Using .tel domains to support knowledge management

The .tel domain seem to be a very good tool for construction of expert database serving both stationary and mobile devices. Additionally, TelFriends system facilitates to protect data and to provide access to data exclusively to persons authorised to it. One of the obvious advantages of .tel domains is a possibility of simple construction of structures reflecting the enterprise's or organisation's hierarchy.

Artur Kotwica
Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we
Wrocławiu Katedra Systemów
Sztucznej Inteligencji
Email: {Artur.kotwica@ue.wroc.pl}

Published in:

2012 Federated Proceedings of the Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (FedCSIS) pp. 1155–1158

Date of Conference: 9-12 Sept. 2012

ISBN 978-83-60810-51-4


I. INTRODUCTION

THE Internet has become a motor of development of con-
temporary economy. In more and more cases connec-
tions with the Internet are made with the use of mobile de-
vices, such as a mobile phone. As many as 1.6 million Poles
use mobile Internet and this number keeps growing [1]. The
increased importance of mobile devices has resulted in de-
velopment of products dedicated to these devices. The same
tendency can be observed as regards new application of In-
ternet domains.

II. COMMUNICATION IN KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Knowlege has immaterial character that is of strategic im-
portance to enterprises. According to I. Nonaka, creating
knowledge is a process of interaction between explicit
knowledge and tacit knowledge. These two types of knowl-
edge may transform, which can result in transfer of one type
of knowledge into the other. The Nonaka model focuses on
the four ways of converting knowledge (Fig. 1):

• Socialization,
• Externalization,
• Combination,
• Internalization.

Socialization refers to the process of sharing knowledge
between individuals. In this phase tacit knowledge is trans-
ferred from the sender to the recipient. Socialization should
not be perceived as verbalization of instructions (e.g. in writ-
ten form) but rather as common activity, such as being with
somebody, spending time together, living in the same envi-
ronment.

Externalization requires converting tacit knowledge to
such a form that is comprehended by others, thus transforma-
tion of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge takes place.
AT this stage, knowledge is directed from a single sender to
a group of recipients and the source becomes a member of
the group.

Combination is a process of conversion of tacit knowledge
into tacit but more complex knowledge. The key factors in
this process are as follows:

• communication,
• spreading process,
• systematization of knowledge.

Internalization is the last, fourth process in the knowledge
management model proposed by Nonaka. It is conversion of
created explicit knowledge into the organisation's tacit
knowledge. This stage requires identifying knowledge im-
portant to an individual, available within the organisation.

Permanent interaction taking place on four levels of con-
version of explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge results in
creation of the so-called spiral of knowledge being the basis
of creating and reconstructing knowledge in an organisation.

The process of knowledge management in an enterprise
worked out by G. Probst consists of six parts:

• localization of knowledge,
• acquisition of knowledge,
• development of knowledge,
• sharing knowledge and spreading it,
• making use of knowledge,
• storing knowledge.

The first process is closely connected with an audit of
knowledge, aimed to identify the sources of knowledge and
the places of its presence in an organisation, the one located
in documents and in minds of particular employees[2]. The
result of such an audit is a well-prepared knowledge map
presenting the taxonomy and directions of flow of streams of
knowledge in an organisation. Another method of localizing
internal knowledge is address books containing data about
experts working in the company and their competences.

An enterprise is able to acquire knowledge from external
sources by means of cooperating with other organisations,
employing new employees, purchasing licences or from in-
ternal sources, e.g. with the use of its own research.

Development of knowledge in an enterprise may take
place on the level of an individual and on the level of a
group. Then, a team working together every day is able to
elaborate group behaviours characterised by skills that none
of the group's members has. The interaction between the in-
dividual and the group is two-sided: the individual contrib-
utes to the enrichment of the group and the group stimulates
an individual's development by means of a feedback. In or-
der to include the knowledge of particular members of the
group in the collective knowledge development process,
communication, interaction, transparency and integration of
resources of knowledge must take place. Communication and
interaction determine about the possibility of confronting
ideas and experiences between departments; these are the
factors determining the organisation's collective intelligence.

