NetworkedPlanet

Our Approach

NetworkedPlanet's products are based on the creation of a Topic Map knowledge structure separate from the content store. The topic map structure is flexible enough to represent both domain knowledge and document classification schemes. Unlike a traditional relational database schema, however, the topic map knowledge structure is entirely data-driven, allowing an unparalleled degree of freedom to refine and update schemas without impacting existing applications.

Although separate from the resources, the topic map maintains links to the resources that relate to the subjects described in the topic map, effectively providing a map or index to the content. The relationships between knowledge items enable the navigation of knowledge-space independently of the content.

This knowledge structure can be used in many ways:

• Providing a high-level overview of a subject domain.
  The topic map can be browsed independently of the content, providing end-users with an overview of the subject domain and of the content available.
• Providing rich sets of relevant links for content.
  The indexing of a document can be used to select links to other related content by simple traversal of the knowledge structure. Related links are always up-to-date and, by making use of the richly typed associations in the topic map, it is also possible to show the end-user how a particular link relates to the currently displayed content.
• Integrate diverse data sources A topic map knowledge structure can act as the hub for data integration; providing applications and end-users with a single point of contact to find information from a wide range of enterprise data systems. This is covered in more detail in our paper on web-site architecture .
• Richer query support
  The topic map can be used to help guide and enrich site search. Possible applications include expansion of search criteria based on the knowledge structure; providing results sets with related links for further browsing; and providing suggested alternate search criteria.

Technologies

NetworkedPlanet's products are based on open standards to provide our customers with easy integration and migration paths.

Topic Maps

The ISO International Standard for Topic Maps is at the core of NetworkedPlanet's products. The Topic Maps standard defines a new paradigm for information organisation focussed on topics , which represent a subject of discussion; associations which provide typed relationships between topics; and occurrences which link a topic to content that is related to the topic.

Learn more about Topic Maps

Web Services

TMCore has been built from the ground up to support integration into a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) using XML Web Services. The toolkit comes complete with a high-level web service interface which supports topic map browsing, query and update.

Read more about NetworkedPlanet's Web Service API

Products And Services

TMCore Modules : Internet/Intranet Findability Components

The TMCore modules provide out-of-the-box tools for content classification and findability that integrate closely with web content management and workgroup collaboration systems.

• Directly/Seamlessly integrated into the content management system.
• Quickly create a working ontology and evolve ontology without affecting the application.
• Simple, ontology-driven classification of content items.
• Topic Map Search and navigation components allow fast and powerful access to relevant topics and content items.
• Topic Map classification goes across multiple sites.
• The Topic Map can be used to drive a both external portals with links into the content management system.

The current TMCore Modules are the SharePoint Module the EPiServer Module and the Sitecore Module .

TMCore : The .NET Toolkit for topic maps

• Complete .NET API allowing developers to use C#, C++ or VB.NET to access and manipulate the complete topic maps data model.
• Web Services API supporting topic map navigation, query and update.
• Supports development of AJAX applications through a complete set of XML-over-HTTP web service interfaces.
• Robust and scalable persistent storage.
• Supports topic map query through standard SQL.

Consultancy and Training

NetworkedPlanet offers high-quality consultancy and training in both our product suite and in the application of Topic Maps to the problems of information organisation and findability.

NetworkedPlanet News

Click on a link below for the full story. For older news, please see our archives.