Information Technology Architecture is the process of development of methodical information technology specifications, models and guidelines, using a variety of Information Technology notations, for example UML, within a coherent Information Technology architecture framework, following formal and informal Information Technology solution, enterprise, and infrastructure architecture processes. These processes have been developed in the past few decades in response to the requirement for a coherent, consistent approach to delivery of information technology capabilities. They have been developed by information technology product vendors and independent consultancies, based on real experiences in the information technology marketplace and collaboration amongst industry stakeholders, for example the Open Group. Best practice Information Technology architecture encourages the use of open technology standards and global technology interoperability.
Grady Booch, Ivar Jacobson, and James Rumbaugh are accredited with developing the first Unified Modelling Language (UML), currently the most successful (i.e. widely used) technology modeling language.
IBM was an early developer of formal solution and infrastructure architecture methodologies for information technology.