Deploying Semantic Web Solutions: I’ve Built an Ontology, Now What?

While W3C Semantic Web standards specify core technical underpinnings of semantic web technology, they do not address key deployment issues that arise from requirements and concerns such as scalability, versioning, ownership and legacy integration. We will outline core challenges that reflect the state-of-the-art in applying semantic web technology to develop enterprise solutions. Finding effective resolutions to these issues is essential to successful enterprise deployments. To that end, we will frame some of the options and tradeoffs for addressing common solution deployment challenges given the current maturity state of available products.

These choices have significant implications on the ontology modeling approaches, architectural design and technology configurations of the solution. Drawing on our experience in a number of large scale implementations, we will present promising architectural patterns and discuss their applicability in different business and technical contexts.

Ms. Polikoff has over 20 years of experience in business application development and deployment, consulting, software development and strategic planning. Since co-founding TopQuadrant in 2001 Irene has been involved in more than a dozen projects, both with government and with commercial organizations. She has written strategy papers, trained customers on the use of the Semantic Web standards, developed ontology models, designed solution architectures and defined deployment processes and guidance. With the evolution of TopQuadrant from a technology consultant to a technology provider, Irene has been playing an active role in requirements and design of TopQuadrant's Semantic Solution Platform - TopBraid Suite.

Before starting TopQuadrant Irene was a Principal in the national Knowledge, Content Management and Portals Practice in IBM Global Services. Prior to that she was a Senior Development Manager and a Project Executive for IBM worldwide consultant's tools and methods.At TopQuadrant, Irene consults with clients on Semantics-based Enterprise Architecture, Ontology Development and Design and Architecture of Semantic Web solutions.

Prior to IBM, Ms. Polikoff held IT management positions at Fortune 500 companies where she was responsible for development and deployment of enterprise-wide mission critical information systems. Irene has a background in Operations Research and a strong interest in technologies for software innovation. She is co-author of a recently published book on software requirements and architecture - "Capability Cases: Solution Envisioning Approach".

Dean Allemang, Chief Technology Consultant at TopQuadrant Inc. is a frequent speaker at semantic technology conferences. He brings to this talk over 10 years experience working with customers on implementic solutions based on ontologies with the last 5 years of his work focused on using the Semantic Web Standards. Dean is serving his fourth term as the ISWC Industrial Track (recently renamed "In Use" track) chair. Dean is currently writing a book with Jim Hendler on Semantic Modeling using RDFS and OWL.