Intranet vs Portal
In order to make it easier for employees to access information and services, most companies utilize an Intranet. An Intranet is a local network that utilizes Internet technologies like SMTP and HTTP to create a localized version of the Internet that is accessible only to employees of the company. To enhance productivity even further, a portal is used so that resources that are needed can be quickly accessed. An Intranet portal just like a web portal, it provides links to different sites or pages on the Intranet that provides users with links to the information and services that they need in order to do their job.
There are several major advantages to having a portal established on an Intranet. The first is it allows for easy access as it puts all the resources in a unified location so you do not have to remember the addresses of each. The admins can also create different pages for different employees or departments so that they only see resources that are related to their line of work. Lastly, an Intranet portal makes it easy to disseminate information since, like a website, it can be used to show news or any other material that might not be urgent but is still worth knowing.
An Intranet portal is obviously dependent on the presence of an Intranet. It is therefore not possible to have a portal without having an Intranet. Some companies, especially smaller ones, deploy an Intranet but do not put up a portal. The main reason behind this is cost as creating and maintaining a portal requires additional spending and personnel. For small businesses, the costs can outweigh the benefits of using a portal.
It is worth noting though that the term portal is not necessarily exclusive to Intranets as even Extranets and the Internet can utilize portals. Famous Internet or Web portals include Yahoo, MSN, and many others. Their purpose is still the same; the only difference is the targeted users of the service.
Summary:
1. An Intranet is local version of the Internet while a portal is a gateway where different services can be accessed
2. An Intranet can exist without a portal but not the other way around