What type of architecture focuses on the alignment between technology and business processes?

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a design pattern that emphasizes the alignment between technology and business processes by allowing different services to communicate with each other over a network. SOA enables organizations to integrate their business components and applications in a way that is both flexible and responsive to changing business needs. It achieves this by encouraging a modular approach where services operate independently but can interact seamlessly, thereby promoting reuse and agility within the organization's IT ecosystem.

SOA facilitates the creation of systems where the functionality can be easily adjusted or expanded to meet new business demands. This is particularly valuable in today's business environment, where the ability to adapt quickly can provide a competitive advantage. In contrast, other architectural types may focus more on specific aspects such as data management or software design without necessarily ensuring alignment with business objectives. Data-centric architecture, for instance, focuses primarily on the management and organization of data rather than the integration of technology with business processes. Network architecture emphasizes the design of network infrastructure, and software architecture deals with the structural aspects of software design and implementation. While these areas are important, they do not directly address the overarching goal of aligning technology solutions with business strategies in the way that SOA does.