Intranet and Extranet

Infrastructure:
Infrastructure refers to the organizational and management infrastructure that created, managed
and shared the content. It is based on internet standards and technologies that supports sharing of
content within a limited and well-defined group. A technical infrastructure becomes less of a
barrier to accessing specific content, it becomes important to pay attention to how access can be
restricted.

Intranet:
Definition :
An Intranet is an information portal designed specifically for the internal communications of
small, medium or large businesses. enterprises, governments, industries or financial institutions
of any size or complexity.
● It refers to “inward-facing” or “staff-facing” systems.
● Intranets can be custom designed to fit the exact requirements of a particular firm or
business.
● Users of Intranet:
a. Members of the executive team
b. Accounting and order billing
c. Managers and directors
d. Sales people and support staff
e. Customer service, help desk, etc.

Extranet
Definition:
A private network that uses the Internet Protocol (IP) and the public telecommunication system
to securely share the part of a business’s information or operations with suppliers, vendors,
partners, customers, or other businesses.
● It is the combination of the Internet and Intranet.
● Extranet are designed specifically to give external, limited access to certain files of the
computer system to some people who are associated with them.
They can be:
a. selected industry partners
b. Suppliers and subcontractors
c. certain large or privileged customers
● A carefully designed extranet can act as a catalyst for bringing additional business to a
company.
● Uses of Extranets:
a. Exchange large volumes of data using Electronic Data Interchange(EDI).
 b. Share product catalogs exclusively with wholesalers or those “in the trade”.
c. Collaborate with other companies on joint development efforts.
d. Jointly develop and use training programmes with other companies.
e. Provide or access services provided by one company to a group of other
companies, such as online banking applications managed by one company on
behalf of affiliated banks.

Similarities of an Intranet and Extranet:

1. Both use secured Internet access to the outside world.
2. Both can drastically save the company’s a lot of money
3. Moth need a user ID and Password to control access to the whole system.

Differences between Intranet and Extranet:

1. An intranet is a set of content shared by a well-defined group within a single organization
and an extranet is a set of content shared by a well-defined group, but one that crosses
enterprise boundaries.
2. Intranet is basically a private computer network that uses network connectivity and
internet protocols within an organization. On the other hand an extranet is also a private
network but it involves the organization as well as its partners like suppliers, vendors,
partners, customers etc
3. Intranet users have more access to resources than Extranet users
4. Intranets are easier to secure than Extranets.

Communication:
Many companies have set up their websites by developing separate and fragment
communications without having any inter-relationship.
Internet website development activity is managed by marketing or corporate communications,
the intranet team resides in IT under the infrastructure group.
Community base Communication
Steps for creating ordered list of communication:
1. Communities Inventory:
This includes mapping of organizations with regard to interactions, work flow,
and communication processes, including the identification of existing tools.
2. Communication Inventory:
This includes creating an inventory of current and potential forms of
communication, reviewing and determining if and how they can be more effective.
3. Online Publishing and Application list:
Create an ordered list of documents and applications for possible publishing or
creation as online resources.

Procurement:
After discovering what is needed the next step is selection of online services and communication
platform.
Categories of services:
1. Network services
2. Publishing services
3. Communication collaboration
4. Navigation

Recruitment:
The internet and the World Wide Web have become the most important new communication
media since television emerged,and ones that are fundamentally reshaping contemporary
understanding of sales and marketing. Companies are realizing that web-based techniques and
strategies must be approached as they would with any traditional marketing activity.
The internet explosion witnessed a myriad of new companies rapidly developing products and
services that capitalized on the web’s potential.

Exchange:
Internet Exchange Point: it is also known as IX or IXP which is a physical infrastructure that
allows different ISPs to exchange traffic to exchange within them.
The ultimate use of these exchange agreements is to reduce the average per bit delivery cost of
traffic.
Advantages:
1. Cost reduction
2. Communication Latency
3. Bandwidth

Virtual Business Models

Features of virtual marketing:
1. The removal of large human element:
It is a major reason for contribution in reduction of cost rather than the mass
appeal it focuses on.Lower cost save a lot of monetary aspects of marketing campaigns
and this money can be used for improvement in product image
2. Supply chain coordination becomes smooth and efficient:
In traditional marketing every element of marketing channel was provided with
different information platforms depending on their closeness to the source of entire
supply chain focal point. This was the major reason behind difficulties in creating
integration in marketing activities. In modern virtual marketing, all elements are provided
with a common information source so that it contributes to the improvement in modalities
benefit to the entire system.
3. Focuses on internal cost efficiencies and revenue generation:
 It operates with new revenue sources like online advertising, channel sharing
revenues, versioning, subscription etc.
4. flow and accuracy of communication:
This facility allows the buyers to design their requirement and provides optimum
supreme satisfaction.
5. Brand building:
Here Customization of brand is also achieved through four stages using mass
communication channel. This is known as collaborative customization. It also provides
configuration flexibility.
6. provides assistance for making the right choice to the buyers.(using artificial intelligence,
collaborative filtering):
Many products and services need a proper intensive search before a final choice is
made. Virtual marketing provides a comprehensive solution to the end users to arrive
at a right choice.
7. Virtual marketing has advantage of creating three types of communities
a. Portal-based
b. Affinity-based
c. Purpose-based

In short , the Virtual marketing model is capable enough to replace the traditional marketing
system proper and positive adoption of technologies.

