After being encouraged to attend an enterprise architecture conference at UBC, I had absolutely no place to start. What is Enterprise Architecture? How does it work? Why is it important? I heard that something called TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) was going to be taught. The website contained extensive amount of jargon which was difficult to understand. The following video gave a much simpler perspective.

Essentially, Enterprise Architecture transfers the picture above into the picture below. As you can see, it is a lot less confusing. This visualization of Enterprise Architecture showed me what what it really means to have an architecture; it means looking to the future needs of a company in a “big-picture” way, and then creating networks which accommodate those needs. Obviously, that is easier said than done. It is essentially strategic planning designed to ensure that information flows smoothly, and that changes can be made without affecting the overall harmony in the system. It is immensely valuable and important, especially with increasing demands for information.