On May 25^th, 2012 a Dragon capsule docked with the International Space Station and proved that the private sector could compete with the government in space. The competition is in the manufacturing of space age components. These included the Dragon capsule and its Falcon launch vehicle. Both of these components were designed, developed, and manufactured by the SpaceX Corporation.

The event is one of major significance. Until now, we have always seen the cost of going into space as an investment in the future. It was challenging and helped to answer questions about the universe that have puzzled man forever. But, there was no expectation for actual benefits that would pay back in the present outside of some secondary value.

The exploration of space has never been financially justified. Only the value of secondary contributions could be identified. We all remember how Tang came to the breakfast table because it was developed for the astronauts. There have been improvements in the development of lightweight materials and porcelains that could withstand enormous heat that have been turned into everyday products in the home. There is also the results of the many science experiments that could only be done in a near weightless condition.

That has all changed with SpaceX. SpaceX is a privately held company. Its investors expect to have payback on their investment in a reasonable amount of time. They expect direct, tangible benefits from customers that are willing to pay. For them it’s a business, not a quest for knowledge.

SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk who is the entrepreneur that founded PayPal and Tesla Motors. He believes that government bureaucracy has driven the price of space exploration up and a lean private sector organization can bring the price down.

Enterprise Architects can learn from this. If they base their existence on the support from their CEO, they are being bureaucratic. They are expecting respect by who brings them to the table rather than by what they bring to the table. It is no wonder that Enterprise Architecture is flourishing today in government organizations and floundering in private sector organizations.

SpaceX is teaching us that the profit motive can drive the most lucrative of investments towards success. Enterprise Architects must understand this and provide the framework for lean development and agility in a changing environment. Their motives must always be for today’s profits as well as for tomorrow’s profits.

Government and bureaucratic processes can be displaced by private organizations when there is a profit motive. Enterprise Architects must align themselves with the profit motive rather than the bureaucratic motive. They need to show a return on investment. They need to present a case for a better way. Even in space where the bureaucrats have reigned, SpaceX is showing us that there can be a better way.

The Enterprise Architects can see what is coming and are already preparing. They know that this will be their time. Corporations will be able to completely focus on their business, and automation will be viewed as an agile enabler. Automation will finally become the self-service contributor that the Corporate Office has always wanted it to be. –Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Did you know that your iPad, iPhone, and some iPods have a unique name? Did you know that they know their name and can respond to their name? Possibly, you know their name as a UDID (Unique Device ID).

The UDIDs are important for identifying the consumer of an application. This is important to prevent the unauthorized use of software. It becomes a real barrier for pirates of both the software and the hardware.

With each device having a unique name, it can be called upon by name. If your device is lost or stolen, you can go online with Apple and locate your device. You may have heard the recent story of a home invasion that resulted in two iPads being stolen. The 12 year old in the home showed his parents how to locate the iPads by going to the Apple Cloud. The police found the thief, the iPads, and other stolen merchandise in a hotel room.

Now each of us is very unique. One of the things that make us unique is our name. We are not manufactured and stamped out like new products. We have a birth certificate, we live our lives, and eventually have a death certificate. But does this make us different from our devices? They, too, are now given a birth certificate, perform their function for some period, and are eventually discarded.

We say that we have unique personalities, purpose, dreams, relations, etc. We are very social with our family, our friends, and coworkers. We admire those with outstanding talents and often use them as role models. We are people, not machines.

How many of us have given our car a special name. This would be like calling your Mustang “Musty”, implying some personal relationship. Whether our machines have a personality or not, we often imply that they do.

We take direction from our GPS and we can converse with our smartphone by talking and listening. Now that those devices are unique by the single factor that they have a unique name, does that make them more personal? Possibly in the future, if your iPad is lost or stolen it will miss you and reach out to you. You may receive a desperate call on your smartphone from your iPad crying out to be rescued. But be very concerned if your iPad starts using an online dating service to meet other iPads.

The Enterprise Architects can see what is coming and are already preparing. They know that this will be their time. Corporations will be able to completely focus on their business, and automation will be viewed as an agile enabler. Automation will finally become the self-service contributor that the Corporate Office has always wanted it to be. –Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Last week Facebook was the topic of discussion on Wall Street. From seemingly out of nowhere, a social media company holds extremely high value. It made the founder a billionaire and those that had worked to make it successful millionaires.

