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Overview
The Impact of Globalization
As business evolves so must the information systems that support it. The global enterprise of today has a flat organization and is built around partners. Closer links with customers and suppliers lead to an "extended enterprise". This implies an IT landscape that is ever changing and expanding. No one supplier can provide all of this. Solutions typically embrace technology from multiple suppliers and many eras of computing history. The successful integration of resources across the enterprise becomes critical to maintaining a competitive position.
Why Architecture?
The key to managing diversity within the "extended enterprise" is a generalised infrastructure built around a standards. To pull all the standards together in a meaningful way an architecture should be designed for that purpose. Architectures have evolved from those that supported vendors’ product sets to those that are based on global open standards. These global architectures are harder to develop. However, they have the potential to dramatically reduce the cost, risk and time for effective systems integration.
The Conference Program
This conference examines the leading architectures of today and will establish priorities for moving forward. Delegates will benefit from the experience of leading advocates and adopters of global architectures, enabling them to recognize and deal with the issues. In the second part of the conference we will be continuing our work in the Programs that are responding to the cahllenges that are being identified.
The Open Group
Customers and suppliers are working together within The Open Group to facilitate interoperability across diverse infrastructures. They are realising an Applications Environment to support the IT DialTone - our way of describing the emerging global communications infrastructure. Many activities within the industry are contributing to this initiative. The job of The Open Group is overall integration, testing, certification and promotion, guided by an architectural approach backed up by industry standards.
Conference Goals
As well as increasing awareness and identification of issues, these conferences provide a forum for collaboration and resolution. With a focus on architecture, we will use the Open Group's IT DialTone Reference Model as a framework for our thinking. We would like to come away with a better understanding of what a generalised architecture has to accomplish and with positive suggestions for moving forward. In th Programs we will continue to develop critical pieces of the IT DialTone Applications Environment.
Plenary
This kicks off the conference with sessions designed to increase awareness and identification of issues. There will be excellent contributions from the following:
Allen Brown will introduce the conference and outline the objectives
Dr Toh will describe the legislative basis on which Singapore is moving forward with Electronic Commerce.
Michael Yap will introduce the Singapore ONE initiative that is a key part of making Singapore into an "Intelligent Island".
A group of 4 speakers from around the globe will show how global architectures can facilitate Joint Defence operations.
Nick Price will show how an architectural approach facilitates one of the region's largest retail operations.
Ted Hanss will point the way forward on global infrastructure through an explanation of the Internet 2 Project.
Dr. Jong Sung Sunwoo will show another approach to Electronic Government, this time in Korea.
Lars Henriksen will describe one approach that enables customers to develop their enterprise architectures
Mike Lambert will describe the role of Architecture within the Open Group tecnical vision.
Interactive Session
To capture some of the issues arising from the talks there will be an opportunity to discuss these amongst yourselves and put forward anything that you think deserves further consideration by Open Group participants. We'll explain this more later in the day but, as you listen to the presentations please make a note of anything that you think should be receiving more attention. We will collect these ideas from you later on. There will be a short session tomorrow to discuss the results of this.
Briefings
For the benefit of those who need to gain a gerenal appreciation of our work we have arranged concise briefing sessions that you can attend on Tuesday and Wednesday. No former knowledge of the Programs is needed to be able to take advantage of these. Coverage will include:
Key initiatives within the Management Program including Software License Management, Service Level Management, the Common Information Model and how customers could approach resource management within the enterprise;
The Security challenges of Electronic Commerce and some of the legal implications.; an Architecture for Public Key Infrastructure; the Common Data Security Architecture; relevant initiatives in Singapore and Hong Kong, including SmartCard;
DCE's early success, customer case studies and vendor updates an strategegies for the "New DCE";
The TOGAF Architecture Development Method and customer case studies demonstrating its effective use; The IT DialTone Architecture.
Programs
These are the engines for realising the IT DialTone Applications Environment. Each meets regularly and each is pursuing a series of improtant projects resulting in greater standardisation of available products.
The DCE Program is holding a "user group" session. The Program Group has a joint session with the Security Program Group here in Singapore and continues to run its regular Forum teleconferences.
The Management Program is holding a short working session covering architectural issues.
The Security Program is Advanced Authorization Services, Information Labelling, High-Level Security Services and PKI challenges.
The TOGAF Program is further evolving the TOGAF Architecture Development Method.
The Network Client Program is reviewing standards such as the Enterprise Open Client Product Standard and the "Open Browser".
The Architecture Board met last week. It is relatively new and still evolving. It's key value is in the way it will bring all the work of the other Programs together into a unified whole.
Technical Services
Think of this conference as the tip of an iceberg. What you don't see here this week are all the activities that deliver the actual specifications, test systems and certification programs and the procurement activities that promote the uptake of the various elements of the IT DialTone Application Environment as it develops. Should you need more information please take a look at our website or speak with a member of Open Group staff.
