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PRESS RELEASE
Ontology.Org and CommerceNet Form Strategic Alliance
Success of XML for eCommerce Accelerated by Advanced Knowledge Representation Techniques
30 Sep, 1998 - Ontology.Org has formed a strategic alliance with CommerceNet, the premier industry
consortium for companies using, promoting and building electronic commerce solutions on the Internet.
The two organisations have jointly identified knowledge architecture as a central issue for the development
of next generation Internet commerce.
Ontology.Org, founded by Computer Sciences Corporation (NYSE:CSC) in May 1998,
is working with CommerceNet to address the formation and sustainability of large Internet trading groups.
Standardisation of business models, processes, and knowledge architecture is critical to achieving the
promised return on investment for Internet commerce.
Yet commercial practices vary widely and cannot always be aligned.
Howard Smith, Director of Ontology.Org and principal consultant within Computer Sciences Corporation's
global eBusiness practice says "One obvious solution is the adoption of common standards for content
and transactions, yet this is often difficult to achieve, particularly in a cross-industry initiative,
where companies co-operate and compete with one another."
Ontology.Org is establishing the foundational building blocks of Internet commerce where agreement can be reached, and the technical mechanisms that enable trading partners to dynamically form higher level commercial Internet agreements. In this way, Ontology.Org can enrich and accelerate the
standards process and provide complementary solutions, building on the existing body of research
results in knowledge sharing, agent based architecture and enterprise integration.
CommerceNet and Ontology.Org will study the incorporation of ontology to XML-based architectures,
in a range of research projects and industrial pilots. Results will be integrated with standardisation efforts.
Ontology.Org will work with CommerceNet in the following ways:
- Ontology.Org will act as a focal point on behalf of CommerceNet for ontology issues that arise in CommerceNet programmes.
- Ontology.Org will join the CommerceNet eCo Framework Project, to bring ontology and knowledge engineering expertise to the standardisation process.
- Ontology.Org will supply ontology-related services to CommerceNet members, including strategic knowledge engineering consulting and ontology development.
- Ontology.Org will work with CommerceNet to establish a global clearinghouse for ontologies that have direct or indirect implications to Internet commerce.
- Ontology.Org will work with CommerceNet to architect CommerceNet's eCommerce Registry Service, which will be a critical component of next generation Internet commerce.
Randall Whiting, President and CEO of CommerceNet comments,
"Ontology will become an increasingly important aspect of electronic commerce and has the potential of
dramatically expanding the ability of the Internet to enable and support new business models.
CommerceNet's relationship with Ontology.Org will provide an enormous resource for our members
to better understand the role of knowledge in interactive commercial relationships".
About Ontology.Org
Founded in May 1998 by Computer Sciences Corporation, Ontology.Org has established
a steering group of leading experts in the field of Ontology, XML and Internet commerce.
Kevin Poulter, CTO of Ontology.Org comments, "Many eCommerce initiatives are developing vocabularies and
taxonomies for interoperation.
The addition of semantics to the information exchanged between trading partners will enable greater
agility and flexibility in the business models possible and reduce the need for organisations to adopt
common infrastructure.
Spontaneous and organised commerce between trading partners becomes more viable."
Ontology is a word adopted by researchers in artificial intelligence and knowledge representation. It refers to the semantic information attached to vocabulary and taxonomy, forming the meaningful building blocks from which domain models can be constructed. Ontology.Org
is focussing upon ontologies that support the domain of Internet commerce.
Ontology.Org will be presenting at XML'98, November 15-18, Chicago.
About CommerceNet
CommerceNet is a non-profit industry association for companies promoting and building electronic commerce solutions on the Internet. Launched in April 1994 membership has grown to more than 500 companies and organizations world-wide. They include the leading banks, telecommunications companies, VANs, ISPs, online services, software and service companies, as well as end-users, working together to transform the Internet into a global electronic marketplace. CommerceNet can be contacted at Tel: 650-858-1930; Fax: 650-858-1936; URL: www.commerce.net.
Media Contact
Donna Perdue
Press Office
CSC Computer Sciences
279 Farnborough Road
Hampshire GU14 7LS
England
Tel: +44 (0)1252-363373
Email: dperdue1 at csc dot com
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