An intranet - simply an internal web site within a company - is becoming an essential business tool, with BT predicting 90% of large UK companies will use one by 2001.
Intranets use the same simple, proven technology as the internet, except they are only accessible via local, internal networks ensuring security and confidentiality at all times.
You can think of it as an electronic noticeboard, only with no restrictions as to what can be held there. Company policies, daily news, internal documents, help desks - many organisations are using their existing internal networks to centralise and control a wide spread of company information via a simple intranet.
FM companies are perfectly placed to benefit from intranets. A typical FM firm will have many key people across a huge range of locations, nationwide, with more now heading off to Europe and the rest of the world. Keeping these remote people informed and working together is a major challenge.
An intranet can help those in remote locations feel part of the team - they get the same information, support, news and communications at the same time as everyone else - essential for today's far-flung organisations.
Three years ago, BT launched an intranet for its 130,000 staff worldwide, saving them an estimated £845m in the 1997/98 financial year.
