We are pleased to announce the publication of the Cartography Tool (CarTool). It brings together high level support for the EIRA as a plug-in for the popular ArchiMate® modelling tool Archi®. It includes both editing features, to model solutions using the EIRA, and querying features to query an EIRA-based Cartography of solutions. Using the CarTool assumes familiarity with the EIRA and its related concepts. More about EIRA can be read on the dedicated Joinup page. The CarTool follows an automatic update model and always supports the latest EIRA version.

1.1   What can I use it for?

The main purpose of the CarTool is to be instrumental in creating and maintaining a Cartography of solutions using the EIRA as its structure. The CarTool can be used by architects, analysts and portfolio managers in European and National public administrations for the following purposes:

• ICT solution development: to design new solutions based on the EIRA and its SATs, making use of existing, reusable solutions and proposed interoperability standards.
• New legislative proposals: to assess ICT implications of policy changes by searching related solutions in the solutions’ Cartography. 
• Public procurement: to define tender specifications based on proposed standards, and use of specific building blocks.
• Portfolio management: to assist in managing and rationalising a solution portfolio, and comparing its solutions’ architectures.

1.2   What are the CarTool’s benefits?

The CarTool responds to a key demand from Member States to have a tool with which they can model their solutions based on the EIRA, and to implement their National Cartographies following the EIRA’s structure. In support of this, key benefits that the CarTool brings are:

• It is a free of charge plug-in designed to be used in the, also free of charge, Archi® tool.
• It does not require special permissions or prerequisites for its installation.
• If offers first class support for the EIRA and simplifies the EIRA’s use in both the modelling of new solutions and the querying of existing ones.
• It promotes reuse by making suggestions based on what you are modelling.
• It enhances data quality by minimising manual work and ensuring consistency.
• It allows offline use and customisation so that you can tailor it to your working needs.
• It helps you stay up to date with the latest EIRA version and Cartography updates.

1.3   Release details

This release consists of the following release components:

• CarTool_logo_v1_0_0.zip; CarTool© logo, which can be used for creating a desktop icon
• CarTool_v3_1_0_release_notes.pdf; the release notes of this release.
• CarTool_v3_1_0_user_guide.pdf; a PDF document containing an introduction to the CarTool©, including its description, installation, an overview of features and how to use them, as well as the relation between the EIRA©, the Cartography and SATs.
• eu.europa.ec_.eira_.cartool_3.1.0.v20200707-1423.jar; the plugin to be installed.
• ISA Product License v1.3; the product licence.
• CarTool_v3_1_0.zip; an archive containing each of the above-mentioned files.

1.4    Further comments

If you would like to provide further comments on the CarTool release, you could do so by sending your feedback to DIGIT-EIRA@ec.europa.eu and by using the Joinup contact form.