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Extranet: Definition and Key Features
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You've probably already heard of the intranet, but do you know its counterpart, the extranet? While the two share some similarities, they are quite different: they don't serve the same purpose, and they don't target the same audience.
What is an extranet? How does it differ from an intranet? How is it used within organizations? And what key features does it offer?
Here is everything you need to know about this tool that has become indispensable today.
What is an extranet?
Before anything else, let's start with a definition:
An extranet is a private network used by organizations to communicate and collaborate with external stakeholders — such as suppliers, partners, customers, or employees working remotely (when the company's internal network does not support this type of connection).
Of course, just because this tool is accessible to people outside the organization doesn't mean it is less secure. Why? You decide who can access which information. For example, if certain data stored on your platform is considered confidential, you can block external stakeholders from accessing it, so only internal employees can view it.
Just like the intranet, the extranet therefore guarantees the security and confidentiality of your data.
Extranet vs intranet: what's the difference?
However, be careful not to confuse the intranet and the extranet. Here are a few key distinctions to keep in mind.
The main difference between the intranet and the extranet is that they are not accessible to the same people. Indeed, the intranet is only accessible to internal employees, while the extranet also provides access to external parties.
It is therefore more open, and offers more communication possibilities than the intranet, which is more restricted in terms of users.
Because of this difference, the intranet and the extranet don't serve exactly the same objectives. Where the extranet aims to bring together your entire internal and external ecosystem, the intranet is more focused on sharing information with internal employees.
Nevertheless, they share one thing in common: both aim to facilitate access to knowledge, by centralizing communication on a single platform.
How do you use an extranet?
You may be wondering what an extranet can actually do for you. The answer: a lot!
You can use it, in particular, to:
- streamline exchanges and collaboration on projects with your partners and suppliers,
- centralize information and documents you share with them in a single location,
- ensure that your entire partner network always has the same level of information,
- reduce the volume of emails sent externally,
- foster knowledge sharing across all your stakeholders,
- enable employees working remotely without access to the intranet to connect to the company network.
In short, the possibilities are endless! It's up to you to use your extranet as you see fit.
Read also: Why deploy an extranet within your organization?
Extranet features
This wealth of possibilities is made possible by the many features available on an extranet. A true Swiss Army knife, an extranet can integrate, for example:
- a drive, for storing and sharing documents securely,
- a library, for promoting the sharing of evergreen content,
- a chat and video conferencing, to facilitate and accelerate exchanges with your external stakeholders, wherever they are,
- a welcome portal, centralizing all key information about your partners, suppliers, and/or clients,
- a calendar that lets you schedule meetings with ease,
- integrations with your business applications (e.g., your CRM, HR and development software, etc.),
- a project management module for assigning tasks to each member and tracking their progress,
- an online office suite, allowing your stakeholders to collaborate in real time on documents,
- and more.
Many extranets are also customizable and accessible across multiple devices (PC, mobile, or tablet), making them a good alternative to the intranet for organizations looking for a platform open to external parties.
Talkspirit: the extranet that adapts to your needs
More than a simple intranet, Talkspirit lets you invite all of your internal and external stakeholders onto your platform, whether or not they have a professional email address.
This all-in-one extranet includes all the features mentioned above, plus additional capabilities, including:
- the ability to create working groups,
- publishing messages on a news feed similar to an enterprise social network, which everyone can like and comment on,
- hosting interactive webinars that let you brainstorm in small groups on a whiteboard,
- native integration of a FAQ chatbot that answers your members' questions around the clock.
If you're looking for an extranet to streamline collaboration and communication between your internal and external stakeholders, Talkspirit can fully meet your needs.
Schedule a personalized demo with our team to discover our platform live:
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The extranet holds no more secrets for you! With these definitions in hand, you now have everything you need to decide whether your organization needs such a tool — and if so, how to get started.
To help you take that next step, we have put together a methodology guide covering the 6 key steps to set up an extranet. Click the button below to access it:
Access the methodology guide
In this methodology guide, you will find: the 6 steps to set up your extranet, the questions to ask yourself to identify your needs, the key criteria for choosing your solution, the elements to include in your communication plan, and our best tips for ensuring platform adoption.
