What purpose does an extranet serve?

An extranet serves as a controlled network that facilitates communication and collaboration between a company and its external stakeholders, such as suppliers and customers. It extends a portion of the company's internal network to authorized users outside of the organization, enabling them to access specific company resources or information relevant to their interactions with the company. This allows for streamlined processes like order management, inventory updates, and collaborative projects, fostering a more integrated relationship.

The other options do not accurately reflect the purpose of an extranet. Providing public access to company resources pertains more to a public website, which is open to anyone, rather than a controlled environment. Optimizing internal communication relates to intranets, which are designed exclusively for internal use among employees. Protecting sensitive data is important in all network strategies, but the primary function of an extranet is to facilitate external interactions, not to protect or restrict internal data.