Idealab’s New Idea: Intranets for Everyone
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Bill Gross’ Idealab has spawned more than two dozen Internet companies. But its newest offspring, to be announced today, is focused on intranets.
Intranets.com will let businesses, clubs and even families create private computer networks that reside on the Internet. After choosing an intranet address--such as https://www.mycompany.intranets.com--users can select their preferences for news feeds, stock quotes and other Web links. Then they can invite others to join their intranet by sending out e-mail and passwords. Intranet members will be able to share access to documents, phone lists, a calendar and announcements.
Intranets.com plans to make money by selling a strip of ads that will run along the right side of the screen and by earning a commission on all e-commerce transactions, said Chief Executive Steve Crummey. The Woburn, Mass.-based company hopes to negotiate group discounts for intranet members, he said.
More than 4,000 people have signed up for intranets since the company began accepting registrations at https://intranets.com three weeks ago, said Rick Faulk, vice president of marketing. Crummey expects Intranets.com to recoup its start-up costs of less than $5 million by the end of the year.
