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If the world is all about projects, then cloud computing should have a well-defined ROI. Every project is about money and every project should stand on its own. But, is cloud computing just a project? Does it actually stand on its own?

Cloud computing for SaaS (Software as a Service) is often treated as just a project. The ROI is done just like any other project except the resources required may be very different. With SaaS, a solution can be selected and utilized almost immediately. The up-front cost is minimal and the variable cost is directly related to usage. It can be easily sold when there is no or very little need to integrate data flows with other private systems.

When the need turns to PaaS (Platform as a Service), the ROI may come from the ability to complete the development work for one or more projects more quickly. For organizations that already have a development environment, it may be more difficult to justify a replacement. For startups or smaller organizations, cloud computing may be the only realistic approach and make preparing an ROI non-event.

The adoption of IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) may be more difficult to show in an ROI. The difficulty comes from thinking of IaaS from a project perspective. It is more like outsourcing the data center than completing one project. The primary benefits come from the ability to have guaranteed Service Level Agreements.

As an Enterprise Architect, I contend that cloud computing is not about projects. It is about services. It is about the services needed by an organization to deliver the services that they provide to their customers. There should be high-level models developed that define these services. These models should include the services offered externally, the references to services needed externally, and the value-added services provided internally. These models then become the roadmap for determining the transition to cloud computing.

Taking the Enterprise Architect’s view, cloud computing is more about maintaining a cohesion of an organization’s data and processes. It is about adopting the standards needed to keep that cohesion intact. It is not about individual projects. It is not about ROI. It is about an organization providing the best services possible to its customers.

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Large corporate IT departments have very little to gain from cloud computing and a great deal to lose. They also have a huge influence on the understanding of any disruptive technology such as cloud computing. So, there should be no doubt that IT will come up with multiple creative ways to delay the inevitable transition to cloud computing.

The most obvious fear that IT can plant in the minds of their management is that cloud computing is not secure. IT can have management envisioning the corporate data being spread out over the internet for anyone to access. IT can sell the idea that the data and processes are securely protected within the walls of the data center.

The security argument is a good one. Not because it has much accuracy, but because it is easy to visualize. According to IT, placing information critical to the operation of your organization outside the data center would be like putting your treasures outside the protective walls of the castle. Forgive me for the pun, but this is a futile analogy. 

Another great issue brought up by IT is performance. It should be obvious that when the information is close at hand there will be better performance. This argument is easy to describe in concept, but it does not actually have much merit in the real world. Think about how long it can take to access account information that is inside your data center. Now consider doing a Google search. Google can respond to a search for words that appear in documents on servers all over the world with a sub-second response. How does this stack up against your local account access?

No one likes to make major change, especially if it means that your job may change or even be eliminated. IT is no different when it comes to liking the promised effects of using cloud computing.

What is needed is an independent third party to evaluate cloud computing benefits for an organization.  These types of evaluation are best accomplished by Enterprise Architects that do not have a reporting line within IT. Enterprise Architects are uniquely equipped to evaluate and recommend, from a business perspective, the pace and order of moving processes and data into the cloud.

Enterprise Architects should be responsible for the evaluation. They should be given a huge amount of authority in making the transition work. The authority will be required to prevent accidental or intentional sabotage from IT.

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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By their very nature, startups are very risky and often require significant time and dollar investment. Those that would initiate a startup must be dedicated and knowledgeable. They must have the capacity to sell their idea to others. They must convince others of the value of their startup and at the same time gain their trust that the product can be produced.

This is a great opportunity for Enterprise Architects. They have always had a requirement to gain the respect of others through their communications skills and expertise in information technology. The sheer passion of an Enterprise Architect’s presentation is usually enough to make a sale.

Enterprise Architects can build upon the successes they have had in the organizations they have serve. From these successes, the Enterprise Architect can demonstrate their passion for how they have made things better. The Enterprise Architect can show how mapping new industry concepts to old problems have and can result in staggering benefits.

Their passion for better is what will drive a startup and convince others of the value of the effort. Their excitement is contagious.

