For those in the enterprise community who want to incorporate semantic technologies, we are excited to introduce to you the release of Open SEAS by Structured Dynamics. Open SEAS nails the fundamental requirement of the semantic web, which is to establish a coherent interoperable layer across your information assets. It is now part of an open source community named MIKE2.0, an integrated knowledge project with a methodology of defining ways to deliver your information management projects, thus allowing you to be part of a 2000+ members group free to expand its capabilities. Open SEAS adopts the layered semantic enterprise thoughts of MIKE2.0 and is based on the Seven Pillars of Open Semantic Enterprise. There are many more features and a detailed overview at the AI3Blog maintained by Mike Bergman.

In 1990, Boeing and Dassault Systemes created a virtual workspace for designing the 777 aircraft. Over 10,000 people could all use the same space to design a virtual airplane using virtual parts and sub-assemblies. Today, the next generation of that system is online, helping them build and test the 787 airplane before building them. Each part is created and installed in the virtual plane, which they can test for vibration, heat, air flow, weight balance, and flight characteristics. In fact, they built the simulator and “flew” the virtual airplane years before building the first one.

In chapter 9 of my book, I wrote a scenario about a future home, which is designed, approved, constructed, marketed, and operated all in the same virtual space online. The information for the home never moves. People come in and use tools and rules to do what they need to do, and the virtual home controls what happens in the real home every step of the way.

I’ve been dreaming about this for ten years. I believe I’m in the right place at the right time to bring this shift to all design disciplines:

• Architecture
• Landscaping
• Interior design
• Transportation design
• Product design
• Industrial design
• Film production
• Graphic design
• Exhibit design

This approach is vastly different from what we do today, which is little more than an electronic version of our 19th century drafting methods. Today, we have desktop applications that mimic our drafting tables and drawing tools. We send documents back and forth. We use “the cloud” to hold documents. That’s not collaboration, that’s storage. We’re still working alone on our big applications, and the applications require lots of resources and maintenance to stay working. Just last week I installed Flash CS4 and it can’t see two of my fonts. Unfortunately, one of these fonts, made by Adobe, is one I really would like to use. I’ve spent a lot of time with tech support and they have no idea how to fix my problem. We spend hours and hours dealing with application issues, system issues, back-ups, version problems, and re-doing work others have done.

We now have what we need to do things right. We have broadband connections and a scalable cloud-based infrastructure for running applications online. What we’re missing are the standards and the solutions to bring these environments to life. My goal is to make a new online platform for designers, one that replaces the “paper” all applications use with an online workspace that has everything needed in one place. In my dream:

• You start with the requirements and build everything in a single place, so the early sketches become the final finished product and the data never ever moves.
  
• All contractors and participants can create virtual elements that plug in to create “what if”?, competitions, or multiple-bid situations.
  
• The final design becomes a production environment, driving what happens in the real world.
• The final data is used for distribution.
• The final data can be used for marketing and sales.
• The final data is then transfered to the new owner.
• The space then transitions to ownership, operation, and maintenance (Product Lifetime Management).
• All the rules and constraints will be semantic.
• All documents, constraints, and requirements apply semantically.
• Actors, parts, assemblies, elements, and structures snap into place and recognize their environments.
• Applications come in as needed. Applications typically do small jobs and are assembled ad-hoc to meet the current needs of the project.
• Employees and contractors come to the space as needed. They are given permission to do their work and their permissions are managed.
• All stakeholders can see the project and participate in decisionmaking as needed.
• You can run the project forward to see how it looks or performs.
• You can run the project in reverse or back to the beginning to review any elements or pursue a new avenue of design.
  
• You can mine the project to retrieve records or answer questions.
• The data formats are open and royalty-free, governed by nonprofits, not corporations.
  
• As much as possible is on the web. As little as possible is stored on local machines or in deep databases. The goal is that all of this runs inside a (future) browser.
  
• The project should hook to all other related systems: vendors, suppliers, contractors, regulators, government, lenders, users, and their guests.
• Markets should make elements, parts, and apps available for rent and purchase.

It’s a big vision, one that will need a lot of people to buy in. That’s my job. I’ll explain how I want to go about it next time. For now, learn about the Dassault Systemes and other projects that are already doing this on private networks:

Dassault Systemes videos
Article on Dassault and Boeing
The BuildingSmart Alliance
IBM’s Smarter Cities initiative

Do you know of other good examples? Leave them in the comments!

NetBase, a start up firm in the Semantic Search space has raised a third round of funding worth $9 million. NetBase is a company which lets you gain structured insights into the vast amount of data from blogs, news stories, articles and even status updates. NetBase plans to utilize this fund for serving several other markets in marketing and business development initiatives. Read the announcement at paidContent.org and learn more about NetBase’s capabilities at NetBase.com.

Scott Cook - one of the great innovators of our time.

