Ideally, clients and agencies have aligned interests, and they usually do. Today there are real challenges to that important alignment, forcing clients and agencies to look for new and better ways to collaborate. Enter easy-to-use, web based extranets.
What is an extranet?
Specifically, an extranet is a private web site that provides a secure environment for a select group of users to share documents and information.
Although it is accessed through a web browser, such as Internet Explorer, it differs from a public web site in that it can be used only by an audience that has permission to access it through the use of IDs and passwords.
Agencies use extranets as a client service tool to share documents with clients and vendors, to organize projects, and to archive previous work for direct client access. There is no limit on the size of files that can be posted, allowing agencies to share text documents, graphics, audio, video, message boards, and data.
Often, extranets are used to replace email as a means to communicate within and across work groups. Unlike email, all communication is secure and any size document can be exchanged. Plus, an...