planning a modern it architecture
TRANSCRIPT
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KEYPOINTS
ArchitecturalplanningistightlycoupledwithdigitaltransformationAs companies transform into digital organizations, they arenot only adding new technology, but also building newstructure and processes. Overall business operations arechanging, and the goal of enterprise architecture planning isto start with corporate goals and move backwards to theoptimal technology solution. This is not just an IT activity,but it gives IT a new role to play within the organization.
Long-termplanningwillbeanewexerciseformostfirmsOnly 34% of firms claim to currently build IT architecturestrategies beyond a 12-month window. Although the paceof technology is increasing, it is still difficult to consider far-reaching changes to an IT environment without a broaderhorizon. Companies cite need for improvement across allfour functional areas of IT, and one of the primary benefitsof architectural planning is the ability to prioritizeinvestments across different areas.
PLANNINGAMODERNITARCHITECTURE
August2017
RESEARCHREPORT
Thepracticeofenterprisearchitectureplanningisusuallyfoundonlyinthelargestorganizationsandgovernmentagencies.ThecomplexityofmassiveITeffortsisoftenaddressedwithequallycomplexplanningstrategies,andsmallerbusinessesdonothavetheresourcesortheappetiteforsuchheavyinvestments.
Today,though,thecriticalnatureoftechnologyandradicallynewmodelsforITdeliveryaremakingarchitecturalplanninganecessity.Justasabusinessplanisrequiredtochartthefutureofacompany,anITarchitectureplanisrequiredtobuildsuccessinadigitaleconomy.
CloudcomputinghighlightsaneedforplanningInitial adoption of cloud computing typically involves theuse of a SaaS application or migration of an existingsystem into cloud infrastructure. While these activitiespresent some significant challenges, they are still relativelysimple compared to a full transformation into a cloud-firstoperation. The top challenge for companies as they utilizecloud solutions is integration with existing systems,showing that in-depth planning is needed to maximize thebenefits of a cloud strategy.
The need for planning will grow with IoTMost companies are in the early stages of adoption withInternet of Things, with few companies actively startingIoT initiatives and most waiting on the sidelines while theybuild knowledge around the technology. However, it isclear even in these early days that IoT typically starts froma business objective rather than an existing IT practice.This focus on corporate goals along with the broad rangeof technology needed for a full IoT implementationcreates a compelling case for strategic planning.
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FourLeadingEAPMethodologies
Zachman: The Zachman Framework for EnterpriseArchitectures is best understood as a taxonomy,describing components of an enterprise architecturerather than providing a planning process. Across sixarchitectural focal points and six primarystakeholders, the Zachman Framework defines thecomponents and outputs of an IT architecture.
TOGAF: The EAP efforts of the DoD led to theTechnical Architecture Framework for InformationManagement (TAFIM). In 1998, TAFIM was retired bythe DoD and handed to The Open Group, whichdeveloped The Open Group Architectural Framework(TOGAF). The key part of TOGAF is the ArchitectureDevelopment Method (ADM), which defines aprocess for specifying architecture based onbusiness input.
FEA: In 1996, a council of governmental CIOs wascreated in response to the Clinger-Cohen Act, whichmandated that federal agencies improve ITeffectiveness. This council created a frameworkwhich eventually became the Federal EnterpriseArchitecture (FEA) under the Office of Managementand Budget (OMB). FEA is focused on the U.S.government, but the taxonomy and process can alsobe applied to private companies.
Gartner: As a result of growing private sectorinterest, Gartner acquired The Meta Group in 2005in an attempt to build EAP expertise. The end resultof this acquisition was not a specific taxonomy orprocedure, but best practices that were folded intoGartner’s overall consultative approach. With a focuson business outcomes, Gartner’s methodology isperhaps the most practical but also contains fewexplicit steps or components.
ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE BACKGROUNDThroughout the relatively short history of informationtechnology, there have already been three distinct stages inthe evolution of business usage and behavior. The first stagewas defined by mainframes, where IT systems performedisolated functions and were available to very fewcompanies. In the second stage, diversity of back endcomponents combined with the introduction of front enddevices to create a more complex situation, and thediscipline of enterprise architecture planning (EAP) wasborn.
The origins of EAP can be traced to a 1987 article written byJ.A. Zachman for IBM Systems Journal. The title of the articlewas “A Framework for Information Systems Architecture,”and the motivation behind the piece was Zachman’s beliefthat managing the complexity of IT systems had become abusiness imperative. As IT architecture expanded andorganizations became more dependent on technology, asystematic approach was needed to ensure productivity.
