Investigation into the Impact of Integration of Mobile Technology Applications into Enterprise Architecture

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a role or function that primarily ensures the Information Technology strategy and implementation within an organization is correctly aligned with its business strategy and objectives. An EA function focuses on the collection and analysis of information including software applications, business processes, business information (data), technology, and governance (people). The result of this analysis delivers the technology strategy and the roadmap required to support what the organization is trying to achieve. Mobile Technology (MT) integration into the EA function creates the opportunities to deliver and respond to rapidly growing organizations that require immense flexibility from a technology perspective. This is so because mobility can overcome the boundaries of time and location in the dealings of the organization. The result of this extension is the creation of a Mobility Enterprise Architecture (M-EA) model, which will provide the organization with advantages of realtime business processing, better customer and end-user services, and the addition of increased control across the entire organization. This chapter brings together the experience of an Enterprise Architect with a Ph.D research candidate to investigate the M-EA model and its implementation. The chapter includes an overview of EA and M-EA models and also includes investigations of the advantages; limitations and blueprint overcome those challenges of M-EA implementation.