As business needs become ever greater and more complex it has been necessary for IT to evolve from delivering point solutions towards a complex, interrelated landscape of applications, interfaces and infrastructure supporting the business processes of a company. As applications and systems increase in number and complexity, there is a need for an overview and a structured approach for integration. For architecture to deliver true value, a comprehensive and holistic view is essential, one that can connect all of the different types of architecture through a common framework and common vocabulary across the various communities. This holistic view of the business through the use of architecture is becoming even more critical as Service Oriented Architecture and the Service Oriented Enterprise become the way that many organizations think about and organize their business.

In the IAF the Enterprise and Solution Architectures are the focus of the approach. This architectural approach thus bridges the gap between Business/IT Strategy and Solution Development.

Enterprise Architecture develops the overall business and technology framework for an enterprise and is concerned with the whole lifecycle to ensure that the business vision, objectives and targets are achieved and, more importantly, maintained and updated to reflect internal and external influences and changes.

Solution Architecture typically governs supports and delivers specific initiatives within the overall Enterprise Architecture framework. Solution Architecture is focused on a small part of the overall Enterprise Architecture and is very much focused on delivering a specific goal or outcome.

As a sign of the maturity of the IAF it has been accepted by The Open Group as a recognized architecture method in their IT Architecture Certification (ITAC) program.