Why busy enterprise architects are getting busier

Federal enterprise architects will have an increasingly crucial role as government agencies transition their systems to the cloud, adding to their already heavy workload, according to a new report.

With data center consolidation and cloud migrations underway, federal agencies are relying more on enterprise architects to help with the transformation. But with shrinking budgets and fewer resources available, government enterprise architects also face more pressure from CIOs in achieving mission success.

Recent Forrester Research data shows that federal agencies are more and more focused on improving business processes and increasing operational efficiency, which often involve developing target architectures. Enterprise architects highest priorities include improving business processes operations, IT planning and business agility, and enabling or supporting enhanced business/IT alignment, Forrester researchers found. 

Those who plan IT cost reduction and changes in the needed architecture must develop process change views that consider architecture planning, the report points out. For example, enterprise architects must work on maturing their virtualization capability when building a private cloud because “to successfully run in a cloud, an organization must have virtualization management processes in place,” Forrester researcher Brian Hopkins points out.

To ensure a successful move to cloud, architects should carefully consider the IT acquisition and operation process changes involved with the transition. Some practical steps they should take include creating data center operational views that account for new process requirements and making sure private cloud plans include the four stages of virtualization process maturity, the report states.