An architecture for information


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November, 2004

You can build a house without a blueprint or an architect, but chances are it won't be very functional or expandable. Modern buildings derive their utility from the skillful integration of many formalized systems — visual design, mechanical engineering, public utilities, and land use regulations. It's interesting that the first architecture program in the U. S. appeared at M.I.T. in 1865, 39 years after the first railroad began operating in Quincy, Massachusetts. To grow and meet the needs of the emerging industrial age, the railroad and building industries had to develop an architectural discipline with standards, public infrastructure, and professional managers.

Architecture for information
A similar architecture has begun to emerge to meet the needs of the information age, just as the the Dewey Decimal System was created in 1876 for the industrial age. In spite of its proven value in facilitating global trading networks, most senior managers have resisted the idea of creating an enterprise information architecture (EIA) to integrate disparate departmental functions. The task is neither particularly expensive nor technically difficult, but there are usually internal cultural barriers, and until recently, the motivation has been lacking.