OracleAppsBlog

Friday, September 30, 2005

Oracle Executive Blogs and Corporate or CEO Blog lists

Niall Litchfield mentioned the other day that Oracle Executives are now blogging. I thought I’d give it a quick mention on this blog as well as provide some links to other corporate and CEO blogs. 

It’s nice to see that they’ve finally caught up with SAP who’ve had executive blogs for quite some time.

The executives blogging so far and their profiles are as follows: -

John Wookey
John Wookey is senior vice president of Applications Development, responsible for the strategic direction and development of JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, and Oracle business applications. He has worked with Oracle applications including Customer Relationship Management, Financials, and Projects, as well as Oracle’s Healthcare, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Student Systems groups.

Jesper Andersen
Jesper Andersen is senior vice president of Application Strategy, where he is responsible for the overall product strategy and direction for Oracle’s business applications. He brings more than 15 years of development and technical experience to his role with the company.

Cliff Godwin
Cliff Godwin is senior vice president of Applications Technology. His Applications Technology Group is responsible for ensuring that Oracle Applications effectively leverage Oracle’s systems technologies, and for building the common objects and services used throughout Oracle Applications.

Although these are called blogs they aren’t interactive as they don’t have comments enabled. It would be nice to see Oracle follow in the footsteps of the General Motors fastlane blog and have comments enabled. Certainly this would allow them to have a two way conversation with their customers. Secondly, these Exec blogs don’t have RSS support, hopefully this will be provided in the future.

If you’re interested in taking a look at other Corporate or CEO blogs then browse the following lists maintained at the New PR Wiki:

CEO Blogs List
CEO Intranet Blogs List
Corporate Blogs List
Product Blogs List

Related entries:

SAP versus Oracle Blogs
Oracle Executive Biographies

Tags

del.icio.us: blog, blogs, ceo, cliff+godwin, corporate, executive, fastlane, general+motors, gm, intranet, jesper+andersen, john+wookey, list, niall+litchfield, oracle, pr, wiki,
technorati: blog, blogs, ceo, cliff+godwin, corporate, executive, fastlane, general+motors, gm, intranet, jesper+andersen, john+wookey, list, niall+litchfield, oracle, pr, wiki,

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Headstart Oracle Designer for Oracle Apps 11i

I recently stumbled across the Headstart web pages on the Oracle site and since I’d never heard about it, thought I would do a post on it so that I could educate myself as well as other readers as to what it really is.

According to the Headstart Oracle Designer site:

Headstart Oracle Designer is an add-on to Oracle Designer, based on Oracle Consulting best practices. It consists of two components:

1. Headstart Template Package, a sophisticated set of templates and reusable components that allow you to 100% generate a truly professional Graphical User Interface (GUI) which can be deployed on the Web.
   
2. Headstart Utilities, a productivity suite that checks and enforces the world wide Oracle Custom Development standards and significantly accelerates your development cycle through automation of time-consuming tasks in Oracle. Headstart fully support CDM RuleFrame with powerful utilities that transform business rules to business rule design definitions, create deployment packages for your business logic layer and let you create an access layer to your business logic in only a few moments. For more information on CDM RuleFrame take a look at the related white papers.

You’ll find fact sheets, demonstrations, white papers and related offerings on the site.

Headstart for Oracle Apps 11i apparently provides you with the following benefits:

• Fast delivery because of the highly productive tool set
• Fully integrated analysis and design information in a single repository
• GUI that is fully compliant with forms-based Oracle Applications
• Easy to maintain systems that are fully documented, fully generated, and completely managed from a central repository
• Headstart for Oracle Apps unites the power of both Oracle Designer and the Application Object Library. Headstart for Oracle Apps lets the powerful application generators of Oracle Designer use the objects from AOL. Headstart for Oracle Apps, in conjunction with the Application Object Library, allows the generators to generate application modules that have the same look and feel as the forms used in Oracle Applications. Menus, messaging, navigation, user interface components and special Oracle Applications features are fully generated by Oracle Designer.
• It is also possible to build applications that interface with the Oracle application server model. You can load these models in Oracle Designer.You can then reference these server model objects, such as views, into your new modules, which allows you to fully generate that module.
• In addition Headstart for Oracle Apps provides you with a number of utilities that fully support CDM RuleFrame and boost productivity by automating time consuming and error prone tasks.

Would appreciate comments and feedback from anyone who has used Headstart.

Tags

del.icio.us: 11i, apps, designer, headstart, oracle,
technorati: 11i, apps, designer, headstart, oracle,

Friday, September 23, 2005

Oracle and Peoplesoft web site integration

Got a mail this morning from Judith Sim - Oracle Senior Vice President, informing me of changes to the Oracle.com web site.

According to the first section of the mail entitled Web Site Update:

With Oracle and PeopleSoft now operating as one company (except for operations in Japan), we’ve integrated our two Web sites, giving you a single view of the combined companies and making it easier for you to find relevant information online. We have made a number of improvements to Oracle.com, including streamlined navigation, such as a new A to Z product index to help users easily and quickly find details about all Oracle