1. Introduction

This mini-web will take you through characteristics and purpose of the Internet, Intranets and Extranets.

The Internet is perhaps one of the most extraordinary technology events that has happened since the invention of the telephone.

It has transformed societies across the world.

It started as a military idea about fifty years ago back in 1969. But in the last twenty five years it has taken off, primarily since the World Wide Web was added as an internet service.

The internet has now become an important part of modern society

Over the next few pages we will look at the Internet, intranets and extranets so that you can compare and contrast the three different kinds of communication networks and also understand the main purpose of each one.