What is the difference between and Intranet and a portal?
Defining an Intranet.
Gartner defines an Intranet like this.
“An intranet is a network internal to an enterprise that uses the same methodology and techniques as the internet but is accessible only to employees. Common intranet services include websites supporting corporate communications, internal collaboration and knowledge management, centralized access to various business applications, and service/self-service for employee applications like HR, finance, and IT.”
The word Intranet is old and marketing gurus have been trying to replace it for years. “Digital workspace”, “Collaboration Platform” for example. Some of the reasons for that is the historically intranets haven’t been very successful with the average information worker. According to The Forrester Wave: Intranet Platforms, Q2 2020, only 66% of global information workers are satisfied with their intranet.
Defining a Portal
Gartner Defines a Portal like this.
“A portal is a high-traffic website with a wide range of content, services and vendor links. It acts as a value-added middleman by selecting the content sources and assembling them in a simple-to-navigate and customize interface for presentation to the end user. Portals typically offer such services as web searching, news, reference tools, access to online shopping venues, and communications capabilities including email and chat rooms.”
For some companies a portal is the version 2 of their intranet. For other companies the portal allows outside clients or members access and is restricted from general staff.
Of course Noodle allows both functional deployments. Noodle can be a portal or can be an intranet with a portal inside the Intranet. With modern intranet software and flexible technology platforms companies really do have unlimited options. We recommend you define your internal requirements before you start investigating software vendors.