What Is the Difference Between Privacy and Security?

When talking with people about privacy and information security I often come across a common misconception – that there is nothing more to privacy than security, or that the two are roughly the same.  In particular this often comes up in discussions around the use of cloud services where people seem to think that if they address security issues with cloud services, then there is nothing more to do from a privacy perspective.

What Are Architecture Documents For?

I recently had a discussion with a colleague about what the real purpose of architecture documentation is. The simple answer of “documenting the architecture” seems unsatisfactory to me – “what is the point in that?” I think. My response to him was that architecture documents are for recording (and communicating) architectural decisions.  

What Has Governance Ever Done for Me?

This is basically the question that many project managers ask me when we have a discussion about adhering to governance. They want to know what value their project gets from adhering to governance processes, from generating artefacts for governance gates. The short answer is “none – governance is not something we do for you!”

Begin Every Project with a SWOT Analysis

Here’s an idea to help your projects go smoothly. Start each project off making sure that the team understands the business context it is operating in by  performing a SWOT analysis.

Ban the Word “Alignment” From Your Architecture

Something about the typical language of enterprise architecture is starting to bug me. The overuse of the word “alignment”. When people are asked to describe what enterprise architecture is all about, they often answer with the phrase “it’s about the alignment of IT with business strategy”. But is that enough? Should it be something more?

Does Your Architecture Pass the “So What” Test?

Does your architecture pass the “So What” test? Can you demonstrate the specific value that a particular architectural deliverable or activity will add? If not, why are you even bothering? In this case, as with justice, your activity must not just add value, it must be seen to add value.

Take A Better Look At Cloud Risks

If you have ever had a debate about whether your organisation should use cloud computing  then a discussion of the risks of cloud computing will have been a significant part of it. In doing so, we often fall into a simple logical trap.

Your Options Analysis Does Not Impress Me

This is another post based on a conversation – this time about options analyses. My colleagues were suggesting that it was OK to present options, highlight the pros and cons, and leave the business to make their own decision. Now, I’ve written a few in my time, and my opinion is clear: if, as an architect, you just present an options analysis to your business that spells out options without making a recommendation, then I think you aren’t earning your salary.

5 BYOD Myths

This is the 12th post in my series on Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solutions (who knew it could stretch this far!). Here I want to briefly examine some of the myths about BYOD that are current in organisations and in the mobility marketplace.

BYOD Is Not About Devices

This is my 11th post on Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solutions. A discussion the other day with Microsoft’s Beat Schwegler (Head of Platform Strategy Group) brought out something that was behind much of my thinking, but I haven’t made explicit: my approach – and my recommended approach – is that BYOD is not actually about devices at all.