Part I of this two-part Executive Update series showed how cloud computing is maturing to become commoditized across multiple solution and service domains. 1 Here in Part II, we discuss how the CIO of tomorrow becomes a concierge for information services, considers the full breadth of cloud business use case

To keep up, I follow a number of enterprise architecture group discussions on the Internet. The most common questions I've encountered in these discussions revolve around communication: (1) how do you communicate with the business management and (2) what do you communicate to business management? Clearly, these are major issues affecting all EA groups.

Innovation factories may be characterized as entities whose central function is to encourage, develop, and disseminate innovation through application of some regular process or organization. Innovation factories exist across all industries, though many currently focus on specific areas.

Innovation factories may be characterized as entities whose central function is to encourage, develop, and disseminate innovation through application of some regular process or organization. Innovation factories exist across all industries, though many currently focus on specific areas.

Recall a moment in history: The decisions embodied in the plan were being executed. By the time a seemingly sacrosanct decision was reversed, military casualties exceeded 10,000, as many civilians died from forced evacuation and the starvation that followed. The plan might have ended World War II by Christmas of 1944. Yet Operation Market Garden fell far short of its objectives. It became known as "A Bridge Too Far." 1

Just a few years ago, the concept of on-demand BI was just that -- a concept. But today -- and forever going forward -- it's possible to outsource BI to a variety of providers. BI in the cloud is now possible, which potentially changes the schedule for the delivery of BI capabilities.

Just a few years ago, the concept of on-demand BI was just that -- a concept. But today -- and forever going forward -- it's possible to outsource BI to a variety of providers. BI in the cloud is now possible, which potentially changes the schedule for the delivery of BI capabilities.

I've been working on a report covering complex event processing (CEP). One of the more interesting developments I've found regarding the application of CEP is that some organizations are implementing the technology in conjunction with BI to create advanced real-time analytical systems.

I've been working on a report covering complex event processing (CEP). One of the more interesting developments I've found regarding the application of CEP is that some organizations are implementing the technology in conjunction with BI to create advanced real-time analytical systems.

In an upcoming Executive Update ("The Agile Triangle Evolves as a Lean-Agile Prism," June 2010), I introduce the Lean-Agile Prism, the premise of which is to go beyond the agile triangle by giving high importance to design.

Hace poco escribí un Executive Update que introduce el Prisma Lean-Agile cuya premisa es ir más allá del triángulo agile dando gran importancia al diseño. Conforme dí pláticas sobre el Prisma, algunas personas comentaron que sólo se aplica a las aplicaciones comerciales donde el atractivo visual es importante.

© The Ken Orr Institute, 7 May 2010.

© The Ken Orr Institute, 7 May 2010.

© The Ken Orr Institute, 7 May 2010.

We have a number of hidden taxes, and complexity is becoming one of the worst ones. Every time we go to an airport, we encounter the Osama bin Laden tax at security, where it costs time and money to ensure our safety.

Everyone would like to have craftsman-level quality, but few are willing to devote the time or spend the money craftsmanship requires. Craftsmen working in hard goods, such as leather or silver, mitigate these factors by using devices such as patterns or molds that they can use to quickly replicate a high-quality design many times over. They have built these patterns based on their past experience. They've "materialized" experience into a tool.

How many times have you heard the phrase "strategic technology"? Every time I read it or hear it, I bristle, especially right after I wrote it or said it and committed the error I am about to rail against. If everyone would just say "strategic uses of technology," I would feel much better.

How much e-mail do you get? If you're like most IT professionals, it's probably dozens, maybe even hundreds, of messages each day. Some of these messages even have real business value. More and more today, companies are using e-mail for operational purposes and customer communications (think mail order or travel reservations).

Last week, Equifax Inc. picked Greenplum's analytic database and Enterprise Data Cloud (EDC) platform to power its company-wide advanced analytics initiatives (for more about Greenplum's Enterprise Data Cloud, see my 16 June 2009 BI Advisor, "Greenplum's Enterprise Data Cloud").

In the first of this two-part Executive Update series, we discussed the purpose and the contents of the project start architecture (PSA).1 Here in Part II, we discuss some specific situations and provide examples.

The standard ISO/IEC 42010:2007 provides a generally accepted definition of architecture:

Sitting on my desk in my office is a model of one of the most dangerous cars in the history of sports car racing. It is a Mercedes 300SLR. On June 11, 1955, at the Le Mans race, a 300SLR driven by French driver Pierre Levegh was involved in an accident in which 82 people (including the driver) were killed. This tragedy sent a shock through the racing world, and the thinking about race car performance, design and safety was changed forever.

Governance is a loaded term. It evokes a strong visceral reaction in software development teams. It is mostly viewed as a rigid exercise of control and perceived as a threat to the autonomy of the team and its creativity. But it need not be so.

"It's like déjà vu all over again."

So spoke the former Yankee great Yogi Berra about his teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris repeatedly hitting back-to-back home runs.

"It's like déjà vu all over again."

So spoke the former Yankee great Yogi Berra about his teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris repeatedly hitting back-to-back home runs.