Facebook is certainly a success story. It started small from an entrepreneur’s idea and has grown to an international organization. The name Facebook is known worldwide. It is used by individuals, families, friends, and businesses as a place to share information. From the perspective of every other business, having a Facebook account is a requirement to share with customers.

So just what is Facebook so successful at doing? They don’t produce anything. They have no supply chain.  They have no stores.  They appear to have no product to market. They give their services away for free. How could they garner so much value?

Some stated that Facebook is nothing but a fad with no real value. They believe that it will fade away as a dominant social media and be replaced by something newer and better. They believe that investors are wasting money to buy into something so lucrative.

In my opinion, the naysayers are not well informed or they are just plain jealous. They see economics in the form of production and transportation. They don’t understand the enormous value of information. If they do understand, they may be playing the “sour grapes” game. They may believe that the founder and colleagues of Facebook did not work hard enough to earn their phenomenal success. They may believe they just got lucky.

Facebook is a brand. Few educated people on the planet have not heard of Facebook. Most have an account. There is a trust in a brand that allows the organization to go on during good times and bad times. Customers are very forgiving of their favorite brands when they know that the mistakes were made as a result of trying to improve service. Facebook has a lasting brand that will change as the social networks change and endure because it is well known and trusted.

For those that still do not understand how Facebook brings value, they need only to look at the massive amount of aggregated information that Facebook has from its users. They literally have their finger on the pulse of the international economy. They have information that can help producers and transportation providers make better decisions. They have information that can uncover potential markets and uncover potential trends.

Now think of Facebook as a service for a fee that can give a business an opportunity to look into the crystal ball and see the future. It is no wonder Wall Street, which is always trying to predict the future, is so captivated by Facebook.

The Enterprise Architects can see what is coming and are already preparing. They know that this will be their time. Corporations will be able to completely focus on their business, and automation will be viewed as an agile enabler. Automation will finally become the self-service contributor that the Corporate Office has always wanted it to be. –Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Technology has changed the political dialogue. No longer can a political candidate travel the country and pander to a particular group without everyone knowing. They can’t say they plan to cut something to one group and say they are going to increase it to another. There is simply more accountability and scrutiny given to the appearance and words of the candidates for office.

George Washington was the obvious choice to be our first president. He fought and led our army to victory over England. There was no one else that had shown his courage and leadership. He was the obvious choice. The fact that he was one of the elite and lorded over others at his Mount Vernon plantation was never an issue.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president because he was known as the commander that led the allies in Europe to defeat Adolf Hitler in World War II. Somehow the story of Eisenhower having an affair with the female driver of his jeep never became an issue.

Then there was John F. Kennedy that looked cool and comfortable during the first televised Presidential debate. Kennedy wore makeup and looked better than his rival Richard M. Nixon who refused to wear makeup. Nixon’s sweat under the heated lights was seen and misinterpreted as stress. Kennedy’s sweat was covered over.

Newspapers have lost their relevance, as TV, radio, and the internet have become the primary means for the average person to learn about the news. Videos go viral and Facebook and Twitter provide some understanding of what is in the minds of those that are popular. Talk radio and commentary reporting on TV help us shape our view of candidates.

In my opinion, the more information we gain, the better we will all be informed. We want to know about the character of those we elect to leadership roles and we want to know about their ability to lead. The more we can learn about their character and leadership the better.

A caution for all of us is to not be taken in by their appearances or just their words. George Washington showed his character and proved his leadership. Eisenhower showed his character and proved his leadership. Then, there is John Edwards that was portrayed by the media with the character of a family man while he had a secret girl friend and a very sick wife at home.

Great leaders’ actions are more powerful than words or the presentation of words. When we learn more about their actions, we can measure them against the standards of the office. Those that we select for these powerful offices can be held to the standard established by those that have come before. Technology is helping us to be more vigilant and aware.

Enterprise Architects are well-aware of the continuing evolution of technology. They creatively look for technology convergence that can provide breakthroughs in thinking. We are at one of those convergent junctions today. What is about to happen will give non-professional information technologists control of their use of automation in their business. No longer will they simply peer through windows and see only what applications let them see. They will be able to go inside, see how things work, and control their automation. – Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City
Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Today’s Enterprise Architects remind me of the heroes portrayed in the old western movies. These movies exemplified the courage and principles that are needed to stand tall for what is right and to not be swayed by big guns that violate the law.

