Honours Project: - Napier University

Gregory Huet
Honours Project
99034735 Dr. William Buchanan
6. Commercial Version
The commercial version of this project will include much more functionalities to give more
information to the user. The main idea will stay the same: Provide a system which connects
people with a same interest and allow them to work in a GroupWare framework. The main
improvement will reside in the implementation of a vortal linked to the database and to the
users’ interests. Moreover, the commercial version will allow users to connect to the system
via several kinds of platforms like PDA, Pocket PC, WAP phones, Handheld PC, etc.
6.1 Information Portal
6.1.1 Entreprise Information Portal
The enterprise information portal (EIP) is a concept for a Web site that serves as a single
gateway to a company's information and knowledge base for employees and possibly for
customers, business partners, and the general public as well. In one model, an EIP is made up
of these elements: access/search, categorisation, collaboration, personalisation, expertise and
profiling, application integration, and security.
• Access/search: itt allows a user to get all the information needed (but no more) in the
desired context. For example, a loan officer does not need marketing information to
approve a loan. An EIP makes sure the loan officer gets only the information needed.
• Categorisation: An EIP categorises all information so that it is delivered to the user
within the context needed (think of the subject structure on Yahoo)
• Collaboration: An EIP allows individuals to collaborate regardless of geographical
location.
• Personalisation: The information provided to individuals using an EIP is personalised
to that person’s role, preferences, and habits.
• Expertise and profiling: Expertise and profiling is essential for the collaboration
element of an EIP. Individuals within an enterprise are profiled according to their
experience and competencies. If an individual needs to collaborate with others, he can
choose those that are qualified for the project.
• Application integration: This allows individuals to deliver, access, and share
information regardless of applications used.
• Security: This provides information to users based on security clearance. The user
logs on and is given access only to information that the user is authorised to access.
6.1.2 Vortal (vertical industry portal)
On the Web, a vortal 34 is a Web site that provides a gateway or portal to information related to
a particular industry, such as health care, insurance, automobiles, or food manufacturing. A
vertical industry is one that is focused on a relatively narrow range of goods and services,
whereas a horizontal industry is one that aims to produce a wide range of goods and services.
Because most industry tends to specialise, most industry tends to be vertical. A term that
might also be used is interest community web site since any vertical industry brings together
people sharing an interest in buying, selling, or exchanging information about that particular
industry.
34 Vortal is also short for voice portal.
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