Business context information manager: An approach to improve information systems

Abstract

In this paper we present a business context information manager based on a novel and generic interpretation of the context. This manager takes into account various contextual dimensions and acts as an intermediary between information system and contextual information. First, we discuss how the manager creates a snapshot of the context that is provided to the information system for different purposes. Then, we introduce a process (MES) that manages the various contextual dimensions using a rule set to create a unique situation at a moment t. These rules are part of the knowledge hold by the context manager. The situation inference is particularly related to the interactions between contextual dimensions. Thus the knowledge can evolve owing to an extracting and learning process which improves the context manager reliability. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.