Press Room

Describing and managing data products consistently across platforms

BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 – Today, Object Management Group® (OMG®) published the Data Products Ontology proposed specification (DPROD) for public comment. We invite comments from any interested parties on this specification, which OMG has proposed for standardization via our “Request for Comments” process.

The Data Products Ontology (DPROD) specification addresses the need for standardized methods to describe and manage data products consistently across platforms. The value of data lies in its diverse applications, from enhancing operational processes to providing valuable insights and supporting the training and advancement of artificial intelligence. However, with this recognition comes the challenge of consistently managing and distributing data across various platforms, both within and outside the enterprise. Traditional data management methods often lead to inconsistent metadata, limited discoverability, and interoperability issues that hinder data integration from various sources. As data ecosystems grow, these challenges multiply, impeding scalability and increasing vendor lock-in.

The DPROD specification offers a standardized schema to describe data products, ensuring they are both discoverable and interoperable across multiple Data Marketplaces and treated with the same level of accountability as traditional products, allowing organizations to unlock the full potential of their data in a controlled and mature way. DPROD is built on the W3C technology stack and extends the Data Catalog (DCAT) Vocabulary. It enables consistent terminology across different platforms, domains, and organizations, enabling users to semantically enrich their data products and connect them into distributed enterprise knowledge graphs (EKGs), offering a robust framework for creating machine-readable and human-understandable metadata. These leverage the metadata to automatically put all the appropriate controls for entitlements, lineage, and other compliance-related controls.

The OMG aims to publish unique, timely standards that provide business value. We are particularly interested in comments regarding the suitability, usability, timeliness, and uniqueness of this specification. Please let us know if you are aware of any other publicly available standard that covers the same requirements or if you are aware of any commercial or industry issues regarding this specification as currently proposed. This is part of our due diligence toward advancing this specification to become a formal international standard.

Anyone can respond to this request for public comments via the form at https://www.omg.org/technology/rfc-form.htm.

Comments must be received by November 11, 2024. All public comments will be reviewed when the OMG meets in December and considered before we progress into the “Finalization” process to adopt this as a formal OMG specification. Minor comments will be addressed during Finalization.

You can view all the deliverables that make up this specification on our Public Schedule page under “Pending Requests for Comments” or read the specification document itself directly here.

About OMG
When tech organizations, governments, and academia must solve discrete pieces of a technology puzzle or discuss matters of common interest, they often seek to join or form a consortium. Since 1989, Object Management Group® (OMG®) has created and nurtured a productive community with common technology interests and problems to resolve. OMG communities include Augmented Reality Enterprise Alliance (AREA), Consortium for Information and Software Quality™ (CISQ™), Digital Twin Consortium® (DTC) and OMG Standards Development Organization (SDO®). OMG is global, not-for-profit, and vendor-neutral. Visit www.omg.org for more information.

Note to editors: Object Management Group and OMG are registered trademarks of the Object Management Group. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.