Information fuels knowledge. In the Business world, knowledge is power. The Internet gives companies, potentially enormous power. But companies spend thousands of wasted hours sifting through useless web pages. This session will demonstrate how the latest technology can give businesses access to instant personalised data, revolutionising how businesses use the Internet.

• You will know how to eliminate ineffective searching of the web
• You will know how to save crucial hours finding the information you need
• You will know how to find industry specific information at the click of a · mouse
• You will know how to share knowledge within and between companies

11.45 - 12.30 Managing Software Heritage Methodically
Bodo Cramer, Manager for International Contacts, MID GmbH, Germany

The evolution of software development methods rushes through IT history like a hurricane: The remaining landscape forces state-of-the-art and legacy architectures to co-exist. System and application integration require techniques of seamless transitions between function-, data-, and object-oriented methods. Moreover, the boost in strategically importance of software development even demands a tight cooperation between business and IT management. This talk presents paths and dead ends, benefits and pitfalls of mapping techniques and round-trip engineering between Entity Relationship, Structured Analysis/Design, Object Oriented, and Business Process Models.

• Business - IT integration
• Hyperlinking software development methods
• Integration of and transition from legacy systems

2.00 - 3.00 Data Mining - True Confessions?
Nigel Gibson, Senior Consultant, CAP GEMINI ERNST & YOUNG

The importance of good data management practices needs to be emphasised in the application of sophisticated techniques to analysis of data. Without data and model traceability, the results of data mining studies can be worthless.

This presentation will cover:

• An overview of data mining
• Common data mining techniques used with business data (these include both analytical and visual data mining techniques)
• A description of the data sources and the methods used to transform data
• The approaches taken to data mining studies
• Integration of data mining algorithms with database technology

3.15 - 4.00 An Approach to Reusable Design, Reliable Code, and Adaptation to Eternal Change
Andras Hinsenkamp, Management Consultant

CONSIstency and compoNENT are the two basic dimensions of this methodology, which eliminates the majority of issues in large database applications caused by 'inappropriate design'. The consistency dimension defines database stability at the highest possible level, using an easy-to-understand visual language for describing business rules which can be compiled into a low level data definition / manipulation language (e.g. SQL). This way the code that is responsible for long term and high level database consistency is generated automatically from a clearly understandable formal definition, rather then manually by the developer according to discussions with the user. The generated code appears as a new tier in the IT architecture, called 'data guard'. Consinent also cares for time consistency (any future queries referring to the same time in the past should produce the same result) by distinguishing time-dependent and time-independent entities and relations. The component dimension describes how to split up large database applications into smaller independent modules, that one responsible person is capable to overview and control. The interface definitions also serve as system documentation.

4.00 - 4.45 Do You Believe in Everything They Say About XML
Ho-Chun Ho, Director of Information Services, PointandQuote.com

To explore the reality and current state of XML in e-commerce by examining a real-life case study of a start-up dot.com company. The presentation covers how internet e-commerce connects to business rules engineering and XML. XML is being integrated with both e-commerce and decision support analysis.

The topics covered include:

• Internal Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) via XML
• Advantages of using XML vs. traditional data management
• Challenges of Using XML
• Methodology of XML Design

Comments from past delegates:

"Outstanding conference. Topics were presented in a logical sequence. Thank goodness at last a well-planned conference."

"An excellent, well-conducted, intensive conference with some of the leading lights of the Meta Data industry."

"Exceeded my expectations - very worthwhile - very good speakers."