Ontology and ECommerce

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Ontology and ECommerce

• Jacques Sincennes
• 2004 03 11

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Basics

• Clients seek goods services
• Producers offer goods services
• Ontology links requests offers

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Advantages

• Unambiguous
• Accurate
• Expandable
• Machine processable

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Definition by Ontology

• Boat gt vessel gt craft gt vehicle gt conveyance gt
  instrumentality gt artifact gt object gt entity
• Motorboat gt boat gt vessel gt craft gt vehicle gt
  conveyance gt instrumentality gt artifact gt object
  gt entity
• Speedboat gt motorboat gt boat gt vessel gt craft gt
  vehicle gt conveyance gt instrumentality gt artifact
  gt object gt entity

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Searches by Ontology

• Exact match
• client looks for motorboat
• producer makes motorboat
• Over-specified request
• client looks for motorboat
• producer makes boat
• Under-specified request
• client looks for motorboat
• producer makes speedboat

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Customizable

• Searches and matches can be tailored to the
  clients preferences by
• filtering out undesired results
• sorting matches by order of relevance
• e.g. exact, under-specified, over-specified
• allowing refinements by means of
  characterization, e.g.
• attributes (color, size)
• content (skis)