Extranets

Abstract

In the earliest stages of the commercial development of the Internet, companies rushed online, moving large segments of their marketing operations to the digital stage. This was a good way of reaching customers, as they could access a much larger audience with smaller capital investments, and enjoyed more flexibility than in broadcast or print channels. Soon e-commerce began to flourish, showering companies with even greater returns. Since public web sites were having such a positive impact on the corporate balance sheet, businesses decided to search for other ways to benefit from the lessons and technologies from their early Internet initiatives.