Companies Turn to Intranets to Communicate

By Wendy Dahle, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

May 21–MANATEE — As companies seek more ways to share information and different types of data within their walls, they’re turning more often to internal systems to communicate and collaborate.

Intranet systems can make life a lot easier for companies, technology experts say. Many business owners, however, don’t know that the software they use most likely offers basic intranet capability.

“I would say 25 to 50 percent of the companies that are using current technologies have intranets,” said Kathy Durfee, chief executive officer and founder of TechHouse, a business technology company in Lakewood Ranch. “Anybody who’s running Windows servers or current mid-market accounting packages such as Oracle Finance already own a portal.”

The increase in intranet usage by businesses has been gradual, said Mike Blaire, director of sales for MCS Business Technologies in Bradenton.

“Instead of photocopying and delivering documents, you’ll use internal systems to do it,” Blaire said. And as the price of intranet software and hardware comes down, usage increases, he said.

Intranets vary in sophistication and can be tailored to suit a company’s specific needs. One of the biggest uses for intranet systems is collaboration.

Collaboration in the workplace was done chiefly through phone, fax and e-mail is now through the software systems that can transmit and discuss information more efficiently, experts say.

Tools such as Web conferencing, shared calendars, discussions, shared workspaces, document sharing, and chat and instant messaging are all done through intranets.

The systems encourage a team environment in the workplace because they allow groups to share files and work collectively on projects, said Durfee. Users are not only able to share documents and workspace but able to connect for online meetings and even seminars.

This type of collaboration addresses age-old stumbling blocks facing companies like traffic and labor constraints, said Dale Ott, president of DOS Computer in Sarasota.

Collaboration through intranets can turn travel time and expense into increased work time and profits.

“More and more of the labor force is moving,” Ott said. “Today with Web technology the way it is, workers can pretty much access their intranet from anywhere.”

Herald Staff Writer Tilde

Herrera contributed to this story.

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