Objects
ZONAR Corporation recognizes that the information content in existing applications is already being used
successfully throughout the enterprise. Why must it be forced to fit yet another arbitrary standard in order to be shared? In our I3 Technology we've proven that it doesn't.
At the core of ZONAR's I3 technology is the Information Object, which encapsulates complete information content into a standard XML package. An Information Object is not required to fit into a standard layout. As long as it contains the information necessary to accomplish its business purpose, the I3 technology will match the content of the Information Object to each of the applications in which it is used. This processing is based on knowledge of the meaning of the elements in the Object and how they relate to other elements in Information Space -- not their data format.
Information Objects contain information in its most useful, fully defined form. This allows I3 technology to produce
the same kinds of derivative information as a human could. Some derivations are accomplished through element substitutions and mathematic transforms while others require processing by agents that are expert in a specific Information
Object. Using Information Objects and I3 technology, the value of information is maximized ... throughout the enterprise and beyond.
An Information Object is constructed by applying standard XML generation logic to existing computer
data. The arbitrary tags generated by the computer are replaced by I3 tags which convey the same context as the original application, but allow a complete understanding of their meaning through reference to the I3 Semantic Repository. Arbitrarily coded values are also replaced by I3 tags and data values that convey their actual meaning. Finally, the information elements are
normalized and assembled into a hierarchy of smaller Information Objects that provide a more useful representation of the information content. Through this process, data is transformed into information. What was initially a set of
data fields becomes a Purchase Order, an Invoice, or a Job Application, and is recognized as such by applications throughout the enterprise. While the original data content of an Information Object is fixed, the ability to extract
value from the information content is virtually limitless.