The first major adopter of a Zachman-inspired approach wasthe U.S. government. Starting with the Department ofDefense and eventually spreading to other agencies, theU.S. government recognized the potential benefits inasserting a standardized methodology for building andplanning IT architecture. The private sector also startedshowing interest in EAP, and various methodologies werebuilt in an attempt to codify this new space.
The problem was that the methodologies themselves werealso fairly complex. The only organizations willing to investin complicated architectural planning were those able tobenefit from optimizing massive systems (and those thathad the resources to tackle such a project).
That brings us to the present. The third stage of IT evolutionis built on cloud computing and mobile devices, andcompanies of all shapes and sizes are facing new realitiesaround both tactical and strategic IT. The importance ofdigital operations and the availability of new models makesfuture planning a more critical activity.
Most companies will not necessarily embrace EAP as it hasbeen defined over the past three decades. Formaldefinitions and rigorous processes will still prove tooonerous or resource-intense, especially at the SMB level.However, the general concepts underlying EAP should find amore receptive audience. While EAP may evoke thoughts ofhigh-priced consultant teams driving multi-year projects, thepractice of aligning business objectives with technicalinfrastructure is one that many companies can improve asthey go through digital transformation.
This study looks at the current state of enterprisearchitecture planning, whether that planning is doneformally or informally. What steps are companies taking tobuild for the future? What hurdles are standing in the way?How are cloud computing and Internet of Things impactingarchitectures? There are many questions facing companiesas they integrate technology throughout the organization,and the firms that succeed will be the ones that proactivelyanswer these questions with solid planning efforts.
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13%
31%
43%
11%2%
Cuttingedge
Uppertier Inthemiddle
Lowertier Nearthebottom
Self-AssessmentofTechnologyMindset/Practices
GUIDING PRINCIPLES BEHIND EAPThe overarching premise behind enterprise architectureplanning is the same as that behind digital transformation:the needs of the business are the starting point. Neitheractivity is primarily about technology. Instead, businessobjectives drive focused, collaborative decisions aroundcorporate systems.
This represents a huge shift in the role of IT. Rather thanbeing primarily tactical, supporting the business units whichdrive the corporate mission, IT now operates in a strategiccapacity, helping select and implement the technology thatwill best enable the business to meet its goals.
As such, the overall mindset and practices aroundtechnology begin to grow more aggressive. Currently,companies self-assess their technology behavior along atraditional bell curve. This assessment has remainedconsistent throughout CompTIA’s research in recent years.Moving forward, though, the dependence on technology forbusiness success will force more intentional practices.
How exactly do firms move towards the cutting edge? Itturns out there is a strong correlation between technologymindset and business needs acting as a driver. Among firmswith more advanced technology utilization, 52% say thatsenior leadership which supports and funds technologyinitiatives is a key part of the advanced approach. On theother hand, among firms with less advanced technologyutilization, 44% say that insufficient spending on technologyinitiatives (driven from budgets set at executive levels) isholding them back from a stronger approach. In bothsituations, the vision/support/budget set by leadership isthe primary factor in setting the mindset.
As much as firms are moving towards a business-drivenapproach to technology, there is still work to do on creatingenvironments that are truly collaborative. When consideringthose individuals responsible for planning IT architecture,42% of companies cite the CIO or head of IT, and 31% ofcompanies cite the CEO or owner. From there, things dropdramatically. Only 19% of companies cite the CFO or head offinance, and just 8% of companies cite the CMO or head ofmarketing.
For IT professionals or IT solution providers, the challenge inbuilding consensus around architecture planning is twofold.First, they must ensure that discussions start with businessneeds. Technical workers must understand the ultimategoals; “We need a new communication tool” could mean“We need to enable remote workers” or it could mean “Weneed to connect internal activities with customer inter-actions.” The IT department may suggest different steps to afinal solution based on the objective.
Second, collaboration throughout the organization mustextend to a basic understanding of the architecture.CompTIA’s Considering the New IT Buyer study explored theincreasing technical activity among lines of business. Theactivity is growing as familiarity with SaaS products andother endpoint solutions rises, but it is also limited asbusiness units do not have deep architectural expertise. Asbusiness needs drive technology decisions, that influencemust drive all the way down to the interconnected systemsthat form the comprehensive IT environment.FURTHER READING
FURTHER READING
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THECURRENTSTATEOFITPLANNINGThe amount of IT architecture planning being done varieswidely from company to company. Around three-fourths ofall businesses perform some amount of planning, thoughless than half of this group is looking beyond the currentfiscal year. As expected, small firms (1-99 employees) arethe least likely to engage in planning activity, with 41% ofthese firms doing no planning at all compared to 20% ofmedium-sized firms (100-499 employees) and 12% of largefirms (500+ employees).
instead of focusing on technology that actively enhances thework done by the end user and the experience ofprogressing through a workflow, these companies are simplylooking for tools that make end users more productive. Thisin itself is not a bad goal, but it is not as advanced as buildingan architecture around user experience.
