Modeling and management of information supporting functional dimension of Collaborative Networks

Fluent creation of opportunity-based short-term Collaborative Networks (CNs) among organizations or individuals requires the availability of a variety of up-to-date information. A pre-established properly administrated strategic-alliance Collaborative Network (CN) can act as the breeding environment for creation/operation of opportunity-based CNs, and effectively addressing the complexity, dynamism, and scalability of their actors and domains. Administration of these environments however requires effective set of functionalities, founded on top of strong information management. The paper introduces main challenges of CNs and their management of information, and focuses on the Virtual organizations Breeding Environment (VBE), which represents a specific form of strategic-alliances. It then focuses on the needed functionalities for effective administration/management of VBEs, and exemplifies information management challenges for three of their subsystems handling the Ontology, the profiles and competencies, and the rational trust.