extranet

World-Wide Web 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)