IT Architecture Standard Under Review

The International Association of Software Architects (IASA), a global non-profit association for professional IT architects that is vendor and technology agnostic, is set to deliver the first IT Architecture standard ever developed, controlled, and owned by IT architects.

This standard, entitled the "Foundations Reference Model" (FRM), represents a fundamental shift in the IT industry away from vendor initiated and managed standards, towards best practices controlled and operated by the professionals using them.

The FRM is currently undergoing the first peer review by participating senior architects from IASA chapters around the world. Once this Alpha review is complete, the FRM will then be open for review by all IASA members and once approved it will be released to the public.

The ultimate goal of the FRM is to drive stability in the architecture profession by providing the missing "big picture" for large, long term IT efforts. The FRM addresses the entire scope of an architect’s role including the organizational, time-line and evolutionary perspectives to provide guidance that is otherwise missing in large institutions and projects. It strives to provide a common approach to architectural endeavors while being applicable to any type of design and at any level in an IT organization.

"What the FRM is doing is mapping out the very basics of our profession. From terminology to role descriptions and activities, the FRM provides the common understanding necessary for communication between architects and their employers," explains Paul Preiss, president and founder of IASA.

"How many times have architects had to justify their positions? How much time have we spent just developing and describing basic principles within our organizations? These activities represent massive fiscal waste and a significant source of frustration with our profession. The FRM solves all of that," according to Preiss.

Posted by Jon Erickson at 01:31 PM  Permalink