Canonical Information Modeling Is Key To Many Information-As-A-Service And SOA Strategies

Forrester recently surveyed 1,017 decision-makers at North American and European enterprises on the adoption of service-oriented architecture (SOA) and related technologies including information-as-a-service (IaaS). Compared to other SOA technologies like the enterprise service bus (ESB), IaaS shows stronger adoption, though not as great as business process management (BPM). Of those who see SOA as a priority or critical priority, 41% already use IaaS, and another 14% plan to pilot or adopt the technology within 12 months. Additionally, 39% of the 76 enterprise architects who responded to Forrester's October 2007 Global Enterprise Architecture Role Online Survey said they are working on a canonical information model as part of their SOA, ESB, or IaaS strategy. This result accords with Forrester's experience, which is that canonical modeling is becoming a critical element in implementing IaaS. Information architects should prepare accordingly.