ABSTRACT
The Business Ecosystem model is increasingly pursued by today's organisations seeking higher flexibility, adaptability and scalability. Supported by highly variable cloud-based software ecosystems, this modern business model has the potential of massive business value creation compared to the traditional pipeline model.
In this chapter we discuss the business aspects of variability-intensive systems in terms of value, development stages, business strategies and risks, measures, architectural principles, and governance challenges. We explore the emerging role of the Ecosystems Architect and how it challenges the traditional Enterprise Architecture perspective of the organisation as a closed system. By tracing the emergence of this role through the published literature and by studying the influences, we identify the key tasks that an Ecosystems Architect performs through the lens of the four main aspects of Ecosystems Architecture: Strategy, Measures, Architecture and Governance.
