Architect: a person who makes global decisions.

What does the construction industry teaches us about the role of an architect when creating a house: One must bring together the cement,the plumber, the carpenter, the electrician, the cabinet maker,to finish and more to make a home. Architects of all sorts must aim for the high ground, and challenge anyone who thinks that software architecture is about writing software. One must look at the problem being solved as well as how conditions will change in the future. Understand the ground, the infrastructre, the servers, operating systems, networks, firewalls.

When you go to a new place, it's good to have a tour guide, some one who has made friends with the local people, knows the food, the customs, the lay of the land. The tour guide is someone who can add spice to your trip and who will steer you away from detours and disasters.

Etymology

Middle French architecte, from Latin architectus, from Greek architekt on master builder, from architect On builder, carpenter - Architect   : a person who designs buildings and advises in their construction.

In the same way the Information Technology architect, create solutions with computers. He has been down many roads on the information super highway. He has put together solutions to problems using many different pieces of technology.

His blueprints are computers printouts, flowcharts and, models. His boards and bricks are computers; networks web servers, applications, and databases. His glue and nails are scripts, sockets, and programs.