I am for the next two days participating in the annual danish e-gov architecture conference 07 (OIO Arkitekturkonference 07). I am seeing forward to meet my former colleagues and others in my network and to meet new people.

The conference is a must for everybody involved in e-goverment. You can watch the videos and blogs here.

With background in the B103, Parliamentary decision about mandatory open standards are we on the behalf of our EA-programme working on flowing activities:

- Dialogue with our it-projects, primary focussing on requirement specifications and tenders. It is done as a part of our existing IT-Governance model
- Update of our existing standards catalogue. We have taken the standards from The national e-gov interoperability Framework, which we are focusing on strategically.
- Continuous observing of the latest developments in standards, especially Open XML and ODF.

Moreover should all the ministries (ministeromraader) ultimo 2007 prepare a action plan for implementing B103, where it gives value for the business. We will also be involved in this work.

Regarding the very hot topic about document-standards, especially ODF and Open XML it is interesting, that ISO has agreed to put Microsofts Open XML on a fast-track approval process that could see Open XML ratified as an international standard by August.

It is especially interesting regarding the B103 Danish parliamentary decision about open standards.

Read more here.

No doubt about that it is difficult to explain Architecture and especially Enterprise Architecture to the business. We have also faced this challenge though we have a serious communication plan with many communication activities. Until now we were convinced about that our EA-programme can substitute an IT-strategy. Now we are working on an IT-strategy, because it is more understandable and easier to sell to the business. An IT-strategy is like other sub strategies leveraged from the Business Strategy. Moreover it is more easy, simple and tangible to communicate a 10 pages IT-Strategy-document.

Here are some theoretical considerations. According to for example Peter Herzum is the purpose of EA to align Business Strategies with IT-strategies => IT-strategies can be a result of EA. On the other side is the result of a well designed IT-strategy an Enterprise Architecture, which supports the Business by the best means. Moreover is IT-Governance essential for connecting Business and IT and EA is one of the best practices for supporting IT-Governance. There for there is mutual correlations between EA and IT-Strategy.

In the context of Architecture and especially EA this video explains what enterprise architects do, what a plan is and why an organization needs architects.