Apparatus and method for categorizing services using canonical service descriptions

A computer program product in a non-transitory computer readable medium for registering services in a taxonomy, comprising:

• first instructions for receiving a registration request, the registration request including a service description and an identification of a category within the taxonomy in which the service is to be registered;
• second instructions for determining if the service description should be registered in the identified category based on a canonical service description associated with the category;
• third instructions for registering the service description in the identified category if the determination is that the service description should be registered in the identified category;
• and
• fourth instructions for determining whether a request to add a new category is received if it is determined that the service description should not be registered in the category.

An apparatus for registering services in a taxonomy, comprising:

• means for receiving a registration request, the registration request including a service description and an identification of a category within the taxonomy in which the service is to be registered;
• means for determining if the service description should be registered in the identified category based on a canonical service description associated with the category;
• means for registering the service description in the identified category if the determination is that the service description should be registered in the identified category;
• and
• means for determining whether a request to add a new category is received if it is determined that the service description should not be registered in the category.