Plenary Sessions
 

Session 1: Mary Lee Kennedy, Director of the Knowledge Network Group, Microsoft
Monday, 29 September 2003, 10:30-12:00 Bay Auditorium

The Knowledge Network Group (KNG) at Microsoft Corporation is focused on connecting employees with the information and people they need to successfully do their jobs. This is achieved by leveraging the technology to deliver content, content tools, and access to people and what they know.

Information architecture plays a critical role in accomplishing the KNG mission. The presentation will cover how Microsoft employee information needs are being met by taxonomy and other information architecture elements. Near future developments will also be highlighted.

Session 2: Neil McLean, Director, IMS Australia
"Building Sustainable Metadata Infrastructure"
Wednesday, 1 October 2003, 10:30-11:30 Bay Auditorium

Metadata is now widely deployed to assist the management of digital content and to support a wide range of service domains.  Its adoption by a wide range of communities managing Web content is the good news.  However, a survey of sample current implementations reveals that much of this deployed metadata comes in a wide variety of syntaxes and bindings, reflecting a diversity of approaches to managing information. This presents a major challenge for information sharing.

 

This plenary presentation explores a range of current issues including the concept of interoperability, the use of application profiles and value-added metadata services, demands for maintenance and sustainability of infrastructure, together with some exploration of the next generation metadata infrastructure challenges with particular reference to the needs of learning communities.