Oracle ACE

Oracle has recently expanded the Oracle ACE program to include members of the applications community. As a result of that expansion, lo and behold, I was recently named as an Oracle ACE...one of the first from the applications community. I guess it's true that the sun shines on every dog's rear end sooner or later.

As I understand it, the Oracle ACE award is given in recognition for enthusiasm and contributions in the Oracle user community. When I look at the list of Oracle ACEs, I see some very intelligent and well-known Oracle experts. I don't feel like I deserve to be in that group...I'm simultaneously humbled and proud to be included in it. I'm also grateful to the people who played a role in making this happen.

I'm honored to have received the Oracle ACE award and will try to measure up to the designation.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
- Changes, David Bowie

As Dennis Howlett pointed out earlier today, Gartner has released a "First Take" research note on the recent organizational changes at Oracle. The note provides information the recent changes at Oracle and also hints at some changes in my plans for JPL's move to Fusion Apps...maybe some changes for your plans too. Highlights from the note include:

• Chuck Rozwat will replace Wookey and manage all development for Oracle. Reporting to Rozwat will be Thomas Kurian, who remains responsible for Fusion Middleware. Steve Miranda, who has extensive applications experience, moves under Kurian and is responsible for Fusion Applications.
  

• There will be no delay in the release of Fusion Applications. Version 1 of Fusion Applications, which include financial, human resources, payroll, order management, core supply chain and core CRM functions, will be released in 2008.
  

• Rather than being a full-suite replacement, Fusion Applications will be a product line, co-existing with Oracle's other apps product lines. It will integrate with installed applications via the middleware.
  

The last highlight has me reconsidering JPL's roadmap, which was also posted here here in a series of articles earlier this year. The current roadmap assumed Fusion Apps would be a full-suite replacement with an upgrade path. According to Gartner's note, which is based on discussions with Oracle management, it sounds as though Fusion Apps will be a new co-existing product line. In that case, the path to Fusion Apps will be more of a migration path than an upgrade path. In addition, integration with installed apps (which may be necessary for those customers needing functionality outside the Fusion Apps functions, such as discrete manufacturing) will be accomplish through the middleware. If my observations here are correct, I'll need to reconsider two important points:

1. By it's very nature, a migration to a new product line is riskier, more difficult, and will require a greater investment than an upgrade.
   
2. I don't relish the idea of integrating Fusion Apps Financials (obviously running on Fusion Middleware) with EBS 11.5.10.2 Discrete Manufacturing, which definitely does not run on Fusion Middleware.
   

So, although I've been planning to hold JPL at 11.5.10.x until Fusion Apps come out, I'm now rethinking things. Moving to R12 as soon as possible may make more sense with the new information from this Garner note.

You can read the entire Gartner research note for yourself here.

And many thanks to James Hobbs, the Sr. Director of Global Programs at OAUG, for the idea leading to the title of this post...

Full And Open Disclosure

I’ve signed up for Oracle OpenWorld Connect, joined the Oracle Bloggers group on LinkedIn, and even expanded my account on Twitter. It’s a funny thing, but somehow I don’t feel any more connected than I did before. Anyway, following the lead of numerous Oracle bloggers, here’s my QuickConnect card in case anybody wants to hook up at OOW:

Getting to the real point of this post, I want to follow up on Jake’s "Can of Worms" article at Oracle AppsLab by making full and open disclosure about my status in attending OOW. Oracle has provided me with complimentary registration because I’m a panelist host on Sunday and a speaker on Thursday. I don’t believe the complimentary registration will cause any bias in my coverage of OOW, but I’ll let you be the judge of that. In any event, I wanted to be completely above board here. My employer, the Jet Propulsion Lab, is covering my travel expenses. My entertainment expenses will be covered by anybody with the poor judgment to pay for my entertainment...and, trust me, I will spend their money foolishly.

The Time Has Come Today

In the words of the Chambers Brothers, "The Time Has Come Today". But first, a little background…

Around the end of August, in the middle of the
“Short Fuse Stuff” article, I wrote about the opportunity to submit ideas for presentations at Collaborate 08.

The time to submit a presentation has come today…or at least pretty soon. The window of opportunity is coming to a close on October 28^th so, if you have a presentation you’d like to make, it’s time to make a submission.

You can learn more about OAUG’s call for presentations, including the nifty “Presenter Incentive Program” (i.e., cool prizes for presenters), here.

Personally, I’ve presented at both Collaborate and OpenWorld. It’s a great way to get feedback on your ideas and to build your network with other Oracle Apps users. I highly recommend it.