The process of sharing and spreading knowledge is of key
importance in knowledge management. Effective distribution
of knowledge to persons or organisational units that need it
at a given time and in a given place is also the most difficult
challenge that an organisation has to face. A prerequisite is
the potential user's ability to localize knowledge. Owing to
its immaterial character, it is often possible to share and dis-
tribute knowledge exclusively through direct contact of two
or more persons.

The last but one stage of the knowledge management sys-
tem according to Probst is making use of knowledge. For this
purpose an enterprise should make the knowledge available
to the user. In order to do so, systems providing access to
knowledge must be easy to use, quick, compatible with other
systems and knowledge should be presented clearly and ex-
plicitly.

The last process is storing knowledge. The best and most
effective tool for storing data is a data base allowing to
quickly find required information. Despite complex systems
for data storing and exploring, knowledge as immaterial
goods is usually stored in the employees' minds; therefore
the best method of storing knowledge is to employ a person
possessing considerable knowledge.

In both knowledge management models referred to above
the key factors determining the success of an enterprise are
as follows:

• communication,
• localization of knowledge.

For effective communication it is essential to communi-
cate with the recipient, which requires localizing the recipi-
ent in the event of the sender initiating the connection or
identifying the sender when the communication is initiated
by the recipient.

In the knowledge localization process the knowledge map
is used, thanks to which it is possible to identify persons pos-
sessing required knowledge.

III. INNOVATIVENESS OF .TEL DOMAINS

Internet domains are one of the basics as regards develop-
ment of the Internet and e-market. The domain name consists
of several labels separated with dots. On the top of the hier-
archical domain name system there are top level domains
(TLD) which include:

• country-code TLD,
• generic TLD.

The first group refers to domain names representing par-
ticular countries, e.g. .pl - Poland, .de - Germany, .ru - Rus-
sia. These domains consist of not more than two characters.

The other group is generic LTD, e.g. .com, .net etc. The
number of domains belonging to ggTLD group constantly in-
creases with new names such as .aero, .name, .pro, or .mu-
seum. Below TLD there are secondary level domains - SLD.

What characterises .tel domains and distinguishes them
from earlier extensions from TLD group is a possibility to
place contact data directly in DNS system. This solution re-
leases individuals and entities using the domain from a ne-
cessity to possess and maintain a web server with the web-
site. Moreover, websites in .tel domains are optimised for
displaying in mobile devices. Telnic Inc., the owner of this
extension, is responsible for correct functioning of the sys-
tem and security of data.

.tel domains are used for publishing contact data, such as
phone number, fax number, website address, e-mail address,
Skype user name or profile name in social network services.

Since .tel domains store contact data directly on DNS
servers, server does not react to a a query about the domain
like in 'classical' domains to the address of the server of e.g.
website but sends contact data (Fig. 2).

When the address, e.g. kotwica.tel is entered, the connect-
ing device connects with DNS server administered by Telnic
(1). DNS server returns information that the domain's owner
decided to publish. These data are transferred to TelProxy,
software processing received information to the website in
case of PCs and text site in case of mobile devices. Detection
of the type of device connecting with domain kotwica.tel on
the basis of user agent allows to optimise the structure of re-
turned information and quick loading of the contents to the
given device (3).

Contact data presented in a mobile phone allow for direct
contact with an individual or an enterprise by means of e.g.
phone number published in the form of a link, thanks to
which it is not necessary to manually dial the number. Other
contact data are also published in the form of links, which
enables the user to connect the addressee with the use of
other devices, such as Skype.

Additionally to using dns records through TLD domains,
.tel domains also use NAPTR record by integrating it with
TXT and LOC record. This allows to publish phone num-
bers as links and to create hierarchical systems. Owing to
TXT record, all kinds text information, e.g. names, sur-
names, key words, e-mail addresses, etc. are displayed; LOC
record allows to publish data with regard to geographic loca-
tion. This function, based on Google maps, enables individu-
als and companies to precisely mark location.

IV. TELFRIENDS SYSTEMS

Basically, what is published on sites of .tel domains is
contact data, allowing to quickly connect with the domain's
owner. Owing to a possibility of editing data in a simple way
and of updating them quickly on the website, contact data are
not very sensitive to change, provided that they are regularly
updated by the domain's owner.

Each user has access to information as it is predefined as
public. However, the domain's owner may make sensitive
personal data available exclusively to persons authorised by
it, the so-called friends, with the use of TelFriends system.

