MACH, at its core, is a philosophy that fuels speed, agility, and flexibility in delivering business outcomes. MACH is about technology that accelerates success instead of hindering digital teams.
Composability in the context of enterprise architecture is an approach to break down complex systems into modular components, no matter their size. Composable components are modular by definition, therefore, modularity is the leading concept. These modules exhibit the characteristics of:
- Orchestration: Coordinate and manage the interactions between components
- Discoverability: Components that can be located, accessed, and reused easily and
- Autonomy: Components that can function independently of each other.
The ultimate goal of composability is to empower business teams and reduce dependencies to technical teams as much as possible.
While MACH embraces the composable architecture approach, there are some important nuances to consider. Not all technologies that meet the criteria of composability align with the MACH philosophy.
That's why the MACH Alliance has defined stringent and transparent technical criteria for MACH certification. This ensures that companies utilizing MACH-certified technology can trust that these tools enable their teams to push the boundaries of digital innovation, achieving unparalleled speed and success.
Digital leaders can expect any MACH-certified technology to seamlessly fit into a composable architecture ecosystem. However, it's crucial to be aware of the slight differences that may impact your goals of delivering smaller, faster, and more cost-effective solutions with minimal maintenance.
Side Note: Embarking on a MACH journey is an exciting endeavor. The length and complexity of this journey depend on various factors specific to your organization. To evaluate your readiness, consider conducting a MACH Maturity Assessment. This assessment will provide valuable insights and serve as an excellent starting point for taking the first steps towards embracing the MACH philosophy.
1. Not MACH: On-Premise Deployment
In the context of software, on-premise refers to installing and operating it at a physical location, usually within the organization's premises. This approach is the complete opposite of being 'cloud-native' and does not meet the criteria for MACH Alliance. However, it may still be considered composable.
The benefits of outsourcing infrastructure operations to public cloud providers, such as availability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, are well-known. Only a few highly regulated or high-security enterprises can justify on-premise operations when considering the total cost of ownership.
In many cases, on-premise deployment of third-party applications involves using versioned software. (Below, we will delve into the intricacies of versioned APIs.) Upgrades are required to access new functionality, and the responsibility for performing upgrades rests with the organization that purchased the software. This process incurs additional time and costs, often leading to freezes in growth-driving programs during upgrade periods.
According to our 2023 research, legacy technology users still allocate 21% of their IT budget to upgrades. In some cases, this figure rises to half of their budget and time. Additionally, these figures do not account for the opportunity cost of missed growth that could have been achieved with the time and resources allocated to upgrades instead.
2. Not MACH: Managed Platforms
Managed Platform, also known as Hosted Platform, refers to technology that is typically operated on cloud infrastructure but managed by a vendor or their partner on behalf of their clients. These platforms often utilize older, monolithic software components that have not yet transitioned into modern cloud-native service oriented architectures architectures.
For customers, this means longer setup times, increased maintenance responsibilities, and potential upgrade costs due to the limitations of legacy technology. This additional operational workload is typically passed on to the customer, resulting in higher expenses. Furthermore, strict and inflexible service level agreements (SLAs) are common consequences.
One significant drawback of Managed Platforms is their limited ability to allow customers to freely extend and innovate. Customers are often required to run their additional functionality within the same environment as the managed platform, rather than on their preferred cloud infrastructure. This makes it challenging and potentially prohibitively expensive for customers to replace the managed platform with an alternative solution.
3. Not MACH: Versioned APIs
Cloud-native SaaS software is known for continuously adding new functionality without the need for upgrades. However, there is an important aspect that often goes unnoticed: API versioning.
While this may seem like technical jargon, it has significant implications for business operations. APIs play a critical role as the foundation of connectivity between different tools and technologies in your unique stack. They ensure smooth processes and workflows throughout your entire digital environment. APIs are crucial for delivering fast and reliable continuous innovation in a brand's digital customer experience.
In order to be MACH certified, APIs must be versionless. This ensures consistency and stability for development teams when creating new functionality or automated processes. A microservices-based approach limits API changes to specific services, reducing risk and making changes easier to manage.
By contrast, using a stack with versioned APIs puts the burden of staying up to date on vendor releases onto the internal development team. This introduces maintenance overhead and increases the risk of breaking connectivity and experiencing downtime.
Legacy architectures require vendors to version their entire API estate globally, leading to potential errors and inconsistencies. Customers may be required to revisit their entire code, even for functionality they may not use.
4. Not MACH: Monolithic deployment models
When a brand wants to introduce new digital experience functionality, the deployment model they choose can make all the difference. A monolithic deployment means that an entire application is deployed as one large entity. On the other hand, an atomic deployment enables brands to deploy only the necessary components for the new launch.
Monolithic deployments pose numerous challenges for highly innovative digital teams. The most significant impact is the cost of change. Deploying the entire application takes time, increases the risk of failure, and creates operational overhead in terms of storage and bandwidth.
Scalability is another concern with monolithic deployment architectures. These deployments require vertical scaling to meet maximum demand, regardless of whether all functionalities are needed at peak times. This means that extra resources are sitting idle and costing money outside of peak periods.
In a MACH deployment world, brands can release new code to their digital experiences multiple times a day. However, if a monolithic component hinders these deployments, it slows down innovation velocity and forces organizations to revert to bi-weekly deployments. This results in decreased flexibility and inhibits business growth in digital channels. Microservices offer targeted scalability, allowing specific services to be scaled up or down as needed.
By embracing composable deployments, brands can reap the benefits of faster, more efficient, and cost-effective digital experience delivery.
MACH certification as your digital growth insurance
Adopting a MACH approach is crucial for brands seeking future-ready technology that propels digital business growth. It ensures streamlined operations and cost efficiency while avoiding the pitfalls of legacy vendor marketing tricks.
To make informed decisions, technology buyers should inquire about cloud support, delivery models, API versioning, and deployment options. As a general guideline, the faster a brand wants to evolve, the more important it is to choose MACH-certified software.
The MACH Alliance is dedicated to helping technology decision makers navigate through the complexities of the composable vendor world and ensure their investments align with their business objectives.
If you’re setting out on your own MACH and composable journey, take a look at the MACH Alliance MACH Book which provides details of all certified members. It’s a great place to start.
Author: Dom Selvon, Chairperson on MACH Alliance Executive Board