Collaborate 11: What Looks Good To Me

Collaborate 11 kicks up next weekend in Orlando, Florida (assuming the weather and the US Government budget permit the planes to fly). I'm looking forward to it for several reasons: 1) getting face-to-face with friends I only see a few times each year; 2) gathering more user stories from Oracle Applications customers; 3) hearing more about Fusion Applications (some folks on this subject are sharing more info, while others appear to not know what they're talking about - some presentations will be educational and some will just be entertaining).

As usual, I can't get to all the interesting stuff in this conference. I'll be focusing on Fusion Apps, E-Business Suite, and maybe a little SOA and BI if I can get it in. Based on those focus areas, this is what looks good to me at Collab 11:

Product Release Announcements

I expect we'll hear about one significant product update, possibly two. We may also hear about one or two product releases…I definitely see some noisy water on a few fronts, so it'll be interesting to see if any results surface during the conference. This is all speculation on my part, but isn't that half the fun of Collaborate?

Oracle Fusion Soup to Nuts II

It's nice to see Soup to Nuts take on a life of it's own. I haven't really had any role in this year's set of workshops, but it's good to see other people running with the idea. It's taken on a life of it's own and this year's agenda looks really strong.

My Presentations

I'll be presenting twice on Fusion Applications:

• Fusion Applications: A Peek Under The Hood, Session ID 7631, Monday, 3:45 - 4:45 in Room W105B

• Fusion Applications: How Is The Journey So Far?, Session ID 7642, Tuesday, 3:15 - 4:15 in Room W105B

I'll be walking my usual thin line between sharing information without getting myself into legal trouble…should be an entertaining dance, so come on by if you have the time.

E-Business Presentations

Oracle E-Business Suite Technology: Vision, Release Overview and Product Roadmap - Lisa Parekh

Get Ready for EBSR12.1! Tasks to Complete Now to Ease The R12.1 Upgrade Process

Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut Factor at the World's Largest Healthcare Payer - John Stouffer

Key Techniques and Tools to Reduce Your Oracle E-Business Suite R12 Technical Upgrade - Elke Phelps

Advanced Technology Deployment Architectures for Oracle E-Business Suite - Steven Chan

Leveraging Cloud Computing in an ERP Eco-System - Mike Rulf

Oracle E-Business Suite Applications Strategy and General Manager Update - Cliff Godwin

Oracle E-Business Suite and the Coexistence Strategy with Fusion Applications: Platform Perspective - Nadia Bendjedou

CS - Accounting in R12: Procure-to-Pay Process - Mohan Iyer

Technical Roadmap for Oracle Fusion Middleware, E-Business Suite R12 and Oracle Fusion Applications - John Stouffer

SML Publisher in E-Business Suite for Newbies - Srini Chavali

Business Flow Overview and Master Data Management - Mohan Dutt

Fusion Applications

Oracle Fusion PPM: Next Generation Project Portfolio Management Applications - LIam Boyd

Record to Report Business Flow in Oracle Fusion Applications - David Haimes

Fusion Applications - Move Now or Wait? - Debra Lilley

Implementing Fusion Applications Using The Oracle Unified Methodology - Bruce Dehner

Oracle Fusion Middleware Extensions and Patterns for Oracle Fusion Applications - Paul Johl

Oracle Fusion Applications Technical Architecture and Deployment Overview - Steve Miranda

The Fusion Applications' User Experience: Transforming Work into Insight

Other Stuff

Facebook for Oracle! All About Oracle Webcenter for Non-Technical Folks - Basheer Khan

Physical Ordering of Data - Is It Ever Useful? - Mark Farnham

Understanding Oracle and Industry Cloud Computing Directions - A Decision-Maker's Guide - Ron Batra

Grid Next Generation - The Virtual Enterprise Extended - Ray Payne

So there you have it...my picks, for what they're worth. Collab 11 looks to be a pretty spiffy gathering...hope to see you there (look me up and say "hi").

Making Sense Of It All

"To make light of philosophy is to be a true philosopher." - Blaise Pascal

Most of us would agree that life can be pretty confusing at times...it can be tough to figure out what's going on and how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. And, as big a fan as I am of roadmaps that attempt to make sense of it all, most of those roadmaps confuse me even more (check out Blaise Pascal's "Pensees" for an outstanding example of how an explanation of the human condition can be even more confusing than the human condition itself). So I'm very appreciative when I find a roadmap, an explanation, or any type of tool that lays out a clear explanation of a complex condition.

With that thought in mind, the IOUC's Debra Lilley pointed me to a nifty web page today that is well worth sharing. I don't know about you, but I have a tough time keeping track of Oracle's acquisitions and how the acquired products fit in with Oracle's offerings...I'm pretty confused about some aspects of Oracle's execution of the "Innovation Through Acquisition" strategy. It turns out that Oracle has a web page that lays it all out; you can find it here. Check it out - it's a great clarification of the acquisitions over the past three years. Even better, the page and it's links lead you to an explanation of how acquired products fit into Oracle's various product lines and suites. Great tool for making sense of it all - try it out and let me know what you think.

OpenWorld 2007 - Monday Communique

Some of the major developments on Monday...

Oracle Mix - the buzz of the show this year is Oracle Mix, a pretty spectacular means of sharing ideas, getting answers to questions, and networking. Oracle took their Connect apps, applied what they learned, then released Connect outside their firewall for the entire Oracle community to use. Mix is pretty nifty - my gears are really turning on ways we can use this stuff within JPL and NASA. Check it out for yourself.

Fusion Applications - Although the information available on Fusion Apps continues to be limited, the IOUC did present a managed release of a strategic roadmap wizard for customers considering a move to Fusion Apps. It's pretty high-level stuff, but the questions considered are very similar to those I went through in my own shop while building JPL's own roadmap.

Fusion Middleware - Lots of good information on increasing the functionality of ERP applications with Fusion Middleware, including a good model presented by Nadia Bendjedou and Markus Zirn that helps draw some lines between extensions and customizations. There's also some emphasis on using Oracle Irep, which seems to be new information for many people here...as a near-daily user of Irep as a reference for finding APIs in the E-Business Suite, I'm amazed at the number of people don't know about it or use it.

Oracle VM - Oracle announced the release of Xen-based Oracle VM, a hypervisor that provisions virtual servers, manages virtual environments and moves applications from one server to another while the program continues to run. VM is a hot space at the moment, so it's not a suprise to see Oracle unveil a VM product.

On a personal note, I had a great time with the OracleAppsLab crew at the 21st Amendment last night. They're a small crew of very talented people more than willing to share their thoughts on innovation and Web 2.0, especially as those things apply within the enterprise.

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!

Ready For Your 15 Minutes Of Fame?

In 1968, artist Andy Warhol stated that “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” If you’re an Oracle Applications User's Group ("OAUG") member and you have a compelling story to tell about your use of Fusion Middleware technology, your opportunity for that 15 minutes of fame may be at hand.

The International Oracle User’s Council (“IOUC”), in cooperation with Oracle, is sponsoring a series of podcasts on the experiences of Oracle Applications users with Fusion Middleware. The podcasts will be recorded over the next two to three months. OAUG is sponsoring members with relevant stories for participation in this program. If you are interested in sharing a relevant story, leave a comment here before July 13 with a return email address – I’ll provide you with instructions on submitting your story for consideration by the IOUC.

And, by the way, if you use Oracle Applications but you're not an OAUG member...you're missing out on some great value.