corporate users is Intranets, and there is also a less widely recognized "relative" network extensions known as an "Extranets".

These various networks are simultaneously extending and limiting online communications. They extend them because they combine the global Internet with less open and more localized networks. And they create more limited channels because, as in the case of Intranets and Extranets, access is limited to specified "audiences," thus providing more security and exclusivity.

MORE THAN A NETWORK
An important thing to keep in mind as you are contemplating these developments (and perhaps letting CST assist in developing your own organization's networking plans) is that the power of networking has become more than a basic technology that let's people print and share e-mail. The dynamics of networking (and, yes, of networking networks) has fundamentally changed the nature of computing.

From the profound impact of the web itself to the importance of client-server computing, the evolution of networking and the sharing of resources (both technical and human) that networks make available is changing our electronic world. Beyond all of the noise about the various forms of network computers (including Windows-based terminals, NetPC's and Web TV's), the essential fact is that our business communications (from transactions to collaborations to marketing messages) are being opened to whole new dynamics and new forms of distribution.

Just as the terms LAN (local area network) and WAN (wide area network) define the generic configurations of company networks, the terms Internet, Intranet and Extranet define the configurations of TCP protocol (or Internet-related) networks.

The Internet is the equivalent of the "Mother" network. It is the network of networks with the widest acceptance and the most open standards. It spans the globe and is used by everyone from individuals to small organizations to multi-national corporations and governments.

The term Intranet implies a boundary that is the result of the institution within which it exists. Intranets are networks that use the TCP protocol to publish internal websites and related content that is offered solely for viewing within an institution such as a corporation or university.

Extranets combine the reach and near universal accessibility of the Internet with the more focused functionality of an Intranet. Extranets make the kinds of exclusive content that would normally be available only to "internal customers" on an Intranet, available to external participants. These external users may be employees who are on the road or who work at remote locations or strategic customers who are being linked to internal projects. Like Intranets, Extranets involve a level of security, but they are unique in that they extend the boundaries of the company via the Internet.