One of my favorite movies that make this point is “High Noon”. In this movie, Gary Cooper is the sheriff. On his wedding day, the bad guys are returning to the town that sent them to prison. They plan to kill the sheriff and bring about havoc. The sheriff is abandoned by the town. They will not stand with him to defend against the overpowering force. There is even a question of whether his wife will leave him on their wedding day.

The hero, Gary Cooper, stands firm and faces the oncoming force alone. He is triumphant and leaves the town with his new wife. Just like an Enterprise Architect, he stood for the principle of order. He did not run away from the fight.

This western theme of standing up for what is right has been repeated many times in movies and TV shows. Clint Eastwood played this role in the “Spaghetti Westerns”. James Arness, as the sheriff, stood alone on TV every week for ten years in “Gun Smoke”. He faced the challenge and sent each villian to Boot Hill.  More recently, Russell Crowe stood for principle in the western “3:10 to Yuma” and the movie “True Grit” was made and remade showing the honor of staying true to what is honorable.

The strength of the old western movies and TV shows was in the heroes. They were regular people. They didn’t have super powers. Bullets did not bounce off their chests. They could not fly. They did not have powerful weapons. They were just regular people doing extraordinary acts of courage.

This is the form of courage required to be an Enterprise Architect. When the powers of duct-tape solutions challenge the foundation of an organization, the EA hero will rise up and face the foe head on.

In American movies, the hero always prevails. But, in real life, the hero is sometimes subdued by an overwhelming challenger. In these circumstances, the real EA heroes will get up and continue the fight. Most will do this by leaving the organization that did not stand behind them, like Gary Cooper left the town that did not back him when the enemy was at the door.

The EA heroes are quiet and bring order to IT chaos. The corporation, just like the old western towns with heroic sheriffs, can sleep soundly at night. The principles of Enterprise Architecture will always be the strength of the EA hero standing against duct-tape solutions.

The Enterprise Architects can see what is coming and are already preparing. They know that this will be their time. Corporations will be able to completely focus on their business, and automation will be viewed as an agile enabler. Automation will finally become the self-service contributor that the Corporate Office has always wanted it to be. –Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Software engineering has run its course. It can’t keep up with the complexity and change coming from today’s demands. Engineering is how we build airplanes. If software is engineered like an airplane, then changes would be applied to the airplane while it is in the air – imagine being on a flight while the engines are being swapped out for a newer model. Software changes are done this way every day.

Software development must separate those things that are true principles from those things that are fluid utilization of the principles. This is not a new idea. Significant improvements have occurred each time a major concept arises that provides this separation. Architects refer to this concept as an “abstraction”.

Abstraction is finding the commonality among a group. For software development, this led to frameworks based upon Object-Oriented concepts. Classes or types of things would be organized in a hierarchy with each object having methods and information that would be defined by the object or inherited from a higher level class. This concept is often described by giving the example of living things separated into plants and animals. The animals and plants can then be separated into multiple sub-classes with the whole thing appearing like a tree with many limbs and each limb having many branches.

This level of abstraction has provided the basis for building automated business services. The services are the methods exposed by the business objects.

Unfortunately, business objects are not standardized. Even with all of the effort by many open organizations, principle-based business objects have not been accepted by the industry. Even though there are standards provided by many professional groups, they are used more as guidelines than as principles.

But there is a better way to define the abstract principles for class definitions.  It is the application of ontology. Ontology provides more than the class structure. It also provides the axioms that define the properties of the classes. These axioms can be used to validate any of the individual elements that must obey the rules of the ontology.

The industry has been slow to understand and adopt standards based upon ontology, but the movement is clearly picking up steam. There are many initiatives across multiple industries. One that has reached the level of a standard is ISO15926 for the integration of life-cycle data for process plants, including oil and gas production facilities. This standard is principle-based and includes the classes that describe the standard information components. Because it is ontology-based, the names used can be in any language. It is the axioms that describe the principles and they are language agnostic.

Software engineering has run its course. It is now time to base software development upon the principles that govern the information used. The resulting software can then be constructed with the flexibility needed to change software while it is in flight.