Talking with an Enterprise architect is like taking a ride on a rollercoaster. First, the Enterprise Architect injects the energy to take the presentation to its peak. At this time everyone has some idea of what is to come. Then the energy goes full bore in a fast pace that takes questions and answers with the same energy level. The questions’ slower pace going up and the fast pace of the answers going down adds to the excitement. In some cases the Enterprise Architect may even turn older concepts upside-down and set everyone thinking. Eventually everyone taking the thrill ride levels off into a solid sense of consensus. This consensus of excitement leads to a readiness to participate.

Although risk is the biggest issue with any startup, Enterprise Architects, by their passionate nature, can show everyone that the ride is worth the investment.

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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It is always a good time for a startup. Due to the down economy, the time is even better. For Enterprise Architects it is a wonderful time of opportunity.

We abound in good ideas. Many ideas are worth the investment of time and money. The results of those that are dedicated to changing the world surround us. The internet, cell phones, automobiles, airplanes, and phones are just some of those startup efforts that have changed our lives.

With the economy down, there is a greater sense of need to change. There is a need to do things in different ways so the economy can get moving again. There is also an abundance of highly-skilled individuals that have become disenchanted with the current business management and want to strike out on their own.

For Enterprise Architects, this is an exceptional time for leading a startup. Enterprise Architects, by their nature, are always working towards improving the operation of the organizations they serve. They are also aware of the significant changes taking place in the IT industry.

Zapthink, www.zapthink.com, is a publication followed by many Enterprise Architects. They have published a few articles on startups in a section they refer to as “Startup Insights”. In these articles they confirm that now is a good time. They also confirm that startups must have a vision for the future.

Enterprise Architects have a great respect for the past approaches to delivering automated functions. But, they also know that these reservoirs of opportunity are beginning to run dry. For example, there is little demand for improved programming languages or control processes for mainframes.  

Enterprise Architects are always looking to the future. They understand the significance of the transition of an organization towards service-orientation and the opportunities that abound in cloud computing. They can see the gaps in the structure and envision solutions to close those gaps.

The time is good for startups. This is especially true of startups initiated by Enterprise Architects.

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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The use of the word “architecture” has been diluted today. The use of this word is similar to the time when the word “engineer” began to be over used. Remember when secretaries became “Office Engineers”? Even the garbage collectors became “Sanitation Engineers”.

Some have said that using “engineer” in a title would make a positive statement about an otherwise menial job. Anyone given an engineering title could somehow be more proud of their work. The management could then use the title as a benefit in lieu of more pay.

Is “architect” in a position title going the same way as “engineer”? I think so. Planners that help corporations organize their strategies are called “Business Architects”. Programmers that know how to write code are now described as “Solution Architects”. Technology experts that know how to set up servers and message systems are now known as “Infrastructure Architects”.  Individuals that make sure that a corporation has access to the internet and telephone services are now known as “Network Architects”.

On top of all of this, major vendors like IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft use Enterprise Architects for marketing purposes. For example, a Microsoft Enterprise Architect is one that can sell the value of total integration using Microsoft products to a potential client. Each of the major vendors does the same thing. It is about selling products, not architecting the enterprise.

It is no wonder, then, that most have almost no idea about the title “Enterprise Architecture”. The term “architecture” is overused. What is the scope of the word “enterprise”? Does it mean that individuals with this title will be responsible for all structural aspects of an organization? Does it include buildings, accounting structures, marketing strategies, etc.?

Because of all of this confusion, would it be better if the Enterprise Architects called themselves by a different name? Should they distance themselves from all of the misused forms of the word “architect”?

Possibly, but “Enterprise Architect” is an accurate title. Individuals that hold this title have years of experience helping organizations (the enterprise) define their information technology architecture to best meet their current and future needs.  This definition is done without bias to any single vendor. These individuals lay the foundation and cornerstone for the architecture that will pull together all of the strategies, solutions, infrastructure, and networks.

Over time, we will all become familiar with the title of “Enterprise Architect”.  We will stop thinking about the name. The name will become synonymous with the structure and controls necessary for successful use of information technology. Every well-managed organization will have their own Enterprise Architects or be on contract for Enterprise Architecture services. 

