Extranet is the extension for corporate portal that allows for company to establish and maintain confidential communication channels with suppliers, vendors, distributors or other external users without accessing their internal corporate data. Extranet is especially designed web area used by company employees for an effective cooperation with authorized users from other companies.
Description
Modules is distributed within «Bitrix24 Self-hosted». Starting from
April 1st, 2023
Bitrix24 editions, purchased before this date the number of external users in the Extranet module is not limited and doesn't depend on the Bitrix24 license type.
the number of external users depends on Bitrix24 edition and on the number of employees (regular users). For example, "Business – 50" provides 50 regular and extranet users in total.
The Extranet module allows for external and regular users to work together on joint objectives. In terms of technical implementation, module functionality is realized as one more site within «Bitrix24 Self-hosted», but with limited access (see the lesson Module installation and extranet site configuration).
The Extranet module feature serves, in essence, as superstructure for Social Network and Intranet modules, granting specific permissions to content and features of corporate portal.
Both company employees and external users have access limitations. When a user is not an employee, after being authorized, this user will be forwarded to the extranet site. For employees, not included to the group Extranet users, the option to view the extranet site is disabled (see the lesson Extranet user access permissions).
Extranet site feature is a little bit different from corporate portal site features. Main tool to work with extranet is the workgroup. In addition to that, extranet has users Visible to all in Extranet.
Portal administrator will have access to extranet when this user is also included into Extranet users group. New Extranet site administrators user group is created automatically to administer the Extranet module. This group governs all actions described in this article.
Workgroups
The main tool for working with the extranet site is the workgroup. Workgroup within the extranet has practically the same features as the corporate portal group, but with several differences:
extranet group is visible to its members only;
has updated procedure for confirming a new workgroup member due to invited external user is not an employee and doesn't have access to corporate portal.
Both extranet workgroups and portal groups are associated to topics. That's why the system must have created workgroup topics. You can find more details on creating new workgroup topics in this Group topic management lesson.