Developing an Internet Strategy For Your Company (Part 1)
Today we will begin a series of articles designed to help you understand the options and develop a web strategy for your company that will address the Internet, your intranet, and whether you need an extranet.
Background
“The Internet” has become one of the hottest buzzwords in companies of all sizes, in countries around the world. You have been told that you have to “Move your company to the ‘Net” to keep from getting left behind.
Is that true? And what does it mean? Just what is “The Internet” really; how do I move my company there; and how does that help me make more money?
Let’s take a look at some possible answers to those questions as they pertain to your business.
The Internet
In the strictest sense of the word, the Internet is a network of networks. It is a linking of millions of computers, around the world, into one vast collection of information. It had its origins in academia and the US federal government, but has become more of a business tool in the last few years with the development of the World Wide Web.
The World Wide Web (or the Web for short) is a part of the Internet. It is not the same thing AS the Internet. The Web is the collection (network) of computers that are set up to exchange text, graphics, and sound files in a particular style that is easier for most people to deal with.
How do I “Move My Company To The Internet”?
Well, you don’t really MOVE anything. This expression means to equip the people in your company to utilize the Internet’s capabilities as a data storage and as a communications medium. By using these capabilities, your people become more efficient and more productive, and the company becomes more profitable.
Is it True? Do I Have to Move to the Internet?
The short answer is “No.” You don’t have to move to the Internet to survive in business. However, and with the clear understanding that I am a strong proponent of the Internet as a business tool, you have a greater chance to prosper if you do.
Why Move to the Internet?
If your only reason for moving to the Internet is because “everybody” says you have to, don’t do it. In order for your company to successfully move to the Internet, you have to have a solid business purpose for making the investment.
However, there are several compelling reasons why you should evaluate moving to the Internet. Properly applied as a business tool, the Internet has the capability to:
- Make your employees more productive
- Make your employees more effective
- Reduce your cost of doing business
- Increase your competitive advantage
- Improve communications within your company
- Improve communications between your company and its suppliers
- Improve communications between your company and its customers
Reasons To Not Move To The Internet
If you do not have a strategy, and just allow the Internet to seep into your business practice, the Internet can have negative impacts on your bottom line, because the Internet:
- Has a lot of data, but the relevant information can be hard to find
- Can cost a lot of money to get started
- Can cause people to waste a lot of time by just “surfing” the Internet
- Can allow outsiders to sneak into your company’s data
- Requires skills that your present staff may not have
Part 2. Developing your own strategy. How to determine whether you need to move to the Internet and when to make that move.
In Part 3, we will look at how to implement an intranet within your company. Finally, in Part 4, we will review how an extranet can save you money and make your company more agile
John Reh--
If you have any questions or comments about this article, or if there is an issue you would like us to address, please email them to me or post them on our Conference Room Bulletin Board to share with the entire group.
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