Efficient access to data, sharing data, extracting information from data, and making use of the information have become urgent needs for today's corporations. With so much data on the Web, managing it with conventional tools is becoming almost impossible. New tools and techniques are necessary to provide interoperability as well as warehousing between multiple data sources and systems, and to extract information from the databases. XML Databases and the Semantic Web focuses on critical and new Web technologies needed for organizations to carry out transactions on the Web, to understand how to use the Web effectively, and to exchange complex documents on the Web.

This reference for database administrators, database designers, and Web designers working in tandem with database technologists covers three emerging technologies of significant impact for electronic business: Extensible Markup Language (XML), semi-structured databases, and the semantic Web. The first two parts of the book explore these emerging technologies. The third part highlights the implications of these technologies for e-business. Overall, the book presents a comprehensive view of critical technologies for the Web in general and XML in particular.

The semantic Web, XML, and semi-structured databases are still relatively new technologies that integrate many other technologies. As these technologies and integration of these advances mature, we can expect to see progress in the semantic web. The information contained in XML Databases and the Semantic Web is essential to the future success of effective e-business on the Web.