Ontology-Based Modeling and Execution of Workflows for Virtual ISP

Most of the small ISPs are constrained to resell wholesale services of incumbent operators owning the access infrastructure. They are struggling to gain competitive advantages by lowering their pricing on typical services (e.g. e-mail, hosting) and by their capability to provide specific added-value services which are more difficult to offer by large entities. The production of tailored solutions targeted to local business needs is strongly facilitated by an appropriate conceptual and executable model of the ISP domain. Innovative technologies, like ontologies, web technologies and workflow technologies, network modeling and Directory Enabled Networks are combined to build a software platform that enables a cluster of SMEs to operate as a single business entity. The goal of this paper is to highlight the role of ontologies in the implementation and execution of the software platform.