Enterprise Architects are well-aware of the continuing evolution of technology. They creatively look for technology convergence that can provide breakthroughs in thinking. We are at one of those convergent junctions today. What is about to happen will give non-professional information technologists control of their use of automation in their business. No longer will they simply peer through windows and see only what applications let them see. They will be able to go inside, see how things work, and control their automation. – Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City
Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Apple is now the big-dog. They are the one to beat. They are the company that has set the standard that all competitors must reach and exceed. Apple has stirred the industry and the free market is allowing for a real competitive skirmish.

When I entered into the IT business, IBM was the big-dog. Every other organization producing products similar to IBM knew that IBM was their primary competitor. These companies would list the IBM product’s features and compare their products line by line. But, this was not enough for most customers. IBM offered reliability where their competitors always seemed risky.

When microcomputers came along and IBM did not realize the importance of software, Microsoft became the big-dog. Competitors attempted to beat Microsoft at every software turn. Even IBM attempted to beat Microsoft at the micro computing operating system level and failed. But, once again, the customers preferred the reliability of Microsoft software. Everything else seemed risky.

Now Apple is the big dog. Competitors offer comparable products, some even much better. But, once again, the consumer prefers the reliability of Apple.

When IBM was the big-dog, there were more options available to the consumer that used IBM products. The same has been true of Microsoft. Why would you have office products from other vendors when Microsoft products have become the default standard for document, spreadsheet, and presentation sharing?

IBM focused mainly on hardware and Microsoft focused mainly on software. Apple has focused on both. They are dominating in a way that prevents others from building hardware to run their software. And when it comes to software on the iPad, Apple even controls the store that distributes the software.

Competition has always been the driver of the IT industry. This may be more pronounced when there is a big-dog like IBM, Microsoft, or Apple. This is because the big-dog discovered an untapped area in the industry and created a market that many benefitted from.

Apple is the big-dog now and will eventually give way to another big-dog. Because of our free market and open competition, the next big-dog will emerge and lead us all into a new direction. Being first allows an organization to garner trust and recognition. This is key to becoming a big-dog. Who will it be? They are probably already in the works and just not yet recognized. Meanwhile, Apple is today’s target for those that are followers.

The Enterprise Architects can see what is coming and are already preparing. They know that this will be their time. Corporations will be able to completely focus on their business, and automation will be viewed as an agile enabler. Automation will finally become the self-service contributor that the Corporate Office has always wanted it to be. –Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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The old cowboy with his faithful horse, RDMS, stands mocking the newer “No SQL” automobile. The cowboy has bonded with his horse and can empathize with RDMS’s feelings. Even as the new automobile left RDMS in the dust as it sought to keep up, the cowboy could not bring himself to say good bye to an old friend.

Just imagine the effort in learning to ride the RDMS horse? For decades the cowboys have attended classes and held rodeos (classroom exercises) to grasp the Canonical Synthesis needed to master the art. They learned the power of the key, whether it be primary or secondary. They learned the inner and the outer of SQL.

The cowboy’s life is simple. Everything has a place. Tables can be arranged to spread out the columns in a well-defined structured.

The cowboy’s life is a model. It parallels the natural order of the world. The model is logical and with the cowboy’s in-depth training, becomes physical.

The cowboy can mount up on RDMS and ride herd over any business problem. Nothing was too challenging, no matter how big the herd or how easily they could be spooked. Size was no problem once the fences went up and the events that might spook the herd were contained by using triggers.

The well-ordered herds of the business past are still present, but today’s challenge requires a new approach. The new approach must embrace the unstructured world where the size of the herds is thousands of times larger than those rawhide days of the cowboy riding RDMS.

Like the automobile outpacing the horse, the “No SQL” approaches are overtaking the ability of using RDMS. The RDMS horse still has an important place, but horses don’t talk. They are under the control of the cowboy and do only what the cowboy asks them to do.

Large unstructured herds do talk. They can open up new understandings as they reveal their secrets. They don’t do what the cowboy says, they do what they want. They move in whatever direction they want and consume whatever they like.

Though many cowboys still want to tame these large unstructured herds with the help of their trusted RDMS, they have missed the point. We don’t want to tame these herds – we want to understand them and learn from them. Just like the automobile has overtaken the horse, “No SQL” is overtaking the old cowboy ways. It is time to say good bye to our old friend RDMS when herding unstructured data.

