Role of Ontology in Semantic Web

The present generation of computers is changing from single isolated devices to entry points into a worldwide network of information exchange. Therefore, support in the exchange of data, information, and knowledge is becoming the key issue in computer technology today. The increasing volume of data available on the Web makes information retrieval a tedious and difficult task. Researchers are now exploring the possibility of creating a semantic Web, in which meaning is made explicit, allowing machines to process and integrate Web resources intelligently. The vision of the semantic Web introduces the next generation of the Web by establishing a layer of machine-understandable data. The success of the semantic Web crucially depends on the easy creation, integration and use of semantic data, which will depend on building an ontology. This paper states the role of ontology in supporting information exchange process, particulary with semantic Web.