An Extranet is an intranet that is accessible from the Internet to identified users that do not belong to the company or to servers of partner companies.

The implementation of an Extranet is similar to the implementation of a "web" business application, but there are specificities that must not be forgotten:

• You control the workstations of your users. Perhaps you control those of your suppliers. Can you control those of your customers? The choice of a development technology must be made based on these constrainted and your stakes. Sometimes it is more reasonable to favor an old technology than a recent, more powerful technology.
• Your applications were designed to work in the relatively friendly environment of the company. Are they adaptable to the world of Extranet? Is a sophisticated fire wall enough to guarantee its safety? Is it possible to audit the use of the application?
• Would you like to make your servers and those of a partner communicate with each other through your Extranet? Which network protocols is it preferable to deploy today? Is there an alternative to Web Services today?
• Do you want to build your Extranet around standardized interchange formats? Many standards are emerging today, built around XML. Knowing these standards, and what is becoming of them, will enable you to implement an Extranet that can communicate with all your partners in same way.

SOFTEAM, with its wide experience in the profession, can help you solve these problems through its Consulting, Training, Development and Products Services