The Fruitcake Has Hit The Fan

Seems like the fruitcake has hit the fan over the past few days in Redwood Shores. Quoting the Wall Street Journal, the news coming from Oracle HQ is:

• John Wookey, the Sr. Vice-president of Applications Development, is leaving Oracle. (He may have already left or he may still be there to help smooth the transition of his departure, depending on who you believe. Oracle is not talking yet.) I've only had the opportunity to meet John a few times, but I was very impressed...I'm sorry to see him go.
  

• Thomas Kurian, Sr. Vice-president responsible for Fusion Middleware, will take over the development of Fusion Applications. Ed Abbo will lead all applications development outside of Fusion. Both will report to Chuck Rozwatt, an Executive Vice-president in charge of all applications development.
  

As is always the case, change of this magnitude is accompanied by plenty of rumors. Some of the most interesting rumors I've heard today are:

• Wookey was essentially fired because the development project for Fusion Applications is at least a year behind schedule.
  

• During OpenWorld 2007, Oracle will announce a delay of at least one year in the release of an integrated Fusion Applications Suite.
  

• Oracle will place all applications other than Fusion in "maintenance mode"; new releases will only consist of minor tweaks and bug fixes.
  

• Fusion Applications will not be a real applications suite, but simply a set of user interfaces on top of the Process Integration Packs and other Applications Integration Architecture components.
  

• Fusion Applications will never be released at all as a distinct product; Oracle will simply migrate Fusion Middleware to their existing applications suites and call the product line "Fusion Applications."

So with all this excitement flying across the ether of the Oracle Universe, what should we make of it?

First, let's stick with relatively reliable news. The Wall Street Journal says that Wookey is leaving and that the development groups will be reorganized under Rozwatt, Kurian, and Abbo. My experience has been that the Wall Street Journal is a pretty reliable and conservative source of high-quality journalism. When they report news, I generally believe it to be true. So let's put Wookey's departure and the subsequent re-org into the relatively reliable news category. I suspect there is more news coming but, for now, this is what we've got.

Second, let's recognize the rumors for what they are: "an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern". Because rumors are "unverified", experience shows that many rumors are just flat-out wrong. So let's not waste our money and resources in reacting to rumors and speculation. Instead, I suggest we sit tight until better information becomes available.

Third, what should we do with the reliable information we have? Frankly, I'd suggest doing nothing at this time. Software companies change managers as naturally as cats have kittens. Changes in leadership are just part of the business.

Fourth, keep your eye on the user groups as your best source of new information and strategies for managing change. For example, as I write this, I know that the folks at the Oracle Applications User Group (OAUG) are working hard to track Oracle's product development progress and provide strategies to their members as reliable new information becomes available (as a Co-Chair of the Fusion Council, I'll personally be working this issue this afternoon). Ditto for the International Oracle User's Council (IOUC). I'll reiterate information from the user groups here as it becomes available and provide my own thoughts on what it all means, but the user groups continue to be your best source of information.

So stay tuned. I'm sure there will be lots to talk about as the fruitcake continues to fly!

Clearing Away The Smoke

There's some serious fireworks going off these days in the Oracle universe: the acquisition of LogicalApps, the potenital acquisition of BEA, and next month's Oracle OpenWorld, just to name a few. It's a very exciting time, and it's easy to be distracted by all of the fireworks. Personally, I love tracking and speculating on this type of stuff. However, for many E-Business customers, it's an important time to stay focused on some important upcoming support milestones. Let's clear away the smoke from the fireworks and take a look.

Premier Support for E-Business Suite version 11.5.8 ends in November 2007. There is no opportunity to obtain Extended Support, which means that all support for 11.5.8 will transition to Sustaining Support in about two weeks from the time I write this post. The same situation will occur for 11.5.9 in June 2008.

The bottom line: if you're on a version of the E-Business Suite older than 11.5.9, you're treading on very thin ice. If you're on 11.5.9, you should probably already be in the process of planning an upgrade to 11.5.10 or Release 12 - please starting your planning today if you haven't already done so. While the fireworks may dominate the Oracle "buzz" for the next few days, don't let all the smoke cause you to lose sight of these important milestones.

Oracle Excellence Awards

Sorry about the recent inactivity here. I’ve been out of pocket for a bit over the past week, relishing the birth of my first grandchild. Now that I’m the proud grandpa of a healthy, sweet little baby girl, I’m getting back into the swing of things.

The one thing I’ve managed to accomplish over the past week is accepting a seat on the selection committee for the Oracle Excellence Awards. The honors, which will be presented at an awards ceremony during OpenWorld, are given in recognition for outstanding innovation in utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware with Oracle Applications.

If you’re already submitted a nomination for the award, good for you! If not, keep an eye on the award anyway…this may be an opportunity to borrow someone else's good idea rather than "reinventing the wheel".