Us Topic Mappers know the power of the paradigm - we can envision how the generic data model of topics maps combined with its robust treatment of identity can be used as the basis for powerful information integration solutions. However, thus far most people have seen topic maps exposed as part of a web content management system or as part of a stand alone portal.

This however, was all part of a very cunning plan. For once people see the value topic maps can bring to web site navigation and general content findability they begin to realise and think about how this paradigm, these benefits, can be applied across more information systems. They realise that Topic Maps is not just about related content links, but it is about harmonising and contextualising the access to information. Information that is distributed and heterogenous in nature. Topic Maps with one CMS application is the thin end of the wedge, the value and benefits of using Topic Maps across an organisation, across applications increase exponentially.

There is an obvious value proposition for topic maps, it is the glue that binds information together. The value of a single piece of information is only as useful as the means for people to find and utilise it. Thus the value of a CMS or a Web CMS is fundamentally limited unless the mechanism by which users can find content is effective. Topic Maps, this semantic binding, adds meaning to information, provides context to access and enables a semantic layer that people can interact with before delving into the depths of one of many information repositories.

Let’s consider an example of how Topic Maps is the glue that binds information together. TMCore already integrates with SharePoint and EPiServer. One common problem is that people want to collaborate and create content in SharePoint but then hook it into the intranet or internet site that is published via EPiServer. In addition, they want to provide a unified Web Service for accessing all content to enable other systems to integrate.

TMCore and Topic Maps provide a topic based information glue that can hold this web of information together in a way that allows it to be exploited in many different applications and forms.

The basic metaphor is that there are two kinds of topics, there are concept topics, people, places, departments, skills, projects etc and there are content topics. Content topics are topics that are proxies for a document or piece of content in some content repository.

When content is created in any system that is hooked into the topic map technology a new topic is created. This topic is uniquely identified and can unambiguously locate, fetch or more commonly, address the piece of content that it represents.

When content is created or modified users or auto-classificaiton features can connect the topic that represents the content item to topics that are in the concept space (the people, projects, skills etc).

Now, in either EPiServer or SharePoint it is possible to query the topic map to find topics and content that are located nearby in the semantic space. The key thing here is that the amount of classification to achieve a high degree of interconnected topics is very low (4 or 5 connections between a content topic and concept topic is enough). All of this information can be rendered as clickable links that either display a page for another topic or can go directly to a content item stored in a content repository.

Furthermore, as all the binding information is in the topic map, it can be used to support the implementation of web services that provide unified access to all information is a given set of systems.

These are just a few ideas on how Topic Maps and TMCore can be used as way to deliver seamless enterprise information.