Finally, 47% of firms surveyed favor a data-centric approachto planning. Not only is this model more advanced than acomponent-centric approach, but it also fits better withlong-range planning. Fifty-one percent of firms that doannual planning and 54% of firms that do multi-yearplanning center their efforts around the data flowingthrough the company.
Regardless of where companies focus their planning efforts,most report that improvement is needed across the entire ITarchitecture. CompTIA’s Functional IT Framework reportdescribed this architecture in four parts: Infrastructure(primarily consisting of hardware administration and techsupport), Development (driving customization and auto-mation with software), Data (moving past data managementto analysis and visualization), and Security (adding processesand education to technical defenses).
Across all types of informal and formal architectureplanning, there are different viewpoints on the focal pointsof the efforts. The least common approach centers aroundthe components of an IT architecture, with 22% ofcompanies favoring this method. While most long-rangeplans may focus on other areas, there is still room to bemore strategic with components: 30% of firms only replacecomponents when they reach end of life by breaking orexpiring, and 40% of firms replace components wheneverthey discover a better option. Few firms proactively planreplacement of components, suggesting a lack of proactivework in exploring new infrastructure options.
The second most popular approach to architecture planningis a user-centric model. In general, end users are becomingmore of a focal point in the technology landscape. CompTIAhas previously noted how the end user experience is adefining characteristic in the cloud/mobile era of computing.However, the segment of companies indicating a user-centric architectural approach was dominated by thosefirms that performed no formal planning. It is likely thatinstead
11%23%
41%
25%
TypesofITArchitecturePlanning
NoformalITarchitectureplanning
ITarchitectureplanningonannualbasis
ITarchitectureplansbuiltfor2-3yearperiodsaroundspecificprojects
FURTHER READING
LongtermITarchitectureplans
builtaroundbusinessgoals
48%37% 36% 36%
15%
16% 15% 12%
Infrastructure Development Data Security
ImprovementNeededAcrossKeyITAreas
Significantimprovementneeded
Moderateimprovementneeded
With changes needed across all functional areas, broaderplanning strategies are growing more common. The topaction businesses plan on taking in the coming year toaddress IT deficiencies is to build a long-term plan, cited by36% of firms. These plans can help guide other more discreteactions, such as investment in new components or training/hiring to close skill gaps. Large firms are the most likely toconsider any of these actions thanks to their breadth ofresources, but long-term planning is still a top choice formedium-sized firms and small companies. FURTHER READING
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BUILDING THE CASE FOR PLANNINGAs technology takes more and more of a strategic flavor, ITprofessionals and solution providers must provide morebusiness justification for tech investments. With an initiativeas complex and far-reaching as architectural planning, therationale must be exhaustive, carefully weighing benefitsand challenges to ensure value for the organization.
Of course, building a plan is not without challenges.Naturally, many companies feel that they lack the budget forany substantial investment, rendering planning discussionsmoot. As companies go through digital transformation, theywill likely have to re-evaluate the size and structure of theirtechnology budgets.
Whether companies pursue formal planning efforts orinformally assemble their IT architecture, they reportseveral benefits in a structured approach. First andforemost, holistic planning helps achieve the goal that manybusinesses are striving for in their digital transformations:better collaboration between IT and business units. Byconnecting the construction of IT architecture to the overallcorporate objectives, both technical teams and functionallines of business can be better informed about the optionsavailable and the tradeoffs involved when selecting devices,applications, or operational models.
The next two benefits go hand in hand. As technologybudgets have spread beyond IT departments into businessunits, it has become more difficult to collectively prioritizetechnology investments. There are myriad options available,and without an overarching plan, piecemeal tech solutionscan lead to a sprawling, unmanageable environment.Architectural planning can provide a venue for investmentdiscussions and also ensure that individual investments fitinto both the existing architecture and the future state (ifthat future state is defined).
All of these activities lead to a comprehensive process forthe way that a business evaluates and procures technology.Most businesses are moving away from pure rogue IT,where business units have complete independence to selecttechnology for their department. For various reasons, suchas security and integration, the IT team continues to beinvolved in these discussions, and architectural planning canbe the platform that enables collaboration.
