An intranet is an internal network accessed using a Web browser that allows the people inside an organization to share information efficiently. It looks and acts like the Internet, but can only be seen by people given access via secure login. Think of it as your business' own miniature World Wide Web. Because intranets are flexible and customizable, the ways you can use them are limited only by your imagination. If you think your small business would benefit from an intranet, read on to learn more about launching one.

Once you decide to implement an intranet, it's question-and-answer time. By knowing exactly what you want to use your intranet for, how much you can afford to spend, who will be using it, and who will maintain it, you'll have a better idea of which intranet hosting option is right for your business.

Consider the following:

• What hardware do you need? What equipment do you already have? What will your intranet be used for? Will it be mainly a telephone directory with a company newsletter, or do you plan to store extensive multimedia tools?
  
• How much money can you spend? Installation costs vary greatly and depend on the size of your business, what hardware you have, what hardware you need, and what you plan to use your intranet for.
  
• Who's in charge? Do you have a dedicated IT staff? If not, who will handle the technology maintenance, backups, upgrades, and installs? Who will be responsible for approving and entering new content, and keeping the information up to date?
  
• How much security do you need? Does your business deal with sensitive data? Who will have access to the intranet -- employees on the road, or company outsiders like customers or clients?

How to make it happen
Now that you have some idea of your needs and desires, you need to decide who is best suited to host your intranet.

Outsource to an ISP
Find out if your Internet service provider (ISP) offers intranet hosting. Outsourcing will allow you to develop a robust intranet while avoiding up-front investment in costly hardware or additional employees. You will pay a reasonable monthly fee and will also give up some of your personalization capabilities because of the limited options your ISP offers. And don't forget -- while your ISP is worrying about the big stuff, your intranet will still require occasional attention from capable hands, whether they are IT personnel's or yours.

In-House
Keeping your intranet in-house has several advantages – the main one being that you are in complete control. You can make all the decisions from software and hardware to security, access and style guides. If you're worried about protecting sensitive data on your intranet, you can increase your security by running it yourself, eliminating a third party.

Depending on how many workstations you have and how elaborate you plan to make your intranet, you might already have most of the necessary hardware and software. For a basic intranet, you can simply add a PC with a Web server to your existing network, although this setup won't support a large number of employees, and if it does, you may find you outgrow it quickly.

Your choice comes down to technological expertise and money. You can invest in a large, pricey server to expand your intranet capabilities, but someone has to install and maintain it. If you can do it yourself, you're all set. If you've got a dedicated IT staff or room in your budget for one, you're in luck. If you're not sure your business has the resources to support its own intranet, there are other options that might suit your needs.

Virtual Offices
Another option for your small business intranet is the "virtual office." These online services may function reasonably well for some companies. They offer data storage, file sharing, bulletin boards, database management and scheduling, all through a secure Web site. There are, of course, security issues to consider. Because you will be utilizing the Internet for access to your files and information, you will be at the mercy of Web traffic. You may also lose the ability to customize extensively, but as a trade-off, virtual offices are inexpensive and easy to use.

An intranet can benefit just about any company. With its flexibility, expandability, and capability, an intranet provides you with endless options. You may find your intranet brings about increased productivity and renewed community spirit. You might also find lower office expenses. At the very least, you'll find the current phone list.