Semantic Interoperability

at work
 Interoperability
“The ability of two or more systems or
components to exchange information
and to use the information that has
been exchanged”

Source: IEEE Standard Computer Dictionary

 “Interoperability” at work
• Standards or “standards-based” protocols
• “Basic” suite of software tools
• “Stable” system architecture
• “Common” technical framework
• “Core” set of services
• “Interoperating” applications
• “Complementary” products
• “Shared” business processes
• A “generic” framework for data exchange
 eCommerce Architectures: examples
Conceptual Frameworks: REA Meta model, UMM

General Frameworks: Biztalk Framework, Building Blocks, ebXML Technical Architecture,

FIPA, eCo Framework Specification, IMPRIMATUR Business Model, STEP, Java EC Framework,
J2EE Framework, MPEG-21, OMG eCommerce Domain Specifications, Open-edi Reference
Model (ISO 14662), SPIRIT, TOGAF

Trading Models: Ad Hoc Functional and Process Models, Global Commerce Initiative & Protocol,
cXL, Internet Open Trading Protocol (IOTP), Open Applications Group Integration Specification,
Open Buying on the Internet (OBI), OBI Express, RosettaNet, Secure Electronic Market Place
for Europe (SEMPER)

Payment Models: Electronic Payment Technologies, Secure Electronic Transaction (SET)

TC 224 Report on 'Card-related secure commercial and financial transactions

Security Models: eEurope Smart Card Charter’s Global Interoperability Framework, PKIX

Mobile commerce Models: OMA (MeT)

Web Services Architectures: Various

 Views
Organisational Value model,
Competence, Relations

Requirements Processes, Applications

Functional Building Blocks

Technology Hardware, Software,

IT Services
 Example of a holistic
perspective on interoperability

Source: FP5/IST IDEAS, FP6/IST ATHENA IP

 Semantics
• Semantic interoperability
– Exchange of the meaning of data between
applications
• Semantic Web
– Specification of a formal semantics by expressing
propositions using formal vocabularies and
management of distributed across the Web
• Semantic Technologies
– Supporting models, methods and techniques in
relation to the above
Examples of semantics & techniques
for modelling/defining data
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) ITIFF Reference Model of an Electronic Tourism Market (ITIFF
RM)

ebXML Core Components Open Applications Group Integration Specification (OAGIS) – data
definitions

ECCMA Open Technical Dictionary (eOTD) RosettaNet Technical and Business Dictionaries (RNTD)
eCl@ss UCC.EAN (Uniform Code Council / EAN International) Idnetifiers
EPCglobal Electronc Product Code (EPC) UN/CEFACT's Modelling Methodology (UMM)

ISO 10303: Product Data Representation and Exchange (STEP) UN/EDIFACT Directories
ISO 11179: Specification and Standardization of Data Elements UN/LOCODE (UN/ECE Recommendation No. 16)

ISO 13584: Parts Library (P-Lib) UN/Trade Data Elements Directory (UNTDED / ISO 7372)

ISO 15531: Manufacturing management data exchange Unified Modeling Language (UML)
(MANDATE)

ISO 15926: Integration of life-cycle data for oil and gas production United Nations Product and Services Classification (UNSPSC)
facilities (POSC/CAESAR)

ISO 15944: Business agreement semantic descriptive techniques Universal Business Language (UBL)

ISO 18629: Process Specification Language (PSL) Universal Data Element Framework (UDEF)

ISO 18876: Integration of Industrial Data for Exchange, Access and XML Common Business Library (xCBL)
Sharing (IIDEAS)

ISO Basic Semantic Register (BSR) – Semantic Components and

Semantic Units
 Examples of general purpose
metadata specification
Metadata Description
Directory Interchange Format (DIF) A de facto standard used to create ASCII directory entries which
describe a set of data, originated from NASA.

Dublin Core Metadata for Resource Discovery Description of resources available via the Internet and similar networks.

IEC 80245: Document Management/ Management data (metadata) for Description of a document throughout its life cycle.
technical documents

ISO 6523: Structures for the identification of organizations Creation of data sets relating to organisations.

ISO 11179: Specification and Standardization of Data Elements Standard for describing data elements used in databases and
documents. Also has considerable attention in the eBusiness
environment.

ISO 13250: Topic Maps Associating semantics with networked resources. It is an application of
HyTime.

ISO 15398: Multimedia Content Description Interface (MPEG-7) Description of multimedia data, particularly data coded using the MPEG
range of standards.

ISO 21000: Multimedia Framework (MPEG-21) Identification and management of objects within multimedia
presentations.

Open Information Model (OIM) Modelling of metadata, originated from the Metadata Coalition.

Resource Description Framework (RDF) Description of network resources, originated from W3C.

Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images (Z39.87) Description of the technical quality of images.

XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) Exchange of data defined using the OMG UML and MOF specifications.
 Semantics: one community,
many disciplines?
• EDI & eBusiness
• Enterprise architectures & integration
• Publishing, libraries & museums
• Scientific, technical & medical (STM)
• Semantic Web
• Grid Computing & Semantic Grid
• eGovernment
 Heterogeneity everywhere…
• Infrastructures
• Skills
• Languages
• Regulations
• Cultural & societal
• Institutions & bureaucracy
• Legacies
• Risks & confidence
• Time
• (Thinly divided) Funds
 Examples of
eProcurement Systems/Solutions
• Electronic notification system
• Electronic catalogues
• Electronic supplier networks
• Electronic procurer networks
• EDI communities
• Electronic retailers
• On-line auctions
• Reversed auctions
• Procurer clubs
• Infomediaries
 Good Practice Exchange
EU level Framework
Description Assessment Transfer Good Practice
Template Criteria Tools Labels

Cases Database

Partner sites Events

eGovernment: Value Proposition

Government Individual

Cost Tax Payer

Service
Provider
Quality Consumer

Governance
Legislator & Citizen &
Regulator Voter
Accountability