The Internet, Intranets, and Extranets - Principles of Information Systems - page 297

Figure 7.17
Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint provides a
Web portal for sharing documents
and information between
organization members.
(Source: Courtesy of Microsoft
Corporation.)
Internet Sites in Three Dimensions
Some Web sites offer three-dimensional views of places and products. For example, a 3-D
Internet auto showroom allows people to select different views of a car, simulating the ex-
perience of walking around in a real auto showroom. (See Figure 7.18.) When looking at a
3-D real estate site on the Web, people can tour the property, go into different rooms, look
at the kitchen appliances, and even take a virtual walk in the garden. Map Web sites and
Internet-powered software like Windows Live Search and Google Earth provide views of
cities and locations in a 3-D environment. 34 Second Life provides an entire 3-D virtual world
for users to explore using avatars—characters within the world. 35 36
Figure 7.18
3-D Honda Hybrid
3-D graphics technologies allow
consumers to examine
merchandise from all angles.
(Source: American Honda Web site,
www.honda.com.)
Other Internet Services and Applications
Other Internet services are constantly emerging. A vast amount of information is available
over the Internet from libraries. Many articles that served as the basis of the sidebars, cases,
and examples used throughout this topic were obtained from university libraries online.
Movies can be ordered and even delivered over the Internet. The Internet can provide critical
information during times of disaster or terrorism. During a medical emergency, critical