The Internet goes beyond a website!

When we think about the Internet, it is common that the first thing that comes to mind, is a website, which can be the popular institutional websites, or blogs, or virtual stores, or social networks or any other type of website, according to your browsing preferences. But the Internet is much more than that!

All of this is the most apparent and visible part of the Internet and maybe that's why people and especially companies don't take full advantage of what it can offer, simply because they don't remember or even see everything that it is capable of. Shall we explore a little more of its potential?

What is the Internet?

Understanding what the Internet is, helps to build a broader view of the universe that represents it and consequently to reduce the limitations that are normally associated with what it can provide.

There are many definitions and explanations of what the Internet is, with more or less historical data and associated concepts. For the purpose of our reflection, we will adopt one of the simplest ones, which is a large computer network, composed of several other smaller networks, of local, regional and global scope.

Anyone who has some familiarity - and need not be much - with computer networks, should understand that a network, among other things, allows computers or devices (eg printer) that integrate a network, communicate with each other, exchange information/data and shared services (eg e-mail ).

Thus, the Internet is a means for different devices around the world to be at different degrees or levels, integrated and sharing data and services.

The sites are the biggest manifestation of this sharing, but just as in a corporate network, there are situations in which the available services meet more specific demands and a contingent of restricted users. That is a use that is not intended for the set of users who are represented by a typical Internet user.

The Internet is not just the website of company X, which can be accessed in São Paulo, Timbuktu or Geneva!

When does the Internet go beyond a website?

If in the past companies and, above all, large corporations need to invest in infrastructures that are sometimes complex for corporate servers, networks interconnecting these servers and workstations, diverse systems, qualified and specialized personnel to create and keep everything running and updated in the face of rapid obsolescence that computer systems present, with the Internet this panorama is much more favourable and radically different.

Among the many possibilities of a common scenario a few years ago and that gains new perspectives with the technologies that the Internet provides, such as Cloud Computing, are ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning or Enterprise Resource Planning) and CRMs ( Customer Relationship Management), to name just two.

If previously a CRM needed to be installed on each machine in the commercial department of a multinational company spread across different continents and each branch is linked to the headquarters by some type of connection, today it can be accessed from any corner of the planet that has Internet access.

Likewise, an executive on a business trip can consult the company's ERP for updated information for their next business meeting, while connecting a flight, from their notebook using a wi-fi hotspot at the airport.

In other words, practically any business system that previously required an entire local apparatus, with reduced reach and availability, is at the click of a mouse and an Internet connection, now with a range never seen before.

Geographic boundaries, time zones, expedients, expertise, large amounts of investment, training and qualification, among others, are no longer limiting factors, thanks to the technologies and the benefits and facilities that the Internet offers.

And it doesn't stop there! Security systems and/or surveillance, control and fleet management (road, rail, sea, air) assisted by GPS, banking and financial systems, Internet of things ( IoT ), applications and services based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, are some other examples of demands that can find shelter on the Internet and expand the possibilities that a local corporate system could have, no matter how much investment it had.

The advantages of the Internet beyond a website

In an objective way, changing paradigms and with them, platforms and business systems for the Internet is no longer just a matter of option, but of necessity. There is a wide range of advantages that justify the changes and create an enabling environment and that produces better results when you choose to migrate a solution from a local scope to a global one.

Flexibility

In various scopes and scenarios, it is possible to host solutions on an Internet server or in the clouds, as these are prepared to accommodate a wide range of services and represent an infrastructure already accustomed and prepared for the diversity of demands that the Internet represents. How many types of services and technologies do we have available on the Internet today? Virtually every App that we have on our phones, is an application or Internet service!

Scalability

Generally, Internet-based solutions allow for quick adjustments, both in the direction of growth/expansion and in the reduction/reduction of demands. In the case of growth, the investments needed to expand the reach that a given system has (more users), are much lower than the physical and local models of the past. When there is a reduction, there is no infrastructure (equipment, space, licenses, etc.) idle and, therefore, the investment made without the corresponding return.

economy

Closely related to the aforementioned scalability, as well as the fact that all web-based models require less investment of time, physical and financial resources, as well as professionals for the implementation and maintenance of the systems and technologies used.

The web-based models, popularized the concepts of SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and thus “consumed” software, development platform and infrastructure for everything this, as services and so you pay as you use and need it (on demand), without requiring an investment in something that requires constant updates and that in the case of old models, due to the ever-increasing speed with which technology it becomes obsolete, requires permanent and cyclical investments.

Availability

Especially in cloud-based infrastructures - which usually offer high standards of reliability and availability - but also in dedicated servers in data centres, the high rates of uptime ensure that applications and systems on the Internet are always available.

Reach

Due to the fact that access to services and systems requires only a compatible device with hardware capable of processing and rendering information and Internet connectivity, users anywhere on the planet have exactly the same content as one located at the company's headquarters. There are no physical boundaries or distances large enough to limit who a given system can reach.

Productivity

Web-based systems are usually less susceptible to downtime, either because it is easier and cheaper to provide the environment with redundancy, minimizing losses due to the shutdown of critical or vital systems to the company's operation.

Availability and reach are also factors that contribute to better productivity rates, as any company employee who needs to use the systems on the web, can do it anytime, anywhere.

Control

The administration and control of systems and applications on the Internet, which are centralized on a web server or even on a cloud platform, are infinitely larger than systems installed on workstations or even on local servers of each business unit. Here, the administration is not point-to-point, but centralized.

Reports, statistical data, logs, access controls, privileges and all aspects that may interest and import managers, are more easily managed when centralized on the Internet.

Conclusion

The Internet is represented by much more than simple sites, be they blogs, content sites or social networks. Internet infrastructure is usually built to house a wide range of solutions, including systems that in the past were local and restricted to the corporate environment, with a consistent and evident list of advantages.