Benefits ofArchitecturalPlanningAllowscollaborationbetweenITandbusinessunits 36%
Abilitytoprioritizeinvestments 36%Easiertoevaluate existingarchitectureagainstlong-termgoals 35%
Establishesprocessfortechnologyevaluation/procurement 33%
GivescomprehensiveviewofITarchitecturetoallbusinessunits 24%
Providesframeworkforbenchmarkingagainst otherorganizationsorstandards 31%
HurdlestoArchitecturalPlanningLackofbudgetforheavyinvestmentinnewarchitecture 40%
Lack ofknowledgeaboutvariousITmodels/components 32%
Difficulttocombineexistingarchitecturewithnewcomponents 31%
Lackofbuy-in fromdifferentpartsoforganization 28%
Nodirectconnection betweenITarchitectureandbusinessobjectives 22%
Architecturalplanningconcepts aretoodifficulttoputintopractice 13%
Beyond budgetary concerns, it is clear that the complexity ofthe modern IT landscape is a hurdle for many businesses.Companies may be hearing about new trends andbuzzwords but do not have enough knowledge on thesetopics to formulate a plan for integration. Even withsufficient knowledge, optimal use of new technology mayrequire significant changes to the existing environment.Dealing with legacy concerns, where there are many sunkcosts, makes it difficult to imagine a fully transformedarchitecture.
As much as formal architecture planning using an officialframework may seem arduous, very few companies say thatthe concepts involved are too difficult to implement. Everydetail of a given framework may not be followed, but theyare at least good starting points for establishing a pathtowards better collaboration and business value.
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16%Moved
componentsfrompubliccloudtoon-
prem
22%Moved
componentsfrompubliccloudto
privatecloud
THEIMPACTOFCLOUDCOMPUTINGCloud computing continues to be one of the dominantforces shaping the IT landscape. In the previous two eras ofenterprise technology, various tools and methodologieschanged the way that companies performed back endcomputing. In the current cloud era, improvements inprocessing power and especially in connectivity haveallowed for a completely new model, disrupting decades ofhistory and forcing companies to rethink architecturaldesigns.
While CompTIA’s 2016 Trends in Cloud Computing studyfound many companies re-evaluating cloud usage as marketknowledge improved, it is still safe to say that mostcompanies at this point have some percentage of theirsystems in the cloud. Software as a Service continues to bethe dominant cloud model, with 65% of companiesreporting some SaaS usage. Platform as a Service followswith 42% adoption, picking up as more companies exploreinternal software development. Finally, Infrastructure as aService completes the picture with 27% adoption, as manycompanies likely continue to discover that not all hostedmodels are cloud models.
For some time, the IT industry has treated the high degree ofcloud activity as a signal that cloud skills need to be added toexisting activities and offerings. This is certainly true, but thatmentality only helps companies in the early stages of cloudadoption. Later stages require modification to workflow andredesign of infrastructure, two areas directly impacted byarchitectural planning.
The top challenge for companies as they utilize cloud solutionsis integration with existing systems. This challenge has grownover time, surpassing other early-stage difficulties such as thelearning curve for the cloud model and difficulty in estimatingcost. The lessons learned in the first years of the cloud era canease some of the growing pains around education and initialmigrations, but eventually companies want maximumefficiency from their IT setup, and the integration of evolvingsystems must be carefully engineered.
By starting with the needs of the business, a goodarchitectural plan will develop a proper set of priorities. Thesepriorities can then help drive trade-offs as a wide range ofapplications are being considered along with the hostingmodel for each application. The architectural plan should alsoaccount for the data needed for each IT component. This datamay be consolidated or it may be in silos, but the bulk of it istypically in place already—one huge challenge in adding newpieces is ensuring availability of data, and cloud systems canhelp organize data stores for comprehensive use and analysis.
Another reason for more rigorous planning in the cloud era isthe complexity of managing a multi-cloud environment.Approximately one in five businesses have undertaken at leastone secondary migration, moving IT components betweencloud models or back on-premises. Smaller firms are the leastlikely to have performed these actions, but they willeventually need to optimize across models as they transformtheir business operations. The degree of difficulty rises with amulti-cloud approach, and the lack of resources in smallbusinesses will drive them to seek help with planning andexecution.
Understandably, email and business productivity lead thepack in terms of cloud-based applications. These areextremely common tools found in nearly every business,and vendors are making it easy to transition from traditionallicenses to cloud implementations. Following these topchoices, the types of applications quickly become tightlyclustered, showing both the breadth of cloud migrations andalso the growing appetite for digital operations.
