del.icio.usOntology
Model Futures takes a pragmatic approach to ontology. Our interest in the subject stems from the need to improve the way information is managed and shared in large enterprises. We see formal ontology as the best way to integrate complex data from multiple sources, and believe that ontology is an intrinsic enabler for Enterprise Architecture.
The subject of ontology in IT has tended to be dominated by the artificial intelligence community who build ontologies for the purpose of machine reasoning. Although this technology has it uses, the ontologies produced tend to be designed specifically for reasoning purposes. The type of ontology work Model Futures engages in is geared towards enterprise information integration. The ontologies we work on aim to be accurate models of business which are not skewed towards any particular purpose – i.e. they are viewpoint independent. In this way, they allow for information to be managed neutrally and so shared between parties without forcing each party to use a particular approach, process or application.
We developed a GeoPolitical Ontology Demonstrator for UK MOD in 2008, and this can be downloaded here
We work closely with 42 Objects and use the BORO Methodology as the basis for our Ontology service offering. We have worked on ontology projects with Shell, the UK MOD and the IDEAS Group.
