The Semantic Web: A Guide to the Future of XML, Web Services, and Knowledge Management

"The Semantic Web is an extension of the current Web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation."
—Tim Berners-Lee, Scientific American, May 2001

• This authoritative guide shows how the Semantic Web works technically and how businesses can utilize it to gain a competitive advantage
• Explains what taxonomies and ontologies are as well as their importance in constructing the Semantic Web
• Companion Web site includes further updates as the framework develops and links to related sites

A strategic guide to the revolutionary framework that will change the way you do business

Imagine if you could teach your computer to make decisions that lead to faster B2B trading implementations, more effective customer management, and seamless data warehousing. Now, your imagination can be turned into reality. This authoritative book explores the Semantic Web, a revolutionary new framework for creating intelligent software applications that automate the processes of reasoning and decision-making. The Semantic Web first shows you how to vastly improve knowledge management in your company using Semantic Web technologies. You’ll then gain a clear understanding of the building blocks of these technologies, including XML, Web services, and the Resource Description Framework (RDF).

Along the way, you’ll be taken through the process of building the Semantic Web at your company in order to achieve a significant return on investment.

This informative guide arms you with the strategies you’ll need to know in order to start creating a host of robust new business applications. Written by leading experts in the field, it:

• Explains how businesses can leverage the Semantic Web for competitive advantage
• Covers all aspects of current Web services, RDF, and XML-related technologies including the emerging Web ontology language (OWL)
• Examines taxonomies and describes how they are implemented using illustrative examples
• Discusses how to attain semantic interoperability using ontologies
• Describes how to design a knowledge-centric organization

The companion Web site contains source code for all listings in the book, a code appendix, and links to related sites.

MICHAEL C. DACONTA is the Chief Scientist of the Advanced Programs Group at McDonald Bradley, where he serves as the Chief Architect on the DOD’s Virtual Knowledge Base Project. He is the author of numerous programming books and a columnist for JavaWorld magazine and ZDNET.com.

DR. LEO J. OBRST is an Artificial Intelligence Scientist at the MITRE Corporation, where he leads the Information Semantics team, and is a key participating member of numerous Semantic Web standards.

KEVIN T. SMITH is a Principal Software Architect at McDonald Bradley, where he serves as Chief Security Architect on the DOD’s Virtual Knowledge Base Project. He is an author of several programming books and speaks at industry conferences.