30%
24%
27%
16%
20%
17%
16%
17%
18%
20%
14%
17%
15%
15%
38%
33%
26%
35%
29%
31%
29%
27%
26%
24%
29%
25%
27%
26%
EmailBusinessproductivity
WebpresenceFinancialmanagement
VoIPHRmanagement
HelpdeskCallcenter
VirtualdesktopCollaboration
ExpensemanagementAnalytics/BI
CRMERP
TypesofApplicationsintheCloud
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Hostedoncloud SaaS
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23%Moved
infrastructurefromone
publiccloudtoanother
20%Moved
applicationsfromone
publiccloudtoanother
SecondaryCloudMigrations
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EXTENDINGTHEARCHITECTUREWITHIOTIf cloud computing is the current trend driving a need forarchitectural planning, then Internet of Things is the futuredriver. Cloud computing is redefining the way that ITinfrastructure is built; IoT is dramatically expanding thescope and scale of that infrastructure.
The primary characteristics of IoT are intelligence andconnectivity. Physical objects that previously had no digitalcapability are being outfitted with sensors, CPUs, andnetwork connections. This provides significant newopportunities in data capture/analysis and automation, butit also presents significant new challenges to IT operations.
Once again, this focus on the business side creates anexcellent starting point for architectural planning. In this case,there is even greater opportunity for IT professionals andsolution providers to introduce technology into the equation.Business units have high awareness of mobile applications andcloud software, but IoT is more nascent and the potential usesare less obvious.
IoT activity declined year over year, reflecting aphenomenon also seen in the cloud market: initialenthusiasm inflates adoption numbers, but improvedunderstanding brings a reality check. As companies build abetter understanding of IoT systems, they recognize thatsome ongoing efforts do not fit the definition. Theuncertainty over the meaning of IoT is also seen in thesubstantial jump of companies reporting they don’t know ifthere are IoT activities or plans.
One data point that is consistent year over year is thecontext for IoT initiatives. Sixty-one percent of companiesreport that IoT allows them to extend technology intobroader organizational objectives. In contrast, 34% say thatIoT initiatives are standalone activities. This positions IoT asone of the prime technologies driving digital transformation;rather than simply transitioning existing IT operations tonew models, companies are digitizing their customarybusiness operations and workflows.
11%
22%
18%
34%
14%
27%
33%
23%
15%
1%
IoTinitiativeisunderway
Experiments/pilotprojects
Plantostartinitiativeinnextyear
Noimmediateplans
Don'tknow
CurrentIoT Activity/Plans
2017 2016
The wide range of technology needed for IoT necessitates aplan. One of the major challenges in today’s enterprisetechnology market is the expectations being created by theconsumer space, and IoT is a prime example of this.Installing a connected thermostat is a relatively simpleoperation; implementing IoT for a business activity is clearlymuch more complex. After deciding on a technical solutionthat matches a business need, IT needs to fully explain theinfrastructure needed to support that solution.
From that point, there are practical items to consider. Inmost cases, funding for IoT initiatives comes from newbudget allocations. This further establishes IoT as a noveleffort for businesses rather than an evolution of existing ITpractices. As with most technology these days, there aremany avenues for purchasing IoT components, especiallysince connected devices may be coming from non-traditional vendors. Large businesses are most likely to workwith existing partnerships on IoT, but small firms have atendency to work directly with vendors, likely procuringindividual components without fully considering a holisticsolution.
IoT, even more than cloud computing, shows that ITarchitecture planning is no longer exclusively the domain oflarge enterprises. In order to fully implement technologythat transforms business operations, companies must givemore serious thought to the ultimate goal for their ITsystems and to the path they will take to get there.
FURTHER READING
32%
30%
29%
28%
23%
22%
20%
Dataanalysissoftware
Storage
Monitoringsoftware
Networkcomponents
Automationsoftware
Devices/sensors
Machinelearning
NewComponentsNeededforIoT
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RESEARCHMETHODOLOGYThis quantitative study consisted of an online surveyfielded to U.S. workforce professionals during May 2017. Atotal of 500 businesses based in the United Statesparticipated in the survey, yielding an overall margin ofsampling error proxy at 95% confidence of +/- 4.5percentage points. Sampling error is larger for subgroups ofthe data.
As with any survey, sampling error is only one source ofpossible error. While non-sampling error cannot beaccurately calculated, precautionary steps were taken in allphases of the survey design, collection and processing ofthe data to minimize its influence.
CompTIA is responsible for all content and analysis. Anyquestions regarding the study should be directed toCompTIA Research and Market Intelligence staff [email protected].
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