Welcome_to_RIM - proposed addition

[Werner.Joerg@ieminc.com]

Welcome_to_RIM - proposed insert in section 4, after 1st paragraph.

-----------

Reviewing common or similar constructs from EDXL and other standards, the RIM team identifies common abstractions and organizes them into structures with least possible overlap. Ideally such structures are orthogonal, especially at the lower levels of abstraction where they are intended to form a consistent axiomatic foundation; at higher levels however, best practice and usability may call for less strict orthogonality. The semantics and mutual relationships of concepts defined over such a foundation can be captured formally, e.g. as OWL documents using a tool like Protg, to provide a formal context for automatic reasoning. This approach yields two major immediate benefits - shorter standard development cycle through re-use of proven concepts, and machine assisted consistency proof of standards. In the longer run, RIM sets the stage for a new family of semantic driven tools, to assist the development of reference architectures or reference implementations, and to guide validation or certification of implementations.

--------------