An intranet is an internal, secured business environment that operates on a LAN (local area network). If the LAN provides access to the Internet, the intranet resides behind a firewall, with no gateway to, or from the Internet.  Following are some general examples of information or processes that might be available on an intranet to serve various departments.

Human Resources: An intranet can offer quick and easy access of fundamental publications to all employees. Handbooks, benefits, 401k tracking, job applications, and an employee directory are just a few examples. A company newsletter, employee newsgroups, message boards and chat sessions are other opportunities an intranet provides.

Sales Department: One of the most productive uses of an intranet is interactive multimedia training. Sales reports, forecasts and goals, marketing strategies and geographic saturation are all tools the intranet can keep available at the click of a mouse.

Accounting Department: Requisition requests on an intranet will save time, resources and money. Pages within an intranet can be password protected to limit employee access, or administratively controlled. Payroll, receivables/payables, and budget reports are all processes that can reside on the intranet.