REDMOND, Wash., July 19, 1999 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it will hold an open design review for gathering industry feedback on new metadata extensions that will enable a business to integrate its line-of-business, data warehousing, and knowledge management environments. Also today, the Meta Data Coalition (MDC) formally announced that the Open Information Model (OIM) has been accepted as the metadata standard.
In the past, businesses have been challenged to find and consolidate all the information needed for efficient decision-making. The proposed extensions to the OIM capture business knowledge such as goals, objectives, processes and rules, as well as terminology and categorizations, enabling the automated linkage between a wide variety of business information types. This linkage is needed for the creation of enterprise information portals or
“digital dashboards,”
which enable real-time decision-making by providing businesses with a single window into all their information.
“Microsoft has led the industry in the establishment of shared metadata models for data warehousing, benefiting both developers and corporate customers,”
said Douglas Leland, director of SQL Server TM marketing at Microsoft.
“These latest innovations provide technology that is fundamental to customers realizing the benefits of enterprise information portals.”
The OIM extensions are the result of extensive collaboration with industry partners and represent the first milestone in the effort initiated with the Meta Data Coalition in December 1998. The open design review period for the new model extensions begins today with the availability of preliminary specifications for the following three models:
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Knowledge description model. At the core of a knowledge portal lies the cataloging and categorization of information using a consistent vocabulary that reflects a business- or user-specific view. The knowledge description model allows a knowledge worker to retrieve information more easily by using business-standard terminology. It also supports the interchange of business concepts and terms between applications. The model was developed in cooperation with Computer Associates International Inc./PLATINUM technology inc., KPMG, LEXIS-NEXIS, News Edge, ICL Inc. and DWSoft Corp.
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Business engineering model. The goal of business modeling is to allow customers to develop for the first time a blueprint that depicts how a company operates in terms of processes and goals. The model was developed in cooperation with AppsCo Software Inc., Computer Associates International Inc./PLATINUM technology inc., IntelliCorp Inc., Micrografx Inc. and Visio Corp.
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Business rule model. A business rule is a statement that defines or governs the processes of a business. The business rule model allows metadata types to capture, classify and store business rules, thereby enabling interchange between rule-capturing tools, business process modeling environments and back ends such as workflow engines. The model was developed in cooperation with Longs Drug Stores, Visio Corp., Rule Machines Corp. and the members of the MDC Technical Committee.
This phase of the open design process is expected to conclude with an industry partner review in fall of 1999, where updated specifications, final input and early product demonstrations will be presented. Information about obtaining a copy of the specifications and providing feedback during the design review period is available through the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/repository/ or the Meta Data Coalition Web site at http://www.mdcinfo.com/ .
The Meta Data Coalition review of the technology-independent and vendor-neutral OIM metadata standard was initiated April 12 and concluded with a vote on July 15. The Meta Data Coalition OIM is based on technology developed by Microsoft together with more than 20
leading industry partners. Microsoft transferred the right to maintain and evolve the OIM to the Meta Data Coalition in December 1998. Microsoft provides the OIM as part of Microsoft® Repository, which ships in Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 and the Visual Studio® 6.0 development system.
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“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
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EDITORS’ NOTE, December 30, 2004
— This page has been revised since original publication.
