UPDATED 11/8/18
Back in 2016, Gartner Enterprise Architect Summit was all about digital business. And so was the year before. So, what’s different?
While Digital Business was termed the “new reality” in 2015, in 2016, most companies already have a digital solution and realize constant innovation in this area is critical to remain relevant and competitive.
Enterprise architect comes in here
Today’s EAs are leading the strategy, design and execution of digital solutions. This affects a plethora of areas in the enterprise as well as the end-user experience. In fact, according to Gartner, “70% of leading EA practitioners report that they are either responsible or accountable for the success of the digital business.”1
Gartner EA Summit
So what did Gartner have to say at the 2016 show? Presumably a lot. We counted well over 70 solution provider, track and tutorial sessions. While the volume of content is impressive what is more interesting is the focus on the many facets of innovation:
- How people and process affect creativity and make difficult goals achievable.
- How disruptive technologies around cybersecurity, smart machines and IoT (or perhaps smart machines and IoT) allow the EA to lead the way for their company to leapfrog the competition.
- How strategies for understanding the top trends in business transformation – from cloud to mobility to algorithmic business – can empower the EA to be a master of disruption (and not a victim of it).
As at previous events, business cases will be presented by the architects themselves. We were particularly excited to hear Kevin Williamson, Enterprise Systems Architect at SiriusXM, present Digital Innovation & Transformation with Telematics Services. Kevin’s talk focused on his company’s business drivers and the value in delivering digital and mobile innovation via APIs to their customers.
Enterprise Architects are the guiding light into the great frontier of digital business. If companies want to grow and prosper, they must continue to provide their EA’s with the power to forge ahead.
The summit delivered on top-notch educational opportunities from industry experts, great networking with peers, and valuable roundtable discussions.
Learn more about digital transformation here.
1Gartner: Follow the Leaders: Digital Business is a Big Opportunity to Evolve Your EA Practice, 03 July 2015, Marus Blosch | etsy Burton | Mike J. Walker