Joël Quimper, Architect Advisor MDSN, Top Architecture Authority

This week, Stephen Ibaraki has an exclusive interview with Joël Quimper.

Joël Quimper is an Architect Advisor for Eastern Canada, working mainly with architects in large accounts, helping them to leverage the richness of the Microsoft Platform in order to allow them and their business to realize their full potential. Joël has extensive experience into designing service oriented solutions and using web services. He is passionate about interoperability and how with .Net you can leverage the existing enterprise investments.

Before joining Microsoft, he worked 10 years for IBM Canada in several roles. Most recently, he worked as a WebSphere Integration Architect. He worked with several customers in successfully implementing SOA solutions.

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

The latest blog on the interview can be found in the IT Managers Connection (IMC) forum where you can provide your comments in an interactive dialogue.
http://blogs.technet.com/cdnitmanagers/

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic
:00:57:		Joël profiles his background and how he got to his present position in his career. "....With all the technical aspects I really wanted to bridge the user insight and I felt the lack of business alignment and that is why I became an architect for MSDN for Eastern Canada...."
:03:12:		What is your viewpoint on the current state of SOA? "....I am a big fan of service orientation into design...I have started to see projects that move towards that....architecture and infrastructure that can support virtualization of service that supports the loose coupling of separation....We are getting there...."
:05:40:		Joël comments on how he sees this tying into things like Software Plus Services.
:06:57:		What are the major interoperability challenges and their solutions? "....The definition by the IEEE is the ability of two systems or two components to exchange a message and use the information that has been exchanged....and I think that describes it all. The challenge is to build a component so they can exchanges messages in a format we can understand...."
:09:04:		From your work, what insights can you give that would be of value to the audience? "....good enough is really important....we tend to be techno-centric...."
:11:37:		What are your recommended best practices? "....'Get mentors'...I think it's important to get mentors that complete you in an aspect that you are not necessarily comfortable with....'Get other interests'....This balance is very important....One of my sensei used to say if you don't have a half an hour in a day to take a break then take one hour....That is one of my personal best practices...."
:13:23:		Joël talks about some of the key mentors he has had throughout his life. "....When I want to develop a skill I find someone who has it and I accompany them....You have your formal mentors, the people you sit with and get feedback.....Then you have your informal mentors ....there are several people I admire and read their stuff and learn from them...."
:14:49:		What are five little known but essential tips? "....Networking is the most important tip....Complete yourself, not clone yourself....Be constructive....Assume that globally, society is bright....Have fun...."
:21:26:		What are the most important current roadmap-level tips involving solution architecture? "....A roadmap is really something in between business and IT. Governance and business aspects and having understanding of the business way of thinking - understand their needs - understand the major trends....Model Driven architecture....towards service-oriented architecture, service orientation, portfolio management....Some things you really need to be aware of as a solution architect to be able to bring those two worlds together...."
:25:33:		What is the most important broader IT and business challenge and solution in 2008? "....I think it's all about collaboration and I think it's the biggest challenge...."
:27:24:		The industry is changing. What advice would you give to IT professionals to stay on top of what is happening in the industry in order to position them and their organization to benefit from these trends? "....Be informed....Be curious....Have fun....Be honest to yourself....Find challenges and address them constructively....There is an old adage that every large quest started with a single footstep (take the first step)...."
:28:53:		In your current role, what do you find are the biggest challenges, and their solutions (ie in your current job)? "....Communication....Collaboration....Religion in technology...."
:32:34:		Three stories (something surprising, unexpected, amazing, or humorous) from his work.
:37:14:		Joël provides some predictions of future IT/Business trends and their implications/opportunities. "We have a shortage...less resources....This generation that is coming are savvy, ambitious, don't want to work an 80 hour week and will have an enormous impact into an organization. They develop their own solutions....There are also several business and IT trends ....The trends that are coming we need to have a global view on them. I think for all of them the opportunity is for IT to position itself as a strategy asset through collaboration and communication...."
:40:41:		Joël's top recommended resources.
:44:23:		What question would you ask yourself (if you were the interviewer) and what would be your answer? "....How can we make IT a strategic asset?...."