SPARK @ Mix: Workshop Discussion

Today, new social movements, advances in technology, and forces within business are overlapping to create a landscape glutted with challenges and opportunities. In many cases, these forces have driven the deployment of new technologies and the adoption of new behaviors, adding multiple layers to an already complex set of issues that must be navigated. Architects are searching for a solution that helps manage this complexity. SOA, Software as a Service, Web 2.0, and Edge are all elements of the solution, but are they the complete picture? Are they a sufficient answer to the issues? Can they be used together in a productive and efficient fashion? What matters most? SPARK was a high-level collaborative workshop hosted by Microsoft to examine "the issues that matter most" in the practice of strategic architecture and produce guidance for the industry as a whole. This session provides a recap of the workshop, a review of the materials produced by the workshop, and an opportunity to direct questions to some of the workshop participants.