TelFriends is a global, free system allowing to share and
have access to private data of the domain's owner. What
characterises this system is that it is common, free of charge
and there is no necessity to purchase .tel domain.

The owner of .tel domain can add to its account persons
that got activated in TelFriends system. Personalization of
profiles of added persons allows to make defined private in-
formation available to selected 'friends' without right of ac-
cess to private data intended for another group of 'friends'
(Fig. 3).

Thanks to mobile use of .tel domain, simplicity of use and
TelFriends system as well as the possibility of taxonomy, .tel
domain is perfect for construction of expert database system
served by mobile and stationary devices.

V. EXPERT DATABASE BASED ON .TEL DOMAIN

As regards the requirements of a person looking for an ex-
pert, expert database should be simple to use. The person us-
ing this tool needs to quickly find a person possessing re-
quired competences and information necessary for contact-
ing the expert. As regards the construction of expert data
base, its design should be based on taxonomy worked out at
an earlier stage.

In case of expert databases based on .tel domain, an enter-
prise may distinguish two groups of experts' contact data.
The first group includes public information to which all users
visiting a corporate site .tel have access. Apart from basic in-
formation such as the company, address, telephone number,
website or e-mail address, contact data of commonly avail-
able experts, e.g. persons responsible for contacts with the
client, should be published.

The other group of published contact data includes an en-
terprise's private information made available to the com-
pany's employees already registered in TelFriends system.
Moreover, by means of editing profiles of groups of 'friends'
of the corporate .tel domain, the enterprise is able to make
particular resources available only to selected employees,
thus providing security of experts' published personal data
(Fig. 4).

The above figure presents an example of information se-
curity with regard to experts. Employee 1 has no right of ac-
cess to information about experts contained in File 2, al-
though he belongs to the organisation. As regards employee
2, we deal with a similar situation. Employee 3, possessing a
larger scope of powers given by the administrator, is allowed
to look through contact data of experts contained in File 1
and 2. It should be emphasised that both stationary and mo-
bile devices may read experts' contact data.

What is more, . tel domains allow to construct transparent
structures according to predefined taxonomy (fig. 5).

The above structure is divided into two parts:

• public
• private.

Contact data contained in the public part are made avail-
able to all users, whereas private data are available exclu-
sively to the given enterprise's employees.

The structure of published expert database allows for
quick and easy contact with the expert one is looking for.
What facilitates work performed by the administrator of ex-
pert database is the possibility of assigning an expert's con-
tact data to several categories, e.g. contact to the manager of
the customer service department, although entered into the
system only once, is visible both in the customer service in
Wrocław and in the customer service in Gdańsk.

By creating a multi-level structure of expert database, an
enterprise can make data available to users of corporate .tel
domain. The search engine is available from the level of a
website on which contact data are published. Users of expert
database are able to search for an expert either by means of a
logical structure or by entering a key word. In the latter case,
the search engine will search the corporate .tel domain and
present conditions matching the required criterion.

VI. CONCLUSION

.tel domain seem to be a very good tool for construction of
expert database serving both stationary and mobile devices.
The base supports the combination process in I. Nonaka's
model and the knowledge localization process in G. Probst's
model. Additionally, TelFriends system facilitates to protect
data and to provide access to data exclusively to persons au-
thorised to it. One of the obvious advantages of .tel domains
is a possibility of simple construction of structures reflecting
the enterprise's or organisation's hierarchy. Another positive
feature as regards .tel domains is low cost of service and no
necessity to purchase or possess additional IT infrastructure.

Some of the drawbacks are the necessity to administer
published information by only one person and users' little
knowledge about .tel domains.

REFERENCES

[1] Nycz M. (ed.),Generowanie wiedzy dla przedsiębiorstwa. Metody i
techniki., Wydawnictwo AE we Wrocławiu, Wrocław 2004, p.78
[2] 2. http://www.pyton.pl/u_audytywiedzy.asp 2005-02-06
[3] 3. You Guide to .tel, https://tel.ovh.com/vfs/pdf/telguide_en.pdf,
2012-05-05
[4] 4.TelFriends Guide, http://telnic.org/downloads/telfriends_guide.pdf,
2012-05-05