Mahbouba Gharbi is member of the Advisory Board of this year's SAG – Digital conference. Due to this function and her role as Chairwoman of the Board of iSAQB, we had a number of questions for her about software architecture trends and the international significance of iSAQB.
Mahbouba, you are a member of the Advisory Board of the iSAQB Software Architecture Gathering 2022. What current topics and trends in software architecture were particularly important to you in selecting this year's program?
Normally, most conferences are trend-oriented. However, the SAG program is not only about innovations in software architecture. Software architects should not have to follow a trend just because everyone else is doing it. Too often, with all the trending topics, people forget that most teams are working on software systems that have been around for years and will continue to evolve in the years to come. As more and more processes in companies are digitized, expanding and modernizing existing software landscapes are the first major challenges at this point. The SAG program will highlight both new trends and current challenges in software architectures. The topic of quality specifications and their influence on architecture decisions is also an integral part of the conference (e.g., "Quality Goals Make the Difference" by Peter Wagner and Uwe Neukam and "Clarifying Quality Requirements for Architectural Design" by Claudine Allen)
Which sessions or workshops are you personally looking forward to in particular?
I would have liked to attend all the sessions. But unfortunately, it is not possible due to time constraints. 🙂 I am especially looking forward to the session of Ismael Velasco, "Modernizing Monoliths: Principles, Patterns, Risks and Roadmaps" and "Managing the Complexities of Multi-Party Integrations" by Bill Penberthy. Uwe Friedrichsen's session "Resilient Software Design - The Past, the Presence and the Future" and Rebecca Parson's keynote "Evolutionary Architecture and Architectural Governance" will be my conference highlights!
What do you see as the future trends in software architecture?
The IT world is very dynamic. Trends come and go. Trends that address the issue of the adaptability of software systems to constantly changing market situations will play an increasingly important role in my opinion. Artificial intelligence and domain languages are expected to become increasingly important in the future. Dealing with big data will also strongly shape our software architecture world. Influencing factors such as the environment or ethical issues will also play a major role!
You are also the Chairwoman of the Board of the International Software Architecture Qualification Board (iSAQB), which aims to standardize the education of software architects internationally. How do you see the international development of the profession of a software architect and how can the iSAQB support it?
I am very pleased with the progress iSABQ has made on the international stage. We have been able to establish important clusters of partnerships in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, among others. The number of iSAQB-certified software architects is growing rapidly. By now, more than 27000 people worldwide have successfully passed the Certified Professional for Software Architecture (CPSA) exam.
Our syllabi and exams are available in different languages. This promotes internationalization. We are also very interested in attracting international members from all over the world. We will increase our presence at international conferences. Furthermore, we are planning partnerships with other international boards such as IREB and ISTQB.
The journey continues, our goal is still to establish the software architecture as a discipline according to a standardized scheme. We will continue to develop existing curricula further and new ones will be added. We look forward to input and suggestions! Our curricula are accessible to everyone who wants to contribute! Welcome!
Sponsoring a conference is a terrific way to support and connect with our global community of software architects.
