Topic Maps is a new
ISO standard (ISO/IEC 13250) designed for structuring large information pools.
Topic Maps are the GPS of the information universe. They offer dynamic access
to the information base. Classified navigation paths provide an easy and
intuitive way to explore the pool. Topic Maps bring related information
together as associations – the way humans think. Querying a Topic Map does not
lead to raw information objects, but to a presentation of the
"knowledge" about the requested topic.
Thus Topic Maps are the solution for the mass problems of the information age.
They offer extreme power and flexibility on the one hand, and sufficiently
well-defined semantics on the other. Topic Maps generate new business models
and have many applications ranging from publishing (commercial, corporate) to
portals and enterprise knowledge management.