Extranet Systems enable clients to establish and maintain powerful relationships with their users and business partners. This relationship is facilitated via a secure, password protected area the user can access to perform any number of interactions. These interactions can range from viewing a user specific price list and ordering products to a complex subscription based psychological therapy system.

An extranet system is a mechanism based on Internet and Web technology for communicating both privately and selectively with your customers and business partners.

What's the difference between an extranet, an intranet and the Internet?

First there was the Internet, which is available for everyone to use. Then businesses got smart and started developing their own intranets that used the same friendly Web interface but put up firewalls so that only employees could see the information on the site. Finally, the extranet was created. It finds itself somewhere in between--there's still a firewall, but you allow only selected outsiders, such as business partners and customers, inside.

Why would you use extranets?

When done correctly, extranets provide a safe way to allow transactional business-to-business activities and can save your company some serious time and money. The automotive industry uses extranets to cut down on its redundant ordering processes and keep suppliers up to date on parts and design changes, allowing quicker response times to suppliers' problems and questions. Suppliers can receive proposals, submit bids, provide documents, even collect payments through an extranet site. An extranet has restricted (password-protected) access, so it may be connected directly to each party's internal systems.