The Artist Formerly Known as Enterprise Architect

Is the role of EA evolving?

At the Enterprise Architecture Forum 2011 in San Francisco Forrester Research VP Gene Leganza asked, “Enterprise Architecture In The Year 2020: Strategic Nexus or Oblivion?” The role of the EA has always been nebulous.  “What do you do?”,  is one my least favorite questions in the world.  Good EAs must skilly combine business acumen, technology knowledge, risk management, process, excellent communication skills and alchemy to align technology resources to whatever will be needed to meet the future competitive goals of the business.

It is so important for EAs to be aligned with the business that a new trend is emmerging.  4% of enterprise architects report to a business executive, a chief operating officer, or chief executive officer, for example. 43% report to the CIO and 12% report to the CTO, Leganza said. The 4% is a new development.

Business decision makers are increasingly driving technology decisions and they need advisors. It is a logical move, but definitely introduces some messiness in the organizational hierarchy. Leganza suggested that EA role may split by 2020 into a technology architect and a business architect. While I can understand the thought process I think it is dangerous. EA that only business aligned or only technology aligned are simply not as valuable due to their biases.

Information Week explored this evolution in the EA role  in more detail.

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Is Big Data a Big Problem for Data Warehousing?

Will big data be the death of data warehousing?

Gigabytes and terabytes are now small potatoes. We measure big data in petabytes.  Our smart phones, tablets, highway sensors, physician visits and social media interactions will drive the creation of more data in the next few years than have been created in the entire history of humanity.  Big data is becoming so disruptive, it is prompting some to question, “Will big data be the death of the data warehouse?”

Stating that data is growing rapidly feels too quaint.  IDC predicts that in the next decade the amount of data will grow 44-fold.  Data is getting [insert your favorite expletive] huge!  Yeah, that feels better. Data is spilling out of IT departments enticing the business to slice it, dice it and wrap it in a bow.  Although the possible insights this new data provides are exciting, the exponential proliferation is challenging traditional data management practices like data warehousing. Read more on TechAxcess.

Is There Room for RIMO in the Cloud?

Recent industry analysis suggests that demand for remote infrastructure management outsourcing, RIMO, is increasing. Driven by aggressive budgets and growing technology demands, leaders are finding newer, more efficient ways to operate.  RIMO is a multi-billion dollar market; and, the growth is expected to continue. However, optimism about the RIMO market is not universal.  Read more of my latest article on Nearshore Americas.

The Cloud Can Improve Security

Contrary to popular perception, the cloud can make security better.

Security is rarely listed as a benefit of the cloud.  In fact, we are frequently warned that the cloud is a scary place.  Countless articles caution about all of the things that can go wrong; entire conferences are dedicated to the topic. Some concern is understandable and warranted.  Public clouds introduce unique security challenges, but a slightly deeper examination reveals that many of security challenges aren’t cloud specific. They are the same old security problems that organizations were aware of, and possibly failed to address, in on-premise platforms and processes.

Read more of my latest article at TechAxcess.

Sitecore and Lionbridge Join to Address Globalization

Globalization is expected to be one the biggest influence on technology direction for next few years. Sitecore and Lionbridge must have gotten the message. The firms have annouced a partnership to integrate the Sitecore Content Management System (CMS) technology with Lionbridge’s Freeway translation technology platform. Sitecore’s software automates the manual process of content translation with Lionbridge’s online translation service delivery platform. Lionbridge’s language solutions will be available from within Sitecore’s CMS and fully integrated with the Content Editor to form a seamless translation workflow that dramatically streamlines the entire global content lifecycle. Read more about the new integrated solution in the press release.

Critical Questions to Ask Before Developing a Social Media Policy

In the last few years, social media expanded beyond the boundaries of LOLs and texting teens into the hallowed walls of corporate America. Organizations are leveraging social media externally as a marketing tool to solidify their brand and internally for collaboration. The possibilities are tempting. However, organizations taking advantage of these possibilities should incorporate guidelines for the management and use of social media into their governance, HR and other corporate policies as quickly as possible to avoid introducing organizational risk.

Analysis firm extroidinaire, Gartner, recently published seven critical questions organizations should ask before designing a social media policy. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Organizations Opening the Door to Open Source

Increasingly, open source is becoming an important part of the corporate software portfolio.

A recent Gartner study is confirming what many of us have long known – open source software (OSS) rocks. Enticed by promises of flexibility, innovation, lower cost and faster acquisition times, companies are increasingly adopting open source solutions to support their business processes. OSS is becoming pervasive. The benefits are compelling, but nothing in life is free, and despite popular perception, that includes open source software.

Read more of my article on TechAxcess…