Information Communication Technology ICT – 10 Communication | e-Consult

Internet: The Internet is a global network of interconnected computer networks. It is a public network, meaning anyone can access it. Typical users include individuals, businesses, educational institutions, and governments. Purposes are vast, including communication (email, messaging), information retrieval (searching the web), e-commerce, entertainment, and online collaboration. It relies on publicly available infrastructure and protocols.

Intranet: An Intranet is a private network within an organization. It's accessible only to authorized users within that organization. Typical users are employees of the organization. Purposes include sharing internal information, documents, policies, and facilitating internal communication and collaboration. It uses the same technologies as the Internet (e.g., web servers, browsers) but is secured behind a firewall and requires authentication.

Extranet: An Extranet is an extension of an Intranet that allows controlled access to specific parts of the Intranet for external users, such as suppliers, partners, or customers. Typical users are external stakeholders (suppliers, partners, customers). Purposes include sharing specific information with external parties (e.g., order tracking, product specifications, collaborative document editing). Access is carefully managed and restricted.

Here's a table summarizing the key differences: