New mega-association for enterprise architects announced

This just in: The Association of Open Group Enterprise Architects (AOGEA) today announced a merger with the Global Enterprise Architecture Organization (GEAO) to form what it calls "the largest professional body for enterprise architects in the world."

At the time of this announcement, the combined organization serves more than 9,000 members in 72 different countries. The AOGEA and GEAO, which will retain their respective names for the indefinite future, will be administered by The Open Group. The merged organization, the press release says, "will focus on advancing the Enterprise Architecture profession by helping to develop and enforce standards of excellence and ethics for all members."

EAs are the essential bridge between technology and the business, and there aren't enough of them. Let's hope the increased muscle this merger brings helps attract more people to the profession -- organizations need all the expertise they can get. And as the economy starts expanding again, and organizations seek out new avenues of growth that require business technology agility, EA skills shortages will get even more painful.