4.Consumer Behaviour

Flow theory:
According to the Flow theory, the state of flow can be achieved when an activity carries some
challenges during the surfing of web to exhibit playful exploratory behaviour. It means marketers
must find out the barriers that the virtual consumer will come across as challenges an
d capture the opportunities. Those perceived challenges for web users should be interpreted as
those barriers that hinder the consumers from using the web or the opportunities that lead the
users to further surf the web site.
The concept of optimization of experience which is different from time to time through net
surfing depends on subjective feeling of high involvement, concentration, enjoyment and
intrinsic interest.
The theory suggests some elements to reveal individual experience in perception of interaction
with the web environment. The elements are as follows.
1. Clear and attainable goals - According to one’s capacity to achieve it.
2. Concentration focusing - Lower the focus area higher the concentration possible.
It is expected to reach merging of awareness with single minded concentration.
3. Distorted sense of time - The individual’s subjective experience of time is altered.
 4. A sense of self - Control over the situation.
5. Instantly rewarding activities
6. Balance between personal skills and challenges.
7. Loss of self - Consciousness
8. Direct and Immediate feedback so that behaviour can be adjusted to repeat success.

Hoffman’s Many to many models:

Marketers use various media to communicate with their current and potential consumers.
Marketing communication perform three functions.
1. To inform
2. To remind
3. To persuade
The Traditional one-to-many marketing communications model, which is also known as passive
model of communication for mass media. In this model, the message content is provided by the
firm through the media to a mass market of consumers. The first two functions of marketing
communications may be perform by this traditional communication model. However, the
persuasion function necessary for differentiating a product or brand is performed in limited
quantum by the unidirectional quality of traditional mass media.
The Internet has brought a change in the traditional one-to-many communication models. The
technical advancement in the Internet has led to an alternate model of communication, i.e. many-
to-many.With the technical development in terms of distributed computing and interactive
multimedia, many-to-many communication is dramatically altering the traditional
communication model. As a marketing and advertising media, the web has the potential to
change radially the way firms do business with their customers by blending together publication,
real time communication broadcast and narrow cast.
As an operational model of distributed computing,the ”Net” supports the following value added
supports in marketing areas:
1. Formation of discussion group
2. Multiperson chatting
3. File transfer and accessing from remote place
4. Electronic mail
5. Global information access and retrieval system
From a business and marketing perspective, the most exciting developments are occurring on the
world wide web(www).
Virtual marketing allows two major categories of sites as:
1. Destination sites - online storefronts, internet presence sites, content sites
2. Web traffic control sites - provide consumers to those destination sites delivering their
purpose. Three major categories:
a. Malls
b. Incentive sites
c. Search agents
Internet branding and loyalty
Branding is an activity of developing a bonding with consumers and it has always been about
building relationships. It has always been about taking someone who knows little or nothing
about an organization or its products and transitioning him/her into loyal user.
E branding can be assigned a pivotal role in enhancing brand relationships and co-operate
reputations. It offers a huge advantage over traditional mass media. The speed people can move
from awareness to action on the internet is a truly differentiating factor and challenging for
virtual marketers. It demands a new way of thinking about how to design web sites and related
marketing communication.
The prospects pass trough several stages before embracing a relationship with the company.
1. Awareness
2. Familiarity
3. Trust
4. Commitment
The following are the successful internet marketers
1. Amazon
2. Yahoo
3. Dell

Linking Bricks and Clicks

Linking traditional marketing with virtual marketing helps in facilitating the distribution process.
Order generating process is more critical than delivery.
To maximize the opportunities of virtual branding, it is critical to measure the density of the
visitors, the site is actually generating a deeper acceptance of the company and a grater
attachment to its products and brands. Measurement of the effectiveness of a company's internet
marketing activities yields significant insight for cultivating more business.

Loyalty
Creating a loyalty for a specific brand is difficult task and when it comes to the internet it
becomes more complicated and crucial aspect to understand. Consumers often develop a loyalty
to a specific web site or a specific brand, this is both discernible as well as measurable. Hence it
is better to look upon a proved example above the methods carried out for development and
maintaining loyalty.

The 11 immutable Laws of Internet branding

1. Law of Either/ Or asserts
2. Law of interactivity
3. Law of common name
4. Law of proper name
5. Law of singularity
 6. Law of advertising
7. Law of globalism
8. Law of time
9. Law of vanity
10. Law of divergence
11. Law of transformation

Internet communities
All communities are built around a common interest or passion.But the ideal community site
does more than just focus on like interests.It encourages lot of communications and interactions
whether trough chat rooms, bullet and boards or discussion forums. Web surfers are approaching
the internet in an all together new way in settling in staying put, making a home away from
home.Today , people of like minds and interests are establishing internet communities faster than
any construction company in the brick and mortar world.
These communities are turning the intrinsic cultural appeal of communities into a real business
proposition.

Changing consumer behaviour

At the beginning of the internet’s history , the typical user was a high income class.however the
overall demographic profile is shifting to reflect the average population. Internet is now reaching
the mass consumer market. Cheaper computer prices, cultural acceptance and the ubiquitous
influence of the internet are influencing the online surge of the new users.
According to the Yankee Group study, 87% of respondent logged online at least once a day.
As users gain greater comfort level interacting with the web and begin to establish the trust
among the web sites they visit, online buying will continue to grow.
Another strong signal that the internet is becoming more entrenched in daily life is the increase
in time spend online.
When it comes to B2B, online transactions will occur between buyers and sellers who have
established relationships. Business and marketing on the internet continue to explode . With
easier access to computers, greater acceptance from the general public and faster connectivity the
internet is becoming the channel of choice for gathering information.