Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
access. Navigation between portal sites can also provide a more
readily available body of data, which can be cross-linked and refer-
enced within any hierarchical structure appropriate to an organiza-
tion's needs.
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Authentication.
By leveraging a portal's built-in authentication
and access control systems, developers can create portal applica-
tions without having to create their own access control systems.
Many portals extend this authorization through a single sign-on
(SSO) system, automatically providing additional authentication
details to secondary data sources. This functionality allows por-
tals to aggregate information and access components from within
other authentication boundaries, improving the transparency of
data access and value as a single point of contact for all organiza-
tional functions.
Educational Portals
Portals may also include features such as user assessment and training
materials, leveraging the power of the portal to train users in its own use
or for other training purposes. Portals can serve as robust training envi-
ronments, including content presentation and user response coordination.
Many distance education solutions use portals to coordinate classroom
participation, discussion, and project management.
Business Intelligence
In addition to information aggregation, portals provide a mechanism for
knowledge management and collective decision making. Decision sup-
port systems, balanced scorecards, and other forms of information ana-
lytics can be presented as customized portal applications and coordinated
dashboards. By properly configuring thresholds, executives can see at a
glance whether their department is all green or whether there are urgent
issues requiring attention. Through item drill-down, a specific alert can
be rapidly identified and dealt with. Similarly, individual employees can
be alerted to new action items or projects that are nearing key milestones
using customized business intelligence elements. Because the uncontrolled
flood of information can rapidly become unmanageable, dashboards and
