In this time of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated extreme economic disruption we’re all experiencing, the imperative to move rapidly toward digital products and business models is becoming both clear and increasingly urgent.

In this time of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated extreme economic disruption we’re all experiencing, the imperative to move rapidly toward digital products and business models is becoming both clear and increasingly urgent.
From cloud computing and big data, to the Internet of Things and digital product delivery, the nature of IT has changed dramatically. As a result, today’s IT departments are under enormous pressure to help organizations remain competitive throughout the digitalization process. Traditionally, IT departments have not been built to focus on development, and are not yet agile enough to handle a business environment that must constantly adapt to an ever-evolving marketplace.
In this modern age, Digital Transformation continues to be a priority for company executives. They know that Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Internet of Things (IOT), and Big Data are driving their ability to improve customer experience, stay ahead of the competition and generate business growth. However, with IT teams entrenched in managing day-to-day technology, it is difficult for IT to stay abreast of the strategic discussions occurring at the business level and proactively plan for associated IT upgrades, modifications, or new systems. This disconnect can result in a lagging approach to IT planning especially as business decisions are made in fast-moving agile environments.
The Open Group, the vendor-neutral technology standards consortium, is hosting its upcoming event in Singapore, October 29 – November 1, 2018. The Open Group Singapore 2018 will bring together vendors and end user organizations to discuss the development of standards-based and interoperable architecture. The event will focus not only on emerging digital technologies, but also on the standards, architectures and business frameworks that support and enable the transition to and implementation of the modern Digital Enterprise.
Continuous learning and development – it’s a phrase that can either fill you with joy or fear. Why? Because we all know that the evolving technology landscape, driven by the advancement of AI, IoT, social media, mobile, andcloud technologies mean that our skills always need to be up to date. This is increasingly important as CIOs look to their internal teams to become experts on architecting for cloud environments and cutting through the market hyperbole. We are constantly asked to provide the frameworks, models, and maps that will work as part of a future forward EA strategy.
In two prior blogs, I described why “Enterprise Architecture As A Service” (EA As A Service) would be a good thing and what it might look like.
Why? Because a properly implemented service delivery model would put the emphasis in more appropriate places:
Production and use value versus EA as a deliverable
Timely value along the way versus at the end
Clear expectations versus vague promise
Support and enablement versus ivory tower compliance
What? A portfolio of services provided on demand in service categories:
Planning Services to scope based on need
Buy-in/collaboration Services to ensure the right people in the organization are engaged
Development Services to build the right parts of an EA at the right time
Management Services to ensure that the EA efforts delivers value consistently
Usage Services to derive value from the EA
Decision Support Services to support Portfolio Governance decisions