The Information Technology (IT) Vocabulary Builder series aims to deliver a very concise summary of a currently relevant topic to Information Professionals.  It is done mostly by collecting a small number of highly relevant web links to save you the time of combing through search results yourself.  It differs from sites such as Wikipedia because it includes opinions, forecasts, and detractions in addition to just facts.

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Today, I would like to discuss the term, Enterprise Architecture.  It means different things to different professions, people, and parties.  In the Information Technology context, It is essentially the design for your highest echelon of networking.  It includes functional, technological, systems based, and operational layouts for what your IT system is supposed to accomplish.

This is how Wikipedia defines it:

Enterprise architecture is the organizing logic for business processes and IT infrastructure reflecting the integration and standardization requirements of the firm’s operating model.

They continue with this very informative discussion point:

Enterprise architecture has become a key component of the information technology governance process in many organizations. These companies have implemented a formal enterprise architecture process as part of their IT management strategy. While this may imply that enterprise architecture is closely tied to IT, it should be viewed in the broader context of business optimization in that it addresses business architecture, performance management and process architecture as well as more technical subjects. Depending on the organization, enterprise architecture teams may also be responsible for some aspects of performance engineering, IT portfolio management and metadata management.

While the people who create Enterprise Architectures are actually systems engineers, every Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Information Technology Professional needs to understand these concepts enough to lay the groundwork.  In many smaller organizations, it will be the CIO who produces, maintains, and most importantly, justifies the Enterprise Architecture. 

Here are some recommended sites for further reading on this dynamic topic:

Like most design, architecture, coordination, and planning roles in the Information Technology profession, there are essentially two camps on this topic.  There are organizations who swear by the idea and extol the competitive advantages that come with it.  On the other hand, many question the return on investment (RIO) from these efforts and have a hard time quantifying its value. Regardless, all IT Pros need to be conversant on the topic.  Hopefully, this primer helps you.

Please share examples, case studies, ideas, and lessons learned from your involvement with Enterprise Architecture initiatives.

That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for November 11, 2009 ©Scott Coughlin.

Image Credit: Van Ness Feldman

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