The Emperor's New Clothes: Redressing Digital Business Ecosystem Design

While digital business ecosystem is emerging as a paradigm in next generation of system development and business servicing models, the design goal has not changed. The aim is still about achieving interoperability - the convergence of ICT integration, business processes and human interaction into an optimised model for not just digitalising enterprises' business servicing but maximising competitive advantage. Business researchers, such as Hill, Prahalad, Hamel, Miller, Eisenstat and Foote, are recognising the importance of using enterprise architecture methodologies in bringing together people, process and ICT resources and their capabilities to create core competencies for strategic advantage. In light of this recognition, there is value in incorporating EA governance in DBE development. Another value add to DBE development is using emerging ontology methodologies in defining DBE knowledge structures. Ontology is the study and conceptualisation of domain knowledge based on agreements of formal methods and product frameworks. In DBE development, ontology methodologies can be used to foster social and technology semantic knowledge sharing in DBE project management and SDLC workflows, and DBE product designs through using open standards in DBE data modelling. One such ontology methodology that fulfils these two role requirements is the MSPM ontology methodology, a Curtin University research product nearing completion. The MSPM ontology methodology can be potentially extended and exploited for future DBE research and development.