Date of Award

1997

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Corporate Communications

First Advisor

Michael Castro

Second Advisor

Gareth Gardiner

Third Advisor

Ben Kuehnle

Abstract

This project will focus on the study of the intranet through a review of literature and interviews to determine its value as a corporate communication tool. Currently, the intranet is in the early "innovator and adaptor" stage of development. However, it is moving rapidly forward to the early maturity stage within the corporate world.

Intranets can connect every person, every document, and every application within an organization, no matter where they are physically located. Intranets help companies reduce their paper costs in core areas of communication such as company telephone directories, employee benefits handbooks, manuals, and interoffice or department newsletters. They can boost work group productivity with groupware applications, and training; and they can support other business functions, such as sales and package tracking and customer services requests.

For most companies, the intranet means considerable cost savings. However, companies need to study the advantages and limitations of incorporating an intranet into the corporate structure. The primary advantages include an inexpensive, efficient, and effective means to dispense information to employees; a reduction in documentation and support costs, telephone support expenses, and setup and update time; an easier, faster access to remote locations; increased accessibility to competitive information; a more thorough research base; and a one-time archive development cost. The limiting factors of the intranet can include the corporation's concern regarding security issues, and what special requirements may be needed in the future such as increased bandwidth and the addition of another administration console that would be monitored and maintained by information technology departments.

There is a future for the intranet in corporate communication, and it will help companies move into the electronic commerce arena at a more rapid pace to become global presences.

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