Consistency, Interoperability, and Agility in IT Architecture Concepts

C.

Of the options presented, the best IT architecture concept to ensure consistency, interoperability, and agility for infrastructure capabilities is B. Standards-based reference architecture and design specifications.

Explanation: A. Establishment of an IT steering committee: An IT steering committee is a group of high-level executives who are responsible for making decisions about IT projects, policies, and procedures. Although an IT steering committee can help to ensure consistency and interoperability across an organization's infrastructure capabilities, it is not the best concept to ensure agility. IT steering committees can be slow to make decisions and can sometimes hinder agility by introducing bureaucratic processes.

B. Standards-based reference architecture and design specifications: A standards-based reference architecture is a set of design principles, best practices, and specifications that define the architecture of an IT system. It provides a framework for consistency and interoperability by establishing common design patterns and interfaces. Standards-based reference architectures are typically developed and maintained by industry consortia or standards organizations, and they are often implemented using open standards. The use of standards-based reference architectures can also promote agility by enabling rapid deployment of new capabilities through the reuse of existing components.

C. Design of policies and procedures: Designing policies and procedures can help to ensure consistency and interoperability by establishing guidelines for how IT systems should be designed, implemented, and maintained. However, policies and procedures alone may not be sufficient to promote agility. In some cases, they can actually hinder agility by introducing unnecessary bureaucracy or by requiring extensive review and approval processes.

D. Establishment of standard vendor and technology designations: Establishing standard vendor and technology designations can help to ensure consistency and interoperability by limiting the number of vendors and technologies that are used within an organization's IT infrastructure. However, this approach can also limit agility by restricting the organization's ability to adopt new technologies or to respond quickly to changing business requirements.

In conclusion, the best IT architecture concept to ensure consistency, interoperability, and agility for infrastructure capabilities is B. Standards-based reference architecture and design specifications. It provides a framework for consistency and interoperability, promotes agility through the reuse of existing components, and enables rapid deployment of new capabilities.