Architectures and technologies for the globally integrated enterprise

Abstract

This paper describes our practical experiences in developing and deploying a global delivery architecture throughout the IBM IT (information technology) delivery organization. IT delivery has been moving toward a globally integrated delivery operation, based on global centers in places such as Bangalore and Shenzhen, for its infrastructure outsourcing clients. This has presented many challenges: some technical, some organizational, and many to do with people and culture. We describe our architecture-based approach to global integration. We give an outline of the Global Delivery Architecture (GDA), which was specifically developed for this environment. We describe the core technologies within GDA that support this integration: the enterprise service bus, portals for internal and client use, and knowledge and configuration management. We also discuss the practical problems we experienced in developing and deploying the architecture, covering governance, organization, and cultural issues encountered as we build up global capability. Finally, we discuss how the architecture can be used at the individual client account level to enable a particular environment to be tailored for local needs. © 2009 IBM.