InformationWeek

A year ago, when InformationWeek inaugurated the Intranet 100, the extranet appeared as the lead item in a list titled "Top Intranet Opportunities." That observation proved to be on the mark-hundreds of businesses this year exploited Internet technology to give customers and business partners access to data on their corporate intranets. So, as we present our second annual listing of corporate Internet technology, we have rechristened the report the Intranet/Extranet 100 to reflect the important role extranets play in corporate computing.

The Intranet/Extranet 100, unlike other lists, is not an index of the biggest internal Internets, but a compilation of the most innovative intranets and extranets in North America, key software and hardware vendors, as well as top applications, best opportunities, greatest benefits, and biggest pitfalls. While not an objective listing, it reflects what's occurring with Internet technology in corporate America.

Indeed, businesses rely more and more on intranets and extranets to get the job done. Two of three Internet decision makers surveyed by Info rmationWeek feel comfortable placing key applications on an intranet. Half say they're hooking host database and financial systems to their internal Internets.

The proliferation of intranets and extranets has forced many IS and corporate managers to reexamine how their businesses operate. As associate editor Gregory Dalton reports in the story beginning at right, extranets are reshaping corporate culture as companies decentralize management, alter policies about publishing information, and redefine relationships with their business partners.

Ultimately, the success of extranets will depend on whether companies feel safe in allowing outsiders access to their network. Only 31% of the Internet decision makers surveyed use extranets to conduct electronic commerce. Associate editor Beth Davis looks at security technology aimed at making managers feel more comfortable to do just that ( Security Concerns ).

Where will intranet technologies go next? Associate editor Just in Hibbard answers that the next generation of intranet technologies will incorporate intelligent agents, collaborative filtering, search and retrieval, and push delivery-all of which promise to cut time spent searching, and to boost access to useful information ( Find Data Fast ).

Some organizations, hard-pressed to deploy internal resources to develop and manage their own intranets and extranets, turn to outsourcers, reports writer Nick Wreden ( Outsourcing Wave ).

We conclude this report with a sample questionnaire developed by managing editor/research Rusty Weston that you can use to judge whether you're getting your money's worth with your intranet ( Ask Your Users ).

Let us know what you think. Send your comments to the E-mail address below.