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The Necessary Extranet
The Necessary Extranet
by Sandy Roth of Bryan Cave LLP
Whether we like it or not, we live in a 24/7 world, and globalization
is driving the need for real-time content and data available at our
fingertips. Everyone benefits from faster, more accurate, beer-organized
information that is easy to share; indeed, clients now expect it.
An extranet is a secure website that allows you to share
documents, data and information. It allows you to collaborate or
integrate operations with select users anywhere, anytime using
a standard web browser. Extranet users might include clients, a
work group, outside counsel, experts, suppliers or vendors. Are you
developing extranets? If not, you should.
Problems Extranets Solve
What content-sharing problems can extranets solve? Check this list to
see if these issues ring a bell:
» A group needs to share and organize a large volume of documents
with a client, co-counsel or others outside of the office.
» Our client wants access to real-time accounting information, paid
and unpaid invoices, and active documents. They would like a
maer dashboard that displays all of this content.
» Distribution of routine reports (e.g., status reports, board of
director meeting minutes and financial statements) has become
time-consuming and expensive.
» You need to audit document activity to quickly see who reviewed,
printed or saved documents in a project.
