ABSTRACT
Repeatedly and increasingly, organisations build, buy, or reuse different types of information systems and information technology (IS/IT) solutions purposely to address organisational needs and challenges or improve competitiveness. However, the means is not always the end. Instead, the deployment of some IS/IT solutions somehow leads to prohibitive costs and more complications and complexities, or consumes more resources. As a result, many organisations opt for the deployment of an enterprise technical architecture (ETA) approach to address these challenges that are posed by IS/IT solutions. However, in the last two decades, the deployment and practice of ETA have proven to be challenging, which could be attributed to a lack of guidance for development, implementation, and practice. This chapter presents models and templates for the development, implementation, and practice of ETA, an approach that focuses on many aspects from strategic planning to the implementation of technology infrastructures. The goal is to consistently effect significant technological change within an environment that deploys it. Therefore, the ETA approach is employed primarily to facilitate change from the current state to a future state. This is to ensure stability, flexibility, and value addition, as informed by business requirements and organisational vision. The approach, therefore, allows an organisation to proceed at its own pace while competing and progressing at the same time. This chapter presents a model which reflects the consistent approach that adaptive enterprises could employ to build, maintain, and apply ETA in their computing environments. The model emphasises a holistic ETA approach, which organises technology solutions, effective use, and management.
