Assess the ways that application of the Intranet can enhance or hinder the management of information with the organisation.

Organisations of today are replacing traditional methods of handling and communicating information with intranet networks. The reason for this implementation is that intranets better manage informaton that flows through the various platforms of an organisation and it allows authorised employees to have access to the information they require to fulfill thier job-roles effectively. This has been summarised in the following definition, "An intranet is an organised set of applications installed in a company's internal network that uses internet technologies to publish, distribute and display information for anyone directly connected to the network"(Source: The Durlacher Intranet Report 1997).

Noticeably, the basic concept behind the use of intranets is to support internal processes and encourage sharing of knowledge from all platforms of the organisations. A market research company in the name of Ovum, found that 1.06 million intranets were currenlty in operation across the world and this figure is expected to grow to 6.8 million by the year 2002.

An intranet has endless number of applications but they can generally be organised in to three catogories, namely; publishing applcations, transaction applications and community applications.

Benefits:

:) connectivity

:) can be tied to internal corporate system

:) can create interactive applications, tect, audio, video

:) scalable to larger and smaller computing platforms as requirements change

:) easy to use

:) low start up cost

:) more responsive information environment

:) redused disrtibution of information cost

Negative effects:

* securitiy threat: intranets exist to maintain privacy and at the same time allow individuals to share this private information among themselves. Any mistake made in handling this private data will naturally tend to be more costly than in free and open conversation among friends.

* it is misleading to say that the cost of implementing the intranet is low. the intranet will grow with the organisation and there will be costs involved in this growth. further costs could include; a faster web server, increased disk and memory space, increased bandwidth, support staff to manage the intranet(editors, content co-ordinators). maintnenance costs.

* inputting all the information on the intranet, this will take time and energy and money.

* If the information is not properly catagorised this will result in employees finding it difficult to retrieve the information the require and this will waste time looking for it.

* the intranet will completely transform the way employees conduct thier daily work. It will take a lot of time for them to adjust to it, some might not in the end.

* it will increase intranet traffic.

* the problem for managers to motivate thier staff at a distance

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