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 benefits 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:

1. 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.

2. Understand a common language - TOGAF certified professionals share common knowledge and expertise that can help these individuals better identify business needs.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Boost your salary and your career - PayScale indicates that average salaries for TOGAF certified professionals start at more than $80,000.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Networking Opportunities - As is the case with all certifications, getting certified in TOGAF 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.

12. No Prerequisites for Taking the 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 certification is valid for a period of 2 years and needs to be renewed by paying a fee of $300.

TOGAF Training

Simplilearn offers TOGAF 9 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.