Who Is An Enterprise Architect

Earlier, I wrote two posts on the basics of EA, but in this post, I am taking a step back and trying to explain the difference between an IT Architecture and an Enterprise Architecture and sequentially, I will explain the difference between a Solution provider (often called as solutioner) and an Architect.

Solutioner works towards the point solutions, for example, if someone needs a backup device then they can suggest the best tape library based on the requirement. There is no harm in providing point solutions, but often in medium to large enterprises, it becomes a challenging task because the said point solution has to become the part of large IT landscape.

The vast technology ecosystem at any enterprise calls for the standards to adhere to, whenever seeking the new technology based solution or any upgrade to the existing one requires the strategic thought process. Following are some of the key questions one must think about, before procuring any application or upgrade the IT components,
So, the solutioner who takes care of all of the above and other associated questions and creates the holistic solution and hence is called a solutions architect. Now, there are mainly two types of solutions architects -

 
IT Infrastructure Solutions Architect is typically a techie with a keen interest in computers, networks, telephony, and security technologies, along with interest in upcoming technologies, like the cloud, advanced threat protections, unified collaboration and communication, borderless ODCs and much more. Ideally requires minimum 12 years of hands on experience in one or more technologies.

Applications Solutions Architect is someone who understands the tier models of enterprise applications. Including the data flow between one tier to next. This person has good exposure to different application development frameworks and expertise in software development. Deep understanding of software development life cycle, agile methodologies, databases, DevOps and other cloud development frameworks, gives a cutting edge for sure.

There are other must-have traits of a solutions architect -

Now, let us learn about other architects who handle the business transformation and its underlying impact on overall IT landscape. They are called as Enterprise Architect. EA is about understanding the vision of business and co-relating the same with business strategy, processes, people and technology.

EA uses a set of tools to create enterprise architecture and different business process models (BPM) for different business stakeholders. This is the most interesting and high paying career option as of now, but still, the path to EA goes via Solutions Architect’s role.

How to become a Solutions Architect?

There are multiple tracks to enjoy an architect’s professional life, however, here is the path I recommend to people who have or wish to have exposure to cloud computing, say Microsoft Azure. You need to follow the following track.

I can be contacted for any assistance by sending a message or tweet. I hope this article has given you a clear understanding on architecture. If so, please do share with your friends and colleagues because sharing is caring.

Happy Learning!