Well it had to happen didn’t it? If we have more and more emphasis on Open Source Software and on using the Web as a Platform, (albeit that might become Cloud Computing eventually), at some time the thought of architecturally consistency for these environments has to become an issue. So with great interest I went to see what these guys are up to at the Open Architecture Community, and also wondered why I haven’t heard of them before.
Wrong architecture! It’s all about buildings; more particularly it’s all about sharing and reviewing designs, project management tools and even some repositories. However its worth a visit to see a really interesting example of a Web 2.0 community creating value in an area where frankly I would have thought ‘Professionals’ were loathe to share their hard won knowledge.

Back to the real point The Open Group, and its work on ‘The Open Group Architectural Framework’, or TOGAF. I am guessing from the increasing popularity of the requirement to embrace TOGAF that we at Capgemini are seeing from our clients that most of you are up to speed on TOGAF in terms of its role in producing architectural approaches that will support the Open Group mission of creating the conditions for ‘Boundaryless Information flows’.
This blog is to draw your attention to the update of the current TOGAF 8.1.1 version to a wholly new version 9.0. So what is the difference? Despite its name, TOGAF is generally recognised as an Architecture Method, rather than a Framework. Release 9.0 addresses this challenge by introducing a Content Framework – ( please excuse me a moment of advertising, but it’s the truth) – a completely new framework for architecture modelling based on Capgemini Integrated Architecture Framework, and the accumulated experience of twelve years of apply it.
So what do you get in TOGAF 9.0? Firstly, guidelines to support iterative and agile process styles and hierarchical/federated architecture governance as a start. There are a further set of additional guidelines covering support for Service Oriented Architectures and Security Architectures. Secondly a whole new set of concepts that re-work and extend the TOGAF “Enterprise Continuum” to provide a set of practical guidance on partitioning, classifying, storing and managing architectures and architectural information are also now included. Thirdly, the Capability Framework now includes new guidelines on adopting TOGAF and on how to create an Enterprise Architecture capability. Plus a host of other small details.
Expect to see TOGAF 9.0 fully ratified and available for download by the end of September at which time I think it will be possible to say that we have reached the point on which I started this posting, namely an industry Open Enterprise Architecture Framework that is open for use by all and will deliver some much needed consistency.