What is an intranet

Whilst preparing to present to the Intranet benchmarking Forum the other day, I started to think about what an intranet actually is. Of course, it's many things to many people, and for sure our definition has changed over the 16 years or so since the term was first coined. However, here is my stab for what it is. It is:

• A critical part of your organisation's landscape
• A platform for the paperless office
• A place to collaborate
• A catalyst for change

All of which are pretty obvious and probably not too contentious.

However, and intranet is also:

• Taken for granted (or at least it should be)
  
• The battlefield between technology and business
• The place where people can have personality, opinions and express themselves.
  

These are not so obvious, and are certainly not so comfortable for the organisation. However, as has always happened, intranets are once again challenging the old paradigms - and that can be quite threatening for those affected. The one thing we can be sure of though, is that change in this space is pretty much unstoppable as an intranet world is a democtratised world and has an organic life of its own. The most successful intranet managers will be those who can harness that development and growth through the various phases.