Affiliation:
1. The University of Tennessee, USA
2. Auburn University, USA
Abstract
Organizations that lack a coherent strategy for managing and evolving their IT platform and resources end up with fragmentation within the organization. Because the need for data sharing and systems integration is not always limited to the internal organization, the boundaries between the organization and its customers, vendors, suppliers, and partners are often blurred. It appears to be evident that organizations must have a clear idea of where they stand in regards to their own Information Technology Architecture (ITA) before preparing to adopt a new, shared ITA. This paper applies the reach and range concept and theory associated with strategic information systems planning to conceptually position ITA as a concept that provides convergence of a variety of frameworks related to IT and business alignment.