Enterprise Architects are well-aware of the continuing evolution of technology. They creatively look for technology convergence that can provide breakthroughs in thinking. We are at one of those convergent junctions today. What is about to happen will give non-professional information technologists control of their use of automation in their business. No longer will they simply peer through windows and see only what applications let them see. They will be able to go inside, see how things work, and control their automation. – Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City
Closing the Business / IT gap.

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The business management did not realize that their request would result in turmoil and arguments among their software engineers. All of the other business organizations had reported back on their plans to make adjustments. Only the software group had not responded.

It began when the many software engineers sat at a large table and considered the latest request from the business management. The request could result in a ripple effect across multiple software modules, so the senior engineers were all present to assure a consensus on the actions to be taken.

The discussion with the software engineers began by restating the business goals to be gained by satisfying the management request. Each of the engineers had already evaluated the request and came prepared to discuss alternatives.

What came next was a detailed discussion of each alternative. What became obvious were the differences in understanding of the engineers in the basic elements of information and processes that already existed. Each software engineer was specialized in unique areas of the business functions. Although the technologies they used were the same, their vocabularies describing the business were different.

These differences resulted in their misunderstanding of the alternatives presented. Arguments were ignited when one engineer disagreed with another on the purpose and meaning of specific information or processes.

If this scenario sounds familiar, join the family of business organizations that have become so large and complex that single software engineers can’t grasp the magnitude and depth of knowledge required to understand just how things work. Single individuals can no longer understand their business environment without the use of tools. In the same way that we use calculators to compute complex formulas, we need tools to help software engineering to move to that next level of capability.

One of the most powerful tools being applied today by many industries is ontology. With ontology, knowledge can be captured so it can be understood by both humans and computers. Knowledgeable humans develop the ontologies so other humans can learn from the experts. Computers can evaluate the ontologies just like a set of mathematical axioms to verify consistency.

For those business sectors that have adopted ontologies, the focus of the software engineers is not to bring their argumentative views to a meeting. They can use common language on subject matter and test their ideas using axiomatic proof of the ontology. With the help of ontology, the software group can be the first to respond to a business request rather than be the last.

The Enterprise Architects can see what is coming and are already preparing. They know that this will be their time. Corporations will be able to completely focus on their business, and automation will be viewed as an agile enabler. Automation will finally become the self-service contributor that the Corporate Office has always wanted it to be. –Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Today’s manager is fully armed with the latest in technology. A decade ago managers showed up with their Blackberry personal assistants at every meeting. They had their most recent email and calendar at their fingertips. They could receive emergency messages and quickly get answers to important questions. Now it is all about tablets.

Most managers have an iPad. It is small, convenient, and reflects the image of an affluent and knowledgeable manager. The image is almost more important than the capabilities of the tablet. Because every organization is dependent upon the use of technology, every manager must show that they are competent in applying technology for their organization. What better projects this image than showing off an iPad?

Some managers are very effective in using their iPads. They carry the most pertinent information with them at all times so they can accurately discuss any subject. Some have even had specialized applications built just for them to better manage their operations.

As for the generalized apps available to support a manager, there are very few. In time though, this will change. There is now a huge an opportunity for sales for apps to support managers. It will be fun to watch and see what killer apps are developed during the next few years.

This category of iPad apps is ready to be filled. Managers want to prove their commitment to the application of technology. Cost is not a barrier. The managers will buy whatever the trends lead them to buy.

As an Enterprise Architect, I expect that one killer app will be to give every manager the ability to visualize and monitor the activity of their information systems. I have believed for some time that the visualization of the organization’s information flows and processing should be a top priority. Through visualization the managers will be able to make more informed decisions.

The iPad is a symbol of a status. It is this status of wanting to stay current in technology that is the driver. This driver will result in new apps that will open the opportunity for managers to move to the next level of competency beyond the Blackberry.

Enterprise Architects are well-aware of the continuing evolution of technology. They creatively look for technology convergence that can provide breakthroughs in thinking. We are at one of those convergent junctions today. What is about to happen will give non-professional information technologists control of their use of automation in their business. No longer will they simply peer through windows and see only what applications let them see. They will be able to go inside, see how things work, and control their automation. – Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City
Closing the Business / IT gap.

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