A solid introduction to the practices, plans, and skills required for developing a smart system architectureInformation architecture combines IT skills with business skills in order to align the IT structure of an organization with the mission, goals, and objectives of its business. This friendly introduction to IT architecture walks you through the myriad issues and complex decisions that many organizations face when setting up IT systems to work in sync with business procedures.Veteran IT professional and author Kirk Hausman explains the business value behind IT architecture and provides you with an action plan for implementing IT architecture procedures in an organization. You'll explore the many challenges that organizations face as they attempt to use technology to enhance their business's productivity so that you can gain a solid understanding of the elements that are required to plan and create an architecture that meets specific business goals. * Defines IT architecture as a blend of IT skills and business skills that focuses on business optimization, business architecture, performance management, and organizational structure * Uncovers and examines every topic within IT architecture including network, system, data, services, application, and more * Addresses the challenges that organizations face when attempting to use information technology to enable profitability and business continuityWhile companies look to technology more than ever to enhance productivity, you should look to IT Architecture For Dummies for guidance in this field.