We have come a long way from the first intranet software solutions we were introduced to over two decades ago, which were essentially static websites which allowed employees to access information from a centralized point. Intranets, at this point, were nothing more than a HTML page on a web server which linked to internal resources. Back in 1996, Frontier Technologies pioneered entry into the intranet market by introducing “Intranet Genie”. This product was considered revolutionary in its own right – it supported document sharing, conversation among employees, electronic messaging, and a plethora of other tools that enabled better communication. Of course, larger organizations quickly took notice and recognized the importance of integrating intranets into their businesses. They wanted to jump on the intranet bandwagon, but were met with a few hiccups along the way.
Previously, intranets were operated by only one person who sent out all the information but it wasn’t customized to an employee’s individual needs and relevance. This centralized approach made the whole system ineffective and did not do much to enhance overall work productivity.
Over the last decade however, intranets have transformed dramatically. Businesses are now adopting a decentralized approach to share content, through which both employee collaboration and engagement has improved tremendously.
Intranet design varies from one company to another, based on the organization’s structure, requirements, and size. Companies all over the world are constantly trying to improve their internal communication through intranets for active engagement with their employees or franchisees.
Jagan Jami