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Have you seen the information technology that your organization is dependent upon? Can you see the processes, rules, and data that make your organization unique? In most organizations, the applications have the processes, rules, and data buried inside. All that is visible is the user interface.

You can go down to your factory floor and see how components come together to produce final products. You can visit the call center and see your personnel taking and handling calls. You can even go to the mail room and see the inbound and outbound processes.

Seeing information technology is another matter. You can go to the computer room and see racks of electronic components and wiring. This is similar to going into a telephone wiring closet. You can’t see the phone calls there anymore than you can see the information flow in a computer room. What if your data center is in the clouds? You don’t even have a computer room to go into.

More than 90% of the information processing within most organizations is done by using information technology. This means that most information processes are essentially invisible. Your business is then based upon the trust that the programmers of the applications have done everything correctly and will continue to do so in the future. You know the programmers. Most of them are in their twenties and will leave you or your software provider for another higher paying job at any time.

This is a scary scenario of flying high with the future of your organization based primarily on something that you cannot control. If risking your organization’s future seems acceptable, consider that more than half of the information technology projects end in failure with the other half falling somewhere between success and failure.

This situation should be intolerable to any organization. It is time for change. It is time to expose the mysteries of information technology so that everyone can see and understand them. This vision must do more than just show what it does. It must also show how it is done.

The best approach to achieve visualization is through Enterprise Architecture. Enterprise Architects have a primary goal of organizing all the components of information technology into an understandable view. With this view, the organization’s management can then direct the changes needed for applying their strategic goals. The Enterprise Architect will then support these directives by establishing the boundaries for effective governance.

The Enterprise Architect is supported by well-defined methodologies and standards. The methodologies define the processes that the Enterprise Architect should follow and the standards help define the boundaries for governance. Some of the key standards include Business Process Management, Service Component Architecture, and Relational Data Management.

With the wonderful methodologies and standards available today, there is no reason that every business cannot have a complete view of their information technology. It is time for every organization to recognize the importance of Enterprise Architecture and begin to “Control Information Technology Yourself”. 

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Everyone has ideas. Some have great ideas and turn them into a reality. Most that have great ideas do not have the means to make them a reality.

When it comes to information technology, more individuals now than ever have the ability to bring their ideas to fruition. Microsoft and Apple have provided desktop tools that have allowed individuals to exercise their creativity.

At the corporate level, this same freedom does not exist. Solutions usually come from major vendors or may be developed by the centralized corporate IT organization. Individuals are reduced to providing requirements so members of the elite technology group can innovate and propose solutions.

To change this circumstance requires innovation from the Enterprise Architects. Having the ability to see both the business and the technology side of the business gives the Enterprise Architect a unique charter. The form of innovation needed from the Enterprise Architects is not to be a solutions provider, but rather a facilitator of innovation.

Enterprise Architects’ highest achievement is in providing everyone in an organization the opportunity to innovate. This is not an easy task and requires a great deal of self discipline. Most Enterprise Architects have come up through the ranks of solution providers and are very capable of jumping to good conclusions. They must have the discipline to use their solutions knowledge to put in place an environment that will support other individuals’ innovations.

The Enterprise Architect must take a role similar to that of an instructor. They must provide a well constructed view of an organization’s use of information technology. They must encourage innovative thinking. They must recognize that knowledge is built in layers and the next layers are still being defined.

As Enterprise Architects begin to unveil the “Unseen City” of IT there will be an unprecedented explosion in innovation.  They need to show a holistic view of all the business models coming together in a well-organized and governed city model. In the city, individuals can study the flow of information. They can do impact analysis. They can test their ideas through simulation. They can experiment with merges and divestures.  They can innovate, innovate, and innovate.

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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The stars are out: IBM, Oracle, MetaStorm, Progress Software, etc. The Forester and Gartner telescopes are focused in on the latest BPM (Business Process Management) offerings. The “stars” have everything you need. Besides having fantastic visual modeling tools to map out processes, they have the entire infrastructure needed for a complete implementation.

