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The term "intranet" has flown around information technology circles for the past couple of years, promised as the wave of the future after the Internet and e-mail.
Well, that wave has crashed on Indianapolis.
Local corporate giants in all industries over the past 18 months have started developing intranets--tiny versions of the World Wide Web that operate within an organization.
Companies like Thomson Consumer Electronics, Conseco Inc. and USA Group have kicked off heir own systems. Now, smaller businesses, such as law firms and insurance agencies, are beginning to follow the trend.
"Intranets are growing at an amazing rate," said Paul Overhauser, a computer law specialist with Ice Miller Donadio & Ryan. Overhauser's firm is in the process of developing its own intranet.
Many companies use intranets for basic communication, posting documents such as mission statements, employee handbooks, benefits information and telephone directories on-line, where all employees can view them.
Others use them for more specialized purposes. Smaller departments or divisions within a corporation might develop their own "home pages." Or companies might keep registration and travel information on line for an industry conference. Or businesses may track sales...