Networking, which links people and departments within a particular building or across corporate offices, enabling them to share information and cooperate on projects, is an important strategic tool for many companies. For example, a networked electronic medical records system links employees at the hospitals of Partners HealthCare System, the largest hospital network in New England, with the offices of more than 4,000 physicians with admitting privileges. The system ties doctors, nurses, staff specialists, and others into a coordinated team to provide better care, avoid redundant tests, and prevent potentially conflicting prescriptions. Explaining the reasoning behind the system, the head of the Partners’ physician group said, “I don’t want doctors just to work better. I want them to work better with their colleagues.
One prevalent form of corporate networking is an intranet, a private, companywide information system that uses the communications protocols and standards of the Internet but is accessible only to people within the company. To view files and information, users simply navigate the site with a Standard web browser, clicking on links. Today, most companies with intranets have moved their management information systems, executive information systems, and so forth over to the intranet so they are accessible to anyone who needs them. In addition, having these systems as part of the intranet means new features and applications can easily be added and accessed through a standard browser. Intranets can improve internal communications and unlock hidden information. They enable employees to keep in touch with what’s going on around the organization, quickly and easily find information they need, share ideas, and work on projects collaboratively.