By definition, a portal describes a browsing experience with an entry point that begins an internet user’s experience. It makes all types of information available to a particular user by passing through one point.
There are various types of portals on the internet these days. There are job portals intended for employees from a particular company. Then there are information portals intended for specialized audiences consuming certain information.
Finally, there are university portals designed for students and employees from a specific university. These customize tools and information to a user’s specific needs. Often, these tools have two basic functions. One is to make it easy for people affiliated with a specific university to look for information specifically targeted at them. The other is to enable the use of a single, consistent, web-based front that presents information from a variety of data sources. Basically, it enables university portal users to know where to locate the exact information they need instead of going to different websites to find it.
Most of the time, the use of university portals are restricted to its students and professors. Consequently, university portals normally require users to log in to ensure portal security. These university portals also contain specialized information. Therefore, these are not portals that are open to people outside of the university. The information that is found in university portals is tailor-made for students and professors. Moreover, university portals contain sensitive and private information, such as grades and assignments. This is why they are restricted to those who affiliated with the university.
