Enterprise Architecture's Role in alligning Business and IT

BANGALORE, INDIA: The Open Group’s Enterprise Architecture Practitioner opened in Bangalore to a full house of business and technology leaders from various industries. Sameer Padhye, vice president, worldwide service provider line of business, customer advocacy, Cisco Systems, Inc., presented the keynote address at the commencement of the conference, on the topic ‘The Network as a Platform’.

Allen Brown, president and CEO, Open Group, introduced the key contributors an set the tone for the conference by speaking about the Open Group vision of Boundaryless Information Flow that seeks to break down the barriers within and between enterprises and how the Enterprise Architect is best equipped to take a ‘city planner’ view of the entire enterprise.

Simultaneously, Allen Brown also launched the Bangalore chapter of AOGEA (The Association of Open Group Enterprise Architects) that provides a forum for a professional association for certified Enterprise Architecture. Harikrishna S.Aravapalli of Infosys Technologies will chair the Bangalore AOGEA chapter.

Sameer Padhye, in his keynote address, dwelt on the network as a platform, with specified focus on Service-Oriented Network Architecture (SONA). He explained that this was essentially a different approach to building applications, so that they are more responsive to the business, and aligned to any business process. This also makes IT more efficient and cost-effective.

Ron Baillie of Cathay Pacific Airways spoke about managing change as a part of an enterprise architecture programme. He explained that given the long-term nature of an effective EA programme, the subtleties of many of the key concepts, and the short attention spans of most organizations stakeholders, it is vital for enterprise architects and EA programme drivers to understand and use the power of change management techniques to ensure the EA programnme delivers and maintains effective results.

The Open Group’s Enterprise Architecture Practitioner Conference is focusing on the business benefits of creating and sustaining successful and enterprise architecture ecosystems. Track sessions include case studies featuring Cathay Pacific Airways, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, QRS and Wipro Technologies.

The three key focus areas in parallel tracks include the business value service-oriented architecture (SOA) and an examination of such within the larger context of enterprise architecture, the value of TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework), and also on the increasing role of skills and experience based certification for enterprise architects and their employers in any business scenario.