What is an Extranet
An Extranet is a collaborative network that uses Internet technology to link businesses with their suppliers, customers or other businesses that share common goals. An Extranet can be viewed either as part of a company's Intranet that is made accessible to other companies or as a collaborative Internet connection with other companies. The shared information can be accessible only to the collaborating parties or can be publicly accessible.

Examples of Extranet applications include:

• Private newsgroups that cooperating companies use to share valuable experiences and ideas.
• Groupware in which several companies collaborate in developing a new application program they can all use.
• Training programs or other educational material that companies develop and share.
• Shared product catalogs accessible only to wholesalers or those "in the trade".
• Project management and control for companies that are part of a common work project.

An Extranet usually requires a degree of security and privacy from competitors. It can also be viewed as an intersection set of a number of different company's Intranets. Security and privacy can be obtained either by ensuring that the transmission lines were privately owned or leased, by tunneling through the Internet, or by using the Internet with password authorization.

Some consultants and site developers specialize in Extranet products and installation. One of these, OneSoft Corporation, offers a white paper, The Extranet Solution.