A time for intranets

While the Internet may still be a buzzword for many organizations, for yet other sit has new become a reality.
While currently, there are not too many companies that have a full-fledged, complete intranet implementation (in fact, the number is still only three), there are a number of companies that are planning or at least thinking on the lines of an intranet.
The companies vary from publishing houses to manufacturing units to software exporting units, and educational institutions.
According to the companies that have already implemented the intranets, the real issue is not implementation or technology, bur rather a management issue.
Considering the fact that today India boasts a meager 30,000 Internet connections, the arrival of the intranet has been rather rapid fire. Commercial Internet services started being provided in Nida from August 15, 1995 by the monopolist government agency, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited.
It was only a year ago that the user community declared that the intranet was still far away.
How do you expect us to think about the intranet when we are still comprehending the Internet,” was the general outcry from IS. Well it looks like it wasn’t really that early.
In fact, almost within one year of the advent of the Internet in India, vendors and IT industry major started to focus on intranets through seminars, workshops and what have you.
Gradually, Indian IT users and IS managers began to change their tune, and in fact starting talking in terms of how they needed intranets and not the Internet.
Consultants began extolling the virtues of intranets. Companies such as New Delhi-based NetAcross Communications Limited came up with the express purpose of handling intranet solutions for Indian corporates.
The scenario as it stands today is that intranets are hot. There are however certain impediments that stand in the way of this trend really taking root.
Currently, Indian users are facing a basic problem of IT infrastructure at the national level. Since the country is yet to build a national backbone to be leased out to users, most are relying either on VSATs (very small aperture terminals) or on the poor but cheap terrestrial lines.
In fact, most users are going ahead with whatever is available to them. Using a mix of VSATs and terrestrial leased lines. The Times of India Group of publications and India’s premier management institutes – the four Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have gone ahead and set up intranets for their organizations.
Other corporates too need to take a leaf out of some of these success stories. The time for intranets is not tomorrow but today.