The answer has three parts. First, intranets, extranets and e-commerce have in common
the use of Internet (predominantly web) protocols to connect business users. Second, intranets
are more localized and can therefore move data faster than more distributed extranets.
(Bandwidth limitations also apply to e-commerce.) Third, the amount of control that network
managers can exert over users is different for the three technologies.
On an Internet, administrators can narrowly prescribe access and policy for a fixed group
of users. For example, a company could specify Red Hat Linux as its standard desktop operating
system, and Netscape Communicator 5 as its standard browser and mail client. The company
could then write intranet workflow applications that leverage the uniform computing
environment, over which it exercises strong control.
On a business-to business Extranet, system architects at each of the participating
companies must collaborate to ensure a common interface and consistent semantics (data
meanings). Since one company cannot reasonably enforce standards on its trading partners,
extranet application developers must taken into account a wider range of technologies than is the
case for intranets. For example, one company participating in an extranet might be using
Microsoft Internet Explorer, another Netscape Navigator 4.5 and another Navigator Gold 3.x In
order to collaborate via extranet, the applications have to perform adequately on all represented
platforms.
The same is true, even more, for e-commerce, in which the trading partners may be
completely unknown to one another. This is the case when you walk into a supermarket: the
common interest in communication is based on the need to transact business, and not necessarily
on a long-term trust relationship. Thus, e-commerce applications often support a level of
security and transactional integrity (for instance, non-repudiation of orders) not present in
intranet or extranet applications.
the use of Internet (predominantly web) protocols to connect business users. Second, intranets
are more localized and can therefore move data faster than more distributed extranets.
(Bandwidth limitations also apply to e-commerce.) Third, the amount of control that network
managers can exert over users is different for the three technologies.
On an Internet, administrators can narrowly prescribe access and policy for a fixed group
of users. For example, a company could specify Red Hat Linux as its standard desktop operating
system, and Netscape Communicator 5 as its standard browser and mail client. The company
could then write intranet workflow applications that leverage the uniform computing
environment, over which it exercises strong control.
On a business-to business Extranet, system architects at each of the participating
companies must collaborate to ensure a common interface and consistent semantics (data
meanings). Since one company cannot reasonably enforce standards on its trading partners,
extranet application developers must taken into account a wider range of technologies than is the
case for intranets. For example, one company participating in an extranet might be using
Microsoft Internet Explorer, another Netscape Navigator 4.5 and another Navigator Gold 3.x In
order to collaborate via extranet, the applications have to perform adequately on all represented
platforms.
The same is true, even more, for e-commerce, in which the trading partners may be
completely unknown to one another. This is the case when you walk into a supermarket: the
common interest in communication is based on the need to transact business, and not necessarily
on a long-term trust relationship. Thus, e-commerce applications often support a level of
security and transactional integrity (for instance, non-repudiation of orders) not present in
intranet or extranet applications.
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