This article covers the following topics and also some solid reasons to get TOGAF certified right away:
- What is TOGAF®?
- Why use TOGAF®?
- What do TOGAF® certified professionals do?
- Top reasons to gain TOGAF® certification
- TOGAF® 9 exam and certifications details
- TOGAF® certification training
What is TOGAF®?
TOGAF® or “The Open Group Architecture Framework” is a developmental method used by enterprises to plan and design their IT architecture. The first version of TOGAF® was started in 1995 and was based on the Technical Architecture Framework designed by the Department of Defense (DoD). Shortly after, the DoD handed over the framework to the Open Group Institute, which has handled it ever since.
TOGAF® is used to help organizations design an IT infrastructure that is adapted to meet their requirements. This is where trained TOGAF® professionals come in; they communicate with various department heads and help design and implement an IT strategy quickly and effectively.
Why use TOGAF®?
TOGAF® takes a high-level approach to the framework that an enterprise uses to plan, design, implement, and manage its Enterprise Architecture. Enterprise architecture is broken down into four distinct domains (data, technology, application, and business) and heavily relies on existing, standardized products and technologies.
Organizations implementing or planning to implement enterprise-wide technical infrastructure to support mission-critical business applications using open systems building blogs benefit from using TOGAF®. Those who design and implement architectures using TOGAF® principles enjoy design and procurement specifications that help facilitate open systems implementation while reducing risk. TOGAF® 9 training and certification also benefit those who are interested in working on IoT projects.
What do TOGAF® Certified Professionals do?
As a TOGAF® certified professional, you’ll act as a “simplifier” who can demystify complex technical processes. Developers and technical leads get certified in TOGAF® to help master the principles of Enterprise Architecture and ensure their career path to architect and senior architect positions.
Enterprise Architects, or EAs, develop the organization’s long-term IT strategy—one that supports the overall business strategy. They create the technology and applications roadmap to direct and steer the organization—based on TOGAF® standards for technology infrastructure. EAs are responsible for ensuring that all aspects of the technological flow are defined and that IT and IT-enabled processes run smoothly from start to finish.
As generally work on transformational programs across various portfolios, managing a number of different meetings and projects, which may include:
- Architecture Strategy: all the aspects of IT architecture strategy, including determining the current state, transition, and desired path for the strategy.
- Architecture Review Boards: a periodic meeting of stakeholders who discuss and approve changes to the current architecture.
- Portfolio Management: as it pertains to the health and status of the IT infrastructure.
- Governance Committees: stakeholder committee that makes decisions on standards, policies, and protocols, particularly about security and requirements.
- Technology Lifecycles: determines how changes and versioning will be implemented for the variety of technologies used by the organization.
In short, TOGAF® certified professionals ensure there is alignment between an organization’s ideals and goals and aspects of information technology. Often considered strategic management roles, TOGAF® certified professionals are sought out primarily by the largest organizations. Additionally, those who are interested in working on IoT projects can also benefit from TOGAF® training and certification.
Download our eBook Roadmap to the TOGAF® Certification here
Why Get a TOGAF® Certification?
We’ve put together a list of twelve reasons you should get a TOGAF® certification:
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High demand for enterprise architects
As IT technology and architecture become even more tightly integrated into an organization’s success, savvy companies are using TOGAF® to plan how their business’s enterprise architecture is managed on both a short- and long-term basis.
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Understand a common language
TOGAF® certified professionals share common knowledge and expertise that can help these individuals better identify business needs.
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Staged approach
This enterprise architecture exam has two levels—Foundation and Certified. This approach allows professionals to learn the basics and build on that knowledge as they become experts.
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TOGAF® is a budget-friendly certification
The cost of the certification can be as low as $320. That’s just for the foundation exam alone; you can also sign up to take both exams for $495. Even if you add in the costs of training courses, getting trained in TOGAF® is a clear investment for your future.
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Boost your salary and your career
PayScale indicates that average salaries for TOGAF® certified professionals start at more than $80,000.
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Explore New Opportunities with a TOGAF® certification -
Large enterprises trust certifications. The simple reason for this standardization. By getting certified, you show industries that you have been trained and tested by an industry-recognized board and are well-versed in concepts that are pertinent to the field. Thanks to this trust, getting certified in TOGAF® opens doors for you that may otherwise not be possible. Large enterprises like banks, hospitals, and other industries will trust your skills and look at you to solve their enterprise management problems.
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Speak a Language Common to all Professionals in Your Field -
Working as a TOGAF® professional requires a great deal of communication. You plan and implement an IT environment for your organization, which requires you to interact with other professionals. As a certified professional, you learn to speak the language common to all professionals in your field. This makes collaboration easy and getting everybody on board with your ideas possible.
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Meet Your Company’s Needs Better
Most organizations seek ways to do the most with the least amount of time and effort. This principle is the focus of TOGAF®. A TOGAF® course trains you on how to perform tasks with efficiency. This training could reduce your company’s costs and increase its profit margins.
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Work on Your Managerial Skills
A TOGAF® certification mixes the technical with the management aspects of IT and as a result, is a great stepping stone for aspiring managers. TOGAF® professionals often design IT infrastructure keeping a bird-eye view on things, which means that they have to consider and weigh different perspectives when implementing a project. This experience makes them a shoo-in for a management role when they apply.
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Validate Your Skills
TOGAF® is a recognized certification. As enterprise architecture goes, there are few other certifications that have the same hold that TOGAF® has on industries. A TOGAF® certification is a mark of trust. Companies trust your skills and knowledge when it has been validated by a TOGAF® certification.
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Networking Opportunities
As is the case with all certifications, getting certified in TOGAF® Certification means that you can meet other professionals in the same field. You can develop contacts, understand new trends in the industry, and share ideas that could improve TOGAF® principles.
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No Prerequisites for Taking the TOGAF® Certification Course
Unlike others, TOGAF® does not have any requirements for taking the certification. As a result, professionals who seek to start a career in the field of IT architecture will find it easy to do so after getting certified.
TOGAF® 9 Exam and Certifications Details
- There are no prerequisites to take the TOGAF® 9.1 Level 1 (Foundation) course. Anyone can take it.
- The TOGAF® 9.1 Level 2 exam requires you to first complete the Level 1 course before you start this.
- In case you fail your exam, you can retake it after 30 days. However, you are allowed only 3 attempts every year.
- The TOGAF® 9 certification for individuals has no renewal.
TOGAF® Certification Training
Simplilearn offers TOGAF® Certification Training (Combined Level 1 & 2) that gives you 90 days of access to instructor-led online classes as well as 180 days of access to high-quality, self-paced learning content designed by industry experts.
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The Open Group®, TOGAF® are registered trademarks of The Open Group.