BPM is far from new.  From IBM’s early days of business machines, the goal has always been to automate business processes.  It has always been about processing documents by taking in requests and producing responses.  IBM started this with punched cards. Now, almost any form of data can form a request and a response.

Most of the early solutions have been totally proprietary. Once an organization selected a vendor, they were tied to that vendor. Having the ability for one vendor’s process to communicate with another’s was highly unusual.

Today’s products are not purely proprietary. They are based upon industry standards. Two of the most important underlying standards driving BPM are web services and BPEL (Business Process Execution Language). Web services encompass multiple standards that define the protocol, the data, the processes, and security. Services can be built by any provider and be understood and processed by another. The BPEL language brings the asynchronization needed for long-running  business processes.  

BPEL components are web service providers and web service consumers. The integration of components is infinite. Web services from any provider can be consumed by any vendor’s BPEL components.

Without some overall governance, the construction of business processes and services could become chaotic. This is where the “stars” come out. Even though their underlying technologies will allow for almost any form of integration, they provide tools to model at a higher level. They provide visual tools that do not require an IT background to use.

The “stars” also recognize one very important fact. Success is dependent upon a strong Enterprise Architecture. The Enterprise Architects not only make sure that there is adequate infrastructure in place to support a BPM initiative, but they also make sure that top-down business models have been developed. The top-down models provide the definitions of the organization’s processes and data needed to avoid the chaos.

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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Virtualization of servers is a great capability. Corporate IT Data Center managers found that with virtualization they could reduce costs and reduce the provisioning process time. Little did they realize that they were laying a path that, eventually, would eliminate their corporate jobs.

Cloud computing arrived as a new way to deliver virtualized servers. The hardware provisioning takes place over the internet. The provisioning is more advanced, but less complex to use. Amazon gave cloud computing a big boost by introducing their cloud computing services and many others, including Microsoft, have followed.

Small organizations and startups are finding the use of cloud computing to be a great opportunity. They previously needed to invest in server equipment. The IRS would only let them amortize the cost of the equipment over five years. Most organizations with any growth found themselves needing to upgrade their servers much more often than five years. With cloud computing they only pay for what they use. This allows them to report to the IRS their server cost as a variable expense of doing business.

Innovative companies like rPath (www.rPath.com) are providing products to help in the management of cloud-based resources. They use a repository to track and control all changes to the components. They have simplified what could be a complex change management problem.

There are still objections to using cloud computing that will be overcome. Security is always at the top of the list. In most cases, this issue has already been resolved. Although it is unlikely that the CIA will move to cloud computing, there is little reason for others not to take full advantage.

With the enormous benefits of using cloud computing, the real question has become not “if” but “when”.  Cloud computing represents one more major shift in the delivery of information services.

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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One thing is for sure. If there is a better way to do something, someone will find it. The better way may be less costly or simply be more fun.

There seems to be no limit to the ingenuity shown by the human race. As far back as recorded time, we humans have always developed fantastic solutions to problems.

The only real barrier to freeing the innovation that lies within each of us is desire, knowledge, and resources. It seems that the desire is always there and resources are generally available. It’s knowledge that seems to get in the way of innovation. Someone would have built an antigravity car by now if we only understood antigravity. Someone would have cured all diseases if we had the knowledge.

When it comes to IT, there has never been a shortage of innovation. IT innovation has been rampant. The great ideas that have germinated out of Silicon Valley are legendary.

Before PCs and Apple computers, the world of IT innovation was limited to the experts. With direct access to personal computing, fearless individuals process the most critical of corporate and personal information themselves using their desktop products. Many have developed very complex spreadsheets, automated forms, and take full advantage of collaborative services.

Now, another change is taking place. This change gives this group of fearless individuals the control of their corporate IT data and processes. The change is being driven by cloud computing and viewing software as a service provider and consumer. Cloud computing simplifies the provisioning of hardware and software infrastructure. Viewing software from a services perspective replaces the concept of application silos.

Non-IT professionals can visually design and deploy new processes using BPM (Business Process Management) services. They can connect the dots in new and better ways. They can also add dots by acquiring new services as SaaS. The possibilities have no limits.

Closing the Business / IT gap.

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