Third-generation information
architecture
November 4, 2008
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 Enterprise
• an organization created for business ventures
 Information Technology
• the use of computers and software to manage
information
• an industry
 Information Architecture
• a fundamental approach to organizing
information in digital environments
• a profession in its own right
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“a field that specializes in finding
solutions for optimal use of information
within organizations, for instance to
support decision-making processes or
day-to-day operations that require the
availability of knowledge”
http://www.wikipedia.org
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 Corporations
always want to increase profits
and reduce costs
 Information — about customers, products,
financials, business processes, partners, and
employees can be used to improve customer
intimacy, reduce costs, improve products, and
mitigate risks
 Despite realizing its importance, enterprises
struggle to effectively manage and use
structured and unstructured information
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1st Generation IA
1970 – 1980
Stand alone applications
2nd Generation IA
1990s
Integrated set of components
System /
Application
System /
Application
System /
Application
System /
Application
System /
Application
System /
Application
System /
Application
System /
Application
System /
Application
System /
Application
Focused on technology solutions rather than use of information
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 Different
information can
be found in different
places across the
enterprise
 Some information is more
secure than other
 There are different types of
formats and storage of
information
 Information is accessed in
different ways
•
Information can be found in
– Personal computer hard drives
– Shared drives
– Databases
– Thumb drives
– Application servers
•
Information is organized in different
ways
– By application
– By user
– By function
– By supporting structure
– By business unit
•
Information comes in different formats
– Documents (.doc, .xls, .pdf, xml, etc.)
– Diagrams (.gif, .vsd, .bmp, etc.)
– Sound, video
– Etc.
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Provide access to current, correct information to
operate the business and facilitate decision
making
 Manage information as a business asset to ensure
that its value is maximized and protected
 Meet changing requirements from business units
more rapidly and effectively
 Improve the ability to recover information in the
event of business interruption
 Improve adherence to compliance policies and
regulations

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 Set
of models, standards and practices
 Related to process, information and
technology
 Derived from the business challenges
that set the context for information
technology activities
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Zachman Framework
Gartner EA Framework
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Scope
Organization
Information
Geography
Systems
Architecture
Process
Business Context
& Direction
Capability
Technology
Technology, as a foundation, needs to be driven by the needs of the business
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Scope
Organization
Information
Geography
Systems
Architecture
Process
Business Context
& Direction
Capability
Technology
Technology, as a foundation, needs to be driven by the needs of the business
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Business
Requirements
Scope
Dimensions
Organization
Information
Geography
Systems
Architecture
Process
Business Context
& Direction
Tools
Implementation
Capability
Technology
Feedback
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Systems and Applications
Semantic Infrastructure
The kinds of information and content:
• Structured and unstructured
documents
• Tacit knowledge
• Non-document-based content
(images & animation)
• Policies and procedures
• Technologies that support content
creation and dissemination (search,
CM, portals, etc.)
The ways that content is structured such as:
• Metadata
• Taxonomies
• Controlled vocabularies
• Semantic networks
• Ontologies
• Social network analysis representations
• Knowledge and topic maps
• And other advanced knowledge
representations
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Corporation’s recognize the need to manage
information across the enterprise
 Managing information is not only a technology
issue any longer
 Information architects are applying IA methods to
business problems beyond the web
 A number of different disciplines are
incorporating information management skills as
part of their job requirements, among others are:

•
•
•
•
Enterprise Architects • Solution Architects
Business Analysts
• Web Community Managers
Product Managers
• Records Management
Program Managers
Managers
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
Third-Generation Information Architecture by
Roger and Elaine Evernden, Communications of the
ACM, March 2003 Vol. 46 No. 3

How To Tackle An Enterprise Information
Management Strategy by Barry Murphy Forrester,
January 3, 2006

Enterprise Information Architecture: A Semantic
and Organizational Foundation by Tom Reamy,
BoxesandArrows, November 11, 2006
Laughing at the CIO; A Parable and Prescription
for IT Leadership by Bob Boiko, 2007
 The Zachman Institute for Framework
Advancement, http://www.zifa.com/

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