Integrate 2010: Uniting the World of IT

I am pleased to announce a very special joint event from NEO-IASA, itSMFusa, NOSQAA, NEO-SPIN, and HDI North Coast Ohio:

Integrate 2010: Uniting the World of IT
June 24-25, 2010 in Cleveland, OH

Keynote Speakers:

• Scott Ambler. IBM
• David Cannon, HP
• George Spalding, Pink Elephant
• Bob Balassi, Maryville Technologies

Abstract:
In spite of the unequivocal recognition of the need for Business - IT Alignment, the corporate IT departments continue to operate thru the silos of Enterprise Architecture, Application Development and Operations. In order to become a true business enabler, IT must not only deliver services fast but also ensure smooth and cost-effective operations. This requires a holistic approach to designing, delivering and managing IT services across the service lifecycle and mandates systematic integration of processes and tools across Enterprise Architecture, Application Development, and IT Operations.

Integrate 2010 aims to bring professionals from all silos of IT under one roof and draw attention to the critical yet often ignored area of integration of Enterprise Architecture (EA), Application Development (AD) and IT Service Management (ITSM).

An Essential Conference for Professionals in IT
Recent economic, regulatory, and technological events are creating new challenges and opportunities for Northeast Ohio business. Business and IT alignment is needed now more than ever to meet these challenges and capture new opportunities.

Integrate 2010: Uniting the World of IT brings the Enterprise Architecture, Application Development, and Operations disciplines together. Enterprise Architecture is essential to aligning IT with the business, and to establishing the direction for Application Development. This is an important conference for IT & Enterprise Architects as well as their stakeholders.

Scott Ambler has been and remains at the forefront of unifying IT disciplines. He is a thought-leader in Enterprise Unified Process (EUP), Enterprise Architecture, and Agile software development.
NEO-ITEA invites its members and friends to this important conference.

About Scott W. Ambler
Scott Ambler is a software engineer, consultant and author. Currently, he is the Practice Leader Agile Development at IBM Corporation in the IBM Methods group. He is the author of several books focused on the Unified process, Agile software development, the Unified Modeling Language, and CMM-based development. Notable books include: 1] Enterprise Unified Process: Extending the Rational Unified Process; and, 2] The Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture (with James McGovern, Mike Stevens, James Linn, Vikas Sharan, and Elias Jo)

Event Highlights:

• Two content-rich days packed with insightful sessions by industry experts in EA, AD and ITSM
• Four keynotes - One each in the area of EA, AD and ITSM and one dedicated to the integration of these three areas
• Four tracks (four sessions per track) - One each dedicated to EA, AD and ITSM and one dedicated to the integration of these three areas
• A joint communique / manifesto extolling the principles of integration of EA, AD and ITSM to be released by industry experts
• Exhibitor area for vendors
• To be held within the Greater Cleveland area with target audience from OH, Eastern Michigan, Indiana and Western Pennsylvania

Websites:
http://gcle.itsmfusa.org/?q=content/integrate-2010
http://itsmfusa.org/
http://www.neoiasa.org/

REGISTER NOW!
This conference is an incredible value at only $49.oo!
http://itsmfusa.org/greater-cleveland-lig-integrate-2010-attendee

Contacts:
itSMFusa: Dhiraj Gupta, President
NEO-IASA: Joseph Starwood, Secretary

* * *

Being an “Agile” Signatory

Recently, I posted a Status Update on LinkedIn announcing that I had become an “Agile” Signatory.
Those of you who follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter will know that being an “Agile” Signatory aligns with my overall attitude toward information technology. You may recall some recent posts: “Enterprise architecture is at the nexus of business and technology”; “IT Architects are business professionals who apply architectural skills; just as other business professionals apply their skills”; and, “Architectural Organic Unity: containing all required & nothing unnecessary, all relationships & integrations being essential & inevitable.”
I received an excellent reply from Steve Braver, “This would appear to conflict with your previous update on PM Best Practices, unless your position is that SDLC and Agile can both be valid approaches depending on the nature of the organization and project. That's what I believe.” __ Steve Braver, LinkedIn reply, 2010-APR-29
His thoughtful reply is the inspiration for this posting.
Actually, there is no conflict at all. Project Management methods and Solution Development Lifecycle (SDLC) methods are just that -- methods. Agile is, among other things, an approach to how to best tailor and apply a method – it is a mind-frame.
As I've read "The Enterprise Unified Process: Extending the Rational Unified Process" and "A Practical Guide to Enterprise Architecture", I've come to realize that I applied an Agile approach even when I worked with DoD standards. Many people think that DoD standards imply a boxcar load of documentation and process. However, that is not true. I was taught to tailor the DoD standards to just what was needed for the project. I've always taken a business-oriented suitably-tailored approach regardless of the method at hand: DoD, NASA, FIPS, Hoskyns, Method-1, GS-Method, and RUP.
RUP, which is extended to the EUP and AUP, can be performed "Agile" or not. In fact, I recently (a few years back) worked with a client that over-engineered RUP with process and documentation. It became quite unwieldy as well as entirely unnecessary. I observed that the tendency to over-engineer process and documentation was linked to a profound lack of understanding of a subject -- in this case, RUP.
I’ll continue to read these two books until I complete them. I am sure I’ll learn much more, However, at this point from reading and experience, I see no conflict between having methods and being Agile.
__ Joseph Starwood (www.linkedin.com/in/JosephStarwood)