Enterprise Architecture Tools Become a USD1 Billion Strategic Battleground – CDOTrends

Enterprise architecture (EA) is having a moment. After years of being dismissed as slow, rigid, or misaligned with agile ways of working, EA is now at the center of one of the fastest‑growing, most strategic software markets. Our latest research confirms that the EA management suite market has surpassed USD1 billion and its momentum is transforming how organizations govern complexity, prioritize investments, and prepare for an AI-driven future.
EA roles and departments are expanding at a record pace. AI adoption, modernization programs, and rising portfolio complexity demand architectural guardrails that accelerate coherent, scalable delivery. The market reflects this urgency: From USD200–USD250 million in 2018 to more than USD1 billion today, EA’s growth underscores its strategic role in governing complexity and enabling transformation.
For deeper insight, see Architects Must Go Where Value Flows And Make Process Outcomes The Center Of EA, where we argue that EA earns influence by shifting from governing artifacts to improving business outcomes. And in The AI Automation Fallacy, we warn that automation amplifies both strengths and weaknesses, making architecture crucial to prevent AI from magnifying complexity.
Three major forces are converging:
Vendor consolidation is accelerating. SAP acquired LeanIX; Bizzdesign merged MEGA International and Alfabet; Orbus bought Capsifi; and ServiceNow transformed its Application Portfolio Management module into a full EA offering. These moves expand global reach, unify capabilities, and create mature platforms that address both architecture and portfolio needs.
Large vendors now lead innovation. SAP LeanIX, ServiceNow, and Bizzdesign now dominate the EA tools market and will dictate where the market goes next. Their investment in AI‑powered modeling, integrated analytics, and cross‑suite experience creates both opportunity and potential lock‑in considerations for buyers.
EA is becoming the backbone of the future IT control plane. As we’ve discussed in “CMDB” Is Dead — Long Live The IT Management Graph, the industry is shifting from isolated repositories to unified, analytics‑driven platforms. EA tools are now integrating financial governance, portfolio management, and architecture into a single operational decision layer. This signals a future where EA becomes the operational nerve center for business‑technology strategy.
EA has moved from advisory to essential. Businesses accelerating AI adoption face mounting technical debt, cloud sprawl, and regulatory pressure. Architecture tools now provide the connective tissue that links investments to outcomes and keeps complexity in check. Modernizing architecture practices enables organizations to navigate disruption with clarity and confidence. Those that fail to evolve will struggle under the weight of their own complexity.
Read the full report and see what’s coming next: Enterprise Architecture Tools Become A $1 Billion Strategic Battleground.
The original article is here.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CDOTrends. Image credit: iStockphoto/ONYXprj
Stéphane Vanrechem is Forrester’s senior analyst serving enterprise architecture (EA) professionals. His research focuses on EA and sustainability. He is part of the EMEA Technology Architecture & Delivery research team. Stéphane has more than 30 years of experience in the IT industry across consulting, software, insurance, retail banking, investment banking, consumer finance, and equipment finance. His experience is diverse and has led him to work in the US, managing both onsite and offshore teams to build information system software.
Charles Betz is Forrester’s vice president and principal analyst. He leads Forrester’s enterprise architecture (EA) priority, providing guidance to EA professionals worldwide on evolving a relevant, modern, and valuable architecture practice. He is deeply engaged in researching the transformation of the IT operating model, particularly the impact of generative AI, agile, DevOps, and product thinking. He leads the Forrester Enterprise Architecture awards program, now in partnership with The Open Group. He has previously led Forrester’s DevOps and enterprise service management coverage.
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