For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

What Semantic Technology Means To Application Development Professionals

Semantic Technology Is Now Ready For Increased But Focused Use

by Dave West, October 2, 2009

Semantic technology has been incubating for the past 10 years, but most application development professionals view it with skepticism or outright distrust, believing that the dream of semantic technology is impractical in a time of stretched budgets and . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Data And Content Classification: Your Trusted Information Backbone

by Rob Karel, Leslie Owens, January 14, 2009

The information that powers your business — like a sales forecast or voice of the customer analysis — mixes data (such as inventory counts) and content (such as promotional strategies). Enterprises rarely store such data and content in the same place . . .

For Information & Knowledge Management Professionals

Topic Overview: Must-Read I&KM Research For An Economic Downturn

by Matthew Brown, Connie Moore, Rob Karel, October 29, 2008

Financial bailouts, downward consumer spending, and roller-coaster stock markets are starting to put pressure on information and knowledge management (I&KM) professionals. Will industry consolidation mean gut-wrenching systems consolidation? How will . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Information Server Takes IBM One Step Closer To Delivering Information-As-A-Service

by Rob Karel, Noel Yuhanna, December 28, 2006

Today, enterprise architects and information managers find it difficult to collaborate because metadata is not easily shared and synchronized across their tools and processes. Recently, IBM began to move toward a solution for this problem when it announced . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Web Services Specifications: Registry And Metadata

When To Use Which Registry, Metadata, And Resource Specifications

by Randy Heffner, December 28, 2006

Web services adoption continues, but it is taking a long time to work out all of the specifications and standards. According to data from recent Forrester surveys, UDDI has strong support among SOA infrastructure vendors but mixed support — and few current . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Metadata: What It Is And Why It's Important

Use Metadata In Your Own Software To Increase Agility

by Larry Fulton, October 4, 2006

Metadata is used to customize or even control the behavior of software systems outside of the software development cycle. Software vendors incorporate high levels of configurability into their systems to accommodate a broad range of customer needs. IT . . .

Getting Your Arms Around Metadata

by Rob Karel, July 11, 2006

In a world of siloed information systems, metadata has the potential to glue all the information together. Yet the term is so overused that the value metadata offers through more consistent information and processes — potentially leading to high-confidence . . .

IBM Accelerates Metadata Investments With Acquisition Of Unicorn Solutions

by Rob Karel, June 6, 2006

A mature metadata management tool kit is a must-have for IBM to realize its vision of building a single platform from the disparate information management technologies it has developed and acquired. With the purchase of Unicorn Solutions, a metadata management . . .

ILM's Next Challenge: The Metadata Wars

Why Storage And Application Vendors Will Fight To Control Metadata

by Galen Schreck, April 4, 2005

While metadata is not new, it has come to light as a critical element of automated information life-cycle management systems. Many products for archiving and content management create and use their own metadata today — but these databases must become . . .

Application Development Asset Management Tools Offer Unique Benefits For Reuse Initiatives

by Liz Barnett, January 20, 2005

The market for application development (AD) asset management tools — the new generation of repositories that support enterprise reuse of development assets — was close to $30 million in 2004, up from approximately $14 million in 2003. An AD asset management . . .

Single-Purpose Repositories Will Consolidate

Enabling Better Application Life-Cycle Management

by Liz Barnett, Phil Murphy, December 9, 2004

Application development (AD) managers are surrounded by single-purpose repositories that manage different metadata about components, models, and other project deliverables and, at the same time, effectively provide the same underlying data management . . .

Business Rules Are Metadata, and More

by Keith Gile, December 18, 2003

Look for the centrally managed business rules engine to evolve slowly during the next 24 months as business intelligence vendors react to performance management initiatives associated with clearly defined business processes.

Valuing Metadata: Costs, Benefits, Risks, Options

by Lou Agosta, Jon Erickson, March 20, 2003

Metadata is a powerful lever in improving development and operating efficiencies, i.e., working smarter. However, before proceeding with metadata initiatives, IT departments should take a realistic look at metadata costs and benefits, risks and options.

GigaTel Straw Poll: Metadata Treated Haphazardly

February 28, 2003

The results of a straw poll at a February 2003 GigaTel indicate that the overwhelming majority of participants understand the concept of metadata but use it haphazardly and inconsistently on a project-by-project or department-by-department basis.

The Metadata Grand Challenge: Metadata-Driven Design

February 25, 2003

When combined with enlightened data management practices and business acumen, metadata-driven design is making possible significant benefits in terms of reuse, productivity improvements, and reduced coordination costs.

Reveleus Revels in the Centralized Metadata Approach to Analytics

February 15, 2003

The Reveleus approach has merit; however, the list of reference customers is short. Reveleus may show it can deliver a viable solution within its own niche, but to grow it must apply the core technology to other, non-financial industry applications.

Flexible Data Warehousing: Metadata Options

February 4, 2003

The defining characteristic of an option (and metadata as an option) is that another investment — additional downstream work — must be made in order to exercise the flexibility that is represented by the option.

Challenges in Building an Infrastructure Metadata Repository

by Jean-Pierre Garbani, January 28, 2003

Creating an enterprise metadata reference center is best approached from the strategic and operational ends, in parallel, using tools and methodologies that will eventually bridge both approaches at the business process and application levels.

The Metadata Grand Challenge Continues: Defining Metadata

by Lou Agosta, January 23, 2003

Giga's short working definition of metadata is: a structure or framework — encompassing principles for coordinating commitments between systems — for defining and implementing interoperability between otherwise isolated, diverse computing systems.

Metadata Confronts Unstructured Data

by Lou Agosta, December 18, 2002

Progress with leveraging unstructured data for business intelligence purposes will finally occur when metadata is harnessed to structure the data for purposes of customer service, supply chain logistics and related business imperatives.

Introducing the Switzerland of Metadata ...

by Lou Agosta, December 10, 2002

Metadata is a computing grand challenge. Meeting and resolving a grand challenge requires redefining the limits of what is possible. Meta Integration Technology Inc. (MITI) is helping to redefine the limits of the possible in metadata interoperability.

Top Metadata Risks

by Lou Agosta, December 5, 2002

Risks to metadata include producing an idle wheel — documentation instead of actionable design knowledge, "slippery semantics," disabling impact analysis, mistaking a tool for the solution to a computing grand challenge, and expecting a quick fix.

Metadata Cost Drivers

by Lou Agosta, December 2, 2002

Metadata costs vary significantly, depending on such factors as the number, size and interrelations between and complexity of the databases being surveyed, along with the number, contents and complexity of applications and operational environment.

Metadata Benefits

by Lou Agosta, November 27, 2002

The benefits of metadata collection, application and management include a spectrum of advantages that extend from operational efficiencies in system design and construction, including reuse and impact analysis, to improved business and IT communication.

Metadata Market Drivers

by Lou Agosta, November 13, 2002

Metadata remains a key interoperability factors for integrating disparate applications and IT systems. In spite of the demise of CASE tools and the supplanting of mainframe repositories, IT organziations require usable, manageable metadata.