Internet portals were once viewed as the next big thing, a gateway to a wide range of information and services that would attract vast numbers of users. In the wake of the dot-com collapse, portals have moved to the enterprise, where they provide a range of benefits.

A growing number of companies have discovered that enterprise portals, or internal company Web sites, are an effective way to provide information, simplify business processes, cut costs, and boost sales. In all, 53% of IT and business managers recently surveyed by InformationWeek Research indicate that their companies are highly committed to an enterprise portal. Only 12% of the 100 participants say no commitment exists.

Enterprise portals are aimed primarily at company employees. Some 94% of those surveyed say on-site employees are using their portals, while 84% say remote personnel access them. More than half say customers (56%) and business partners (51%) also are taking advantage of enterprise portals.

Those surveyed say enterprise portals can help improve productivity and efficiency, enhance customer service and loyalty, cut costs, increase sales, and provide a competitive advantage.

However, companies generally aren't spending a large part of their IT budgets on enterprise portals. Some 40% of those surveyed say their companies spend 1% to 5% of their IT budgets to manage and administer their portals.

Is your enterprise portal adequately funded to meet the demands placed on it? Let us know at the address below:

Paul Travis
Senior News Editor
ptravis@cmp.com

Progress Despite Concerns IT and business managers recognize the benefits of delivering richer content on their enterprise portals, but they have some concerns. The biggest headache is cost, cited by 65%. Nearly three in five are troubled by privacy issues, while 56% are worried about having adequate bandwidth. Other issues include enterprisewide connectivity (44%), lack of internal collaboration (41%), and a lack of technology expertise (28%). Still, almost three in four of the 100 IT and business professionals polled report that an enterprise portal is in operation at their businesses and that their companies have plans to increase the portal's capabilities. Top of the Page