Dictionary - Definition of EXTRANET

Webster's Online Dictionary
with Multilingual Thesaurus Translation



Earth's largest dictionary with more than 1226 modern languages and Eve!

Date "EXTRANET" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1986. (references)

Specialty Definition: EXTRANET

Domain	Definition
Computing	Extranet The extension of a company's intranet out onto the Internet, e.g. to allow selected customers, suppliers and mobile workers to access the company's private data and applications via the World-Wide Web. This is in contrast to, and usually in addition to, the company's public web site which is accessible to everyone. The difference can be somewhat blurred but generally an extranet implies real-time access through a firewall of some kind. Such facilities require very careful attention to security but are becoming an increasingly important means of delivering services and communicating efficiently. [Did Marc Andreessen invent the term in September 1996?] (1997-12-17) Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing.
Business	The difference between an intranet and an extranet is that an extranet can extend intranet privileges to selected partners by giving them access to certain internal areas. It creates a secure customer network. (references)
Environment	An intranet that is accessible to computers that are not physically part of a company's' own private network, but that is not accessible to the general public, for example to allow vendors and business partners to access a company web site. Often an intranet will make use of a Virtual Private Network. (VPN.) See also: Intranet, Network, VPN. (references)
Law	An intranet partially accessible to authorized outsiders. Whereas an intranet resides behind a firewall and is accessible only to people who are members of the same company or organization, an extranet provides various levels of accessibility to outsiders. Giving a valid username and password provides access to outsiders. (references)
Technology	1: A term depicting networks on the Internet dedicated to business communications between a vendor and its suppliers, customers, or dealers. The term originated from network pioneer Robert Metcalfe. Using the common format of the World Wide Web, companies, their suppliers, customers, or suppliers exchange data electronically rather than sending paper-based information back and forth. It is viewed as an Internet alternative to Electronic Data Interchange comprised of dedicated lines and software rather than the Internet. Extranets are a lower cost alternative to EDI. For example, see "Toshiba Debuts Extranet" in Information Week, October 20, 1997, p. 36. Therein it is stated that nearly all of Toshiba's 350 independent dealers will be ordering products and parts via a secure extranet. FedEx now offers a BusinessLink extranet service with intent on handling the accounting for transactions as well as delivery of product. Competitors either are or will soon offer similar extranets. See EDI, Internet, and Intranet. (references)
	2: A private computer network designed to serve the employees of a company or members of an organization (as in an intranet), and also to provide various levels of accessibility to selected persons outside the organization (business partners, customers, clients, etc.), but not the general public. When transmission occurs over public telecommunication channels (the Internet), the system is passworded to exclude unauthorized users. Services may be fee-based or offered at no charge. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.			Top

Topics by Level of Interest: EXTRANET
Topics sorted by level of Interest	Level (1=low, 600=high)		Topics sorted Alphabetically	Level (1=low, 600=high)
Extranet	13		Extranet	13
Source: the editor, created by/for EVE to gauge likely levels of human interest in linguistically triggered topics (compiled across various sources, such as Wikipedia and specialty expression glosses).

bookmark email print tweet facebook