University of Massachusetts Boston
College of Management
MSIS 110: Introduction to Computers
Chapter 7: The Internet, Intranets, and Extranets
Chapter Overview
The Internet is the world's largest computer network. It consists of smaller,
interconnected networks, all freely exchanging information and sharing resources.
Chapter 7 provides an overview of the Internet, its capabilities and shortfalls, and how
businesses are using it to further their missions. In general, the Internet works by
transmitting data from one computer to another using a set of conventions known as
the Internet protocol or IP. Another important protocol is called transport control
protocol or TCP and it is used in conjunction with IP. The Internet has enabled a variety
of technologies and services to emerge. Among these are e-mail; Telnet; FTP; Usenet
and newsgroups; chat rooms; Internet phone and videoconferencing; content
streaming; instant messaging; Web shopping; Web auctions; exchange of digital music
and video; Internet radio; Web offices; 3-D Internet sites; software repositories; and the
World Wide Web.
The World Wide Web, or Web, has emerged as the predominant use of the Internet. The
Web is a collection of independently owned computers that work together as one
Internet service. The Web has the ability to handle multimedia objects and uses
hyperlinks to seamlessly interconnect pages even though they may exist on different
machines. A Web site can be compared to a magazine, with a cover page called a
home page. Hyperlinks are maintained using URLs, a standard way of coding the
locations of the HTML documents. The client accessing the Web site communicates with
the server according to a set of rules called HTTP, which retrieve the document and
present it. HTML is the standard description language for Web pages. A Web-browser
reads the HTML and creates a unique, hypermedia-based menu on the user's
computer. Web authors work with a set of standards to create their pages so the type
of computer and software being used to access the site will not impact appearance
and function.
The Web has provided an impetus for companies to engage in business on-line. The
travel, entertainment, gift, greetings, book, and music businesses are experiencing
rapid growth in this area. Although Web shopping is relatively simple, some consumers
are concerned about the security of their credit card numbers. Other security concerns
about the Internet have resulted in the creation of internal corporate networks, which
incorporate Internet technology without opening access to the outside world. These
networks are called intranets. Extranets link intranet resources to select customers,
suppliers, or business partners. Other concerns accompany the growth of the Internet.
Among these are management issues, service bottlenecks, privacy, security, and
firewalls.
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Chapter Outline
Lecture Topics
Use and Functioning of the Internet
Internet Services
The World Wide Web
Intranets and Extranets
Net Issues
Chapter Objectives
After completing this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Briefly describe how the Internet works, including alternatives for connecting to it
and the role of the Internet service providers.
2. Identify and briefly describe the services associated with the Internet.
3. Describe the World Wide Web, including tools to view and search the Web.
4. Identify who is using the Web to conduct business, and discuss some of the pros
and cons of Web shopping.
5. Outline a process for creating Web content.
6. Describe Java and discuss its potential impact on the software world.
7. Define the terms intranet and extranet and discuss how organizations are using
them.
8. Identify several issues associated with the use of networks.
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