Matt Deacon's digestive blog : Microsoft

Architect Insight Conference breakout videos now live!

matt deacon — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:58:00 GMT

Finally after much angst the breakout sessions from AIC09 are now live here!

Mind the architect gap

matt deacon — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:14:30 GMT

I’m fortunate to know and work with a great many really influential architects both within my organisation and outside through my work as UK chair of the International Association of Software Architects (IASA). However, it has become increasingly apparent that for some the role of architects/architecture is clear while for others it is not. For me this begs the question that as organisations wake up, could there be and increasing gap between supply and demand of capable architects.

Back last year I commissioned some research with Freeform Dynamics to look at the difference between “progressive” IT organisations and followers. This clearly demonstrated a significant correlation between Architecture, integration and progressive IT. A more recent Forrester study shows the key role of Enterprise Architects in purchasing where “just fewer than 90% of IT execs said it was important, very important, or mandatory for EAs to approve technology purchases”. And back with the IASA, we ran a study with MWD Advisors that demonstrated the value of architects in design and implementation of BPM projects.

While these studies provide empirical evidence of the key role architects play in delivering business value do they also indicate and emerging gap between supply and demand of good architects? As more and more businesses seek architectural guidance will there be enough qualified architects to go round? Indeed this leads us on to what does a qualified architect look like and how do you spot one? Currently, this is measured by “time in service” or “battle scars” (I saw that on a job spec recently) but with corporate governance once again coming under the spotlight is this rule of thumb approach enough? can you trust mission critical systems to a guy with “battle scars”?

I know I’ve said this before, but is it time to we started to define the profession more accurately and perhaps more importantly, start to define the route(s) to becoming a professional? The millennials are rapidly taking over the asylum and out numbering the genXs (I’m one) and worse, the babyboomers are disappearing to the south of France and taking their “battle scars” with them. In many ways you can look at the future of technology in many ways looks similar to phases in the past but is anyone learning from their mistakes? Is anyone interested – you can bet that the milennials aren’t – how many of them have heard of “the mythical man-month” for example?

Technorati Tags: Architecture,baby boomers,GenX,Millenials,IASA

Bletchley Park Architects Council Part 2

matt deacon — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:43:11 GMT

The Microsoft UK Architect Council Meeting
8 & 9 June 2009
Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes

On the afternoon of the second day the Council broke into 3 groups to discuss interoperability in the context of

Security & Identity
Standards
SOA

The groups were asked to consider the following questions:

What does interoperability mean and what is its relevance to this area?
What are your experiences on interoperability in this area?
What are the challenges/opportunities?
What the outcomes being achieved through interoperability in relation to this area?
What does interoperability have to deliver?

And were asked to respond from a Business, Application and Infrastructure/Technology Architecture perspective.

Their output was captured/consolidated as powerpoints and their playback recorded. The output is provided below.

Security and Identity

Architectural Layers for Security

View more presentations from ukdpe.

Facilitators:
Steve Plank
Cliff Evans

Presenter:
Michael Paulson, Avanade

Team:
Keith Straughan, UCMK
Mike Jolliffe, Equiniti
Chris Franklin, HMRC
Rupert Brown, Bank of America
Simon Cox, University of Southampton

Standards

View more presentations from ukdpe.

Facilitators:
John Phillips, Microsoft
Giampiero Nanni, Microsoft

Presenter:
Ian Race, Bank of America

Team:
Bryan Boreham, Barclays Capital
Roger Wagland, Clifford Chance
Tim Gregson, Microsoft

SOA

View more presentations from ukdpe.

Facilitators:
Jon Collins, Freeform Dynamics
John Whiteway, AstraZeneca

Presenter:
Barry Ellis, BP

Team:
Dave Robertson, AstraZeneca
Mike Lloyd, Carbonflame

Implications of the Cloud

matt deacon — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:14:00 GMT

This March I met with 30 senior architects for two days to discuss cloud computing and what impact this might have on enterprise.

Sessions were delivered from Industry trade associations, industry analysts, early adopters of cloud computing plus sessions covering what Microsoft are up to in this space around data centres, BPOS and Azure.

More photos …

More of the output including slide decks can be found on the Microsoft UK Architect Portal but this is what I collected from various debates and discussions …

Participating Organisations:

AstraZeneca PLC, Atos Origin, Avanade, Bank of America, BP, British Energy, Carbonflame, Centrica, Clifford Chance, Conchango, Easyjet, EDS, Freeform Dynamics, Logica CMG, Nationwide, Royal Mail, Solidsoft, Solidsoft, SunGardps, Unisys, Zurich

Technorati Tags: UKARC,Architecture,Cloud Computing,Azure,BPOS,Microsoft,Architect Council

Architect Insight Slides now live!!!

matt deacon — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:51:00 GMT

Finally, after much delay I can confirm that the slide decks and keynote video are now available for download at:

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/aic2009

Additional breakout videos and additional podcast interviews should follow soon!!!!

The Cloud, the architect, IT and the great disruption

matt deacon — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:54:00 GMT

Here's the deck I presented to Accenture technical consultants. Bit of fun and got a chance to give my view on what's happening to IT. Here's what I was asked to cover ...

What’s cloud computing?
What’s the industry trend, projections, opportunity and client value?
What does this mean for organisations and how are we expecting them to change?
What’s Microsoft doing to define, capture or ride this trend?
What’s Microsoft and Accenture doing together to capture this market?
What’s the next big Disruptive technology?

On the last point - I said that we're in it, but the only problem is with disruptive technologies is that you can't normally see them until they disrupt:)! On the whole Cloud in all its forms is an example of radical innovation but in certain cases it will disrupt. Here's some candidates for disruption IMHO:

Traditional OUtsourcers, that don't see the opportunity to innovate as organisations multi-source
System Integrators/Consultants that don't seak to generate IP and business partnerships with their customers
Organisations that don't service enable their IT & don't differentiate their assets against critical and non-critical functions
Organisations that don't invest in architecture and integration at a strategic level within IT (and the business)

Implications Of The Cloud

View more Presentations from Matt Deacon.

Thoughts welcomed ....:)

Announcing the 4th Microsoft Architect Insight Conference

matt deacon — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:44:00 GMT

After much effort by a great many people I'm delighted to say that we'll be holding the 4th annual Architect Insight Conference this year!!!

The format has changed to reflect the new world but the quality bar is still set as high as before:)!!!

Microsoft Architect Conference
May 8th, Microsoft Offices Cardinal Place, London

www.microsoft.com/uk/aic2009

After a rapid fire set of keynotes we'll split into two tracks of informationals and a parrallel set of roundtable meetings then back together to close up and have some drinks!