Advancing Data Exchange Standards for Interoperable Enterprise Networks

Abstract

Recently, our interoperability research strategy delivered significant results by (1) adopting the ISO-approved Core Components Technical Specification (CCTS) meta-model as a basis for a new data exchange modeling framework and (2) developing Score, which is an innovative open-source, CCTS-based, data exchange standards modeling and life-cycle management tool. This strategy has been arguably very promising, as evidenced both by industry uptake of our research results. Moreover, there are additional possible capabilities that can contribute to even greater interoperability of enterprise systems. However, for the CCTS- or a similar meta-model-based modeling framework, and a newly enabled tool to have a full impact, new challenges need to be addressed. The paper discusses these challenges for the data exchange standards-based systems integrations, identifying the current state-of-the-art solutions and limitations. The paper also proposes future research directions and strategies to enable advanced capabilities by building on both the already successful and accepted technologies as well as new and emerging ones.