In November, I went to TED India, which I truly enjoyed. While I was there, I met Scott Cook, chairman of Intiut, a company he founded. He is also on the boards of eBay and Proctor and Gamble. Scott is one of my Silicon Valley heroes. I was thrilled to meet him. I told him about the semantic web, and his reaction was the normal one – “Oh, the thing Berners Lee talks about but never arrives?” I said well, if you think about it, XBRL, the business reporting language, is actually a big part of the semantic web.” He said “Ahah, that makes sense.” He understands business reporting, and he’s heard enough about XBRL to understand how it might be seen as part of the semantic web. I mentioned a few other areas of progress, and he nodded with interest. Then I said, “And once we have our information online, in online data lockers, the semantic web will wipe out the Mac or Windows operating systems, because everything will be on the cloud, and the web will be the platform for all the applications.” And then Scott Cook, a man I’d love to spend more time with and whom I would really like to read my book, all of a sudden saw someone he knew and excused himself from our conversation.

It was my fault. Scott, more than anyone, knows that you have to let people do what they are doing today, only angle it a bit toward the digital future they need but are afraid of. He’s a master of studying behavior. I learned then and there that I have to stop talking about “wiping out” anything and talk about enhancing what we have today.

My book appeals to change agents – people who get excited about doing things better. After reading it, you may want to start with some kind of project to make your company more effective. Here are some examples:

• Your intranet has terrabytes of information, but you don’t know where things are or how to extract the information.
• You have to start collaborating with others in your industry and need a pilot project that proves the value of building a semantic web of data to help.
• You are spending far too much on IT, with very little to show for it.
• You’re doing project management with Microsoft products.
• Your product catalog people spend most of their time redoing work others have done before, putting the same information into your proprietary formats over and over.
• Your company sends out 500 packages per day and is being held hostage by UPS.
• Your company really should have a roadmap to the semantic web, but no one is interested.
• You want to help eliminate the IRS and go to a tax policy that makes more sense than taxing income.

The problem is that while you’re thinking about the future, many people in your company, especially upper management, may be in survival mode. You want to be on a new curve of innovation, and they are terrified of falling off the curve they are on now. If you tell them about the bright future and how much money you can save using the principles of pull and the semantic web, you’ll be lucky if their eyes gloss over. You’ll be unlucky if you find yourself looking for another job. So to help you get started, here are some tips:

People don’t want to hear a story of revolution. It’s too scary. They might have to rethink their roles in the company. They think of risk, not opportunity. This was driven home for me when I read a great little book called Believe Me, by Michael Margolis. He’s right. You’ll slit your own throat if you jump too far ahead.

People want to hear a continuity story. Go to any of today’s automated car factories and you’ll see robots everywhere. But they didn’t just show up after hiring Harry Potter as a consultant. They evolved, so that each year looks a lot like last year, but with a few new programs and several new improvements. You must think who you are pitching to and how to get them to take the next small step.

Don’t show the big picture. You’ll be surprised at how few people want your grand vision of the future. President Kennedy got away with it a few times, but even Barack Obama is finding that his vision is getting in the way of making progress. Sell the small picture. Sell each step of the way, one at a time. Show results after just a few steps.

Gather your allies. Find a core group of like-minded people who can help. Make sure they read my book.

Measure success. You’ll have to find metrics that show how well (or poorly) your program is working. First, measure the dysfunctionality, then plan to measure success in a way that shows everyone that if you can achieve a certain milestone, you can keep innovating.

Talk with some people who’ve been there already. Talk with Dave McComb at Semantic Arts. Talk with the people at Zepheira. Get Mills Davis’s Project10x report. Look at their client lists and contact them to ask how things have gone. Talk with others in your industry. Read some case studies. Find a semantic-web meetup in your community. Get suggestions from people with experience before going to the rest of your team.

Plan to attend the big semantic-technology conference in June. The annual semantic-technology conference will be in San Francisco, June 21-25. Bring your core group and plan to learn as much as you can. I’ll be keynoting.

Plan to give a presentation at your next industry conference. Semantic technology works when everyone uses the same standards. It doesn’t work if you just do it in-house and don’t share. Get other people involved. Find the progressive people working for your competitors and meet them for lunch. There is a lot you can do together, and you’ll all be more profitable as a result.

Read something inspiring and pass it on. Here’s Laurent Liscia’s story of how standards evolve. It’s great. Also, be sure to see and tell people about the excellent STI video made by the EU. If your company has people in Europe, talk with them – they may be ahead of your North American colleagues. And don’t forget – just to your left are tons of blogs and resources to help you learn more and educate others. Join me on Twitter (@pullnews) and keep up to date.

Remember – take small steps and focus on the next measurable result. Even though we would all like to be on a new curve of innovation, the semantic web hasn’t reached the point where people understand it, let alone think it will help your company. You have to sell, and that means taking their concerns into account. Eventually, they will thank you for getting things started early, but don’t be surprised if you have to wait a few years for it to happen.

Here’s a question. Suppose you are the nation’s chief economic advisor, and your boss (Barack Obama) doesn’t understand the FairTax, which would eliminate the IRS. How could you tell a continuity story to him, to get him to listen to your idea? I’m interested in your responses, because I think we’ll need to do something like that to get enough legislators and government people behind the FairTax.

If you have comments or tips for others, please leave them here. If you have a case study, please contact me. If you’ve read my book, I encourage you to leave comments at Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com.

Image via Wikipedia

We have just learned from blogger Priyank Mohan that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with several prominent semantic companies to launch ViewChange.org, a semantic-powered hub for charities to build communities and share inspiring stories. The site will launch in June, but be sure to see this exciting video by Danny Glover explaining the project and how you can help now.