Currently, computers are changing from single, isolated devices into entry points to a worldwide network of information exchange and business transactions called the World Wide Web (WWW). However, the success of the WWW has made it increasingly difficult to find, access, present, and maintain the information required by a wide variety of users. In response to this problem, many new research initiatives and commercial enterprises have been set up to enrich available information with machine processable semantics. This semantic web will provide intelligent access to heterogeneous, distributed information, enabling software products (agents) to mediate between user needs and the information sources available.
In the talk we describe some application areas of this new technology. We focus on ongoing work in knowledge management and electronic commerce. We also take an outlook on semantic web-enabled web services which will help to bring the semantic web to its full potential.