Information Management Meets the Semantic Web

Abstract : Finding the right information at the right time and in the right format becomes increasingly difficult as more information from myriad producers is made available to increasingly diverse communities of information consumers. The development of approaches to effectively manage this information and facilitate automated processing will help to address the challenges of a burgeoning information environment. Approaches to help overcome these challenges continue to emerge. This paper considers the convergence of enabling technologies from two information sharing approaches - the Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) and the Semantic Web. The JBI facilitates and manages information sharing between producers and consumers, while the Semantic Web defines the semantics of the universe of web-based information. This paper examines the interplay of the JBI, as an example of an information management infrastructure, and the Semantic Web. We examine several facets of information management that will benefit from the Semantic Web as well as identify issues addressed by information management that will need to be addressed for mission-critical application of the Semantic Web. Finally, this paper discusses fundamental differences between the JBI and the Semantic Web that emanate from their current application contexts. We conclude with an overall perspective on their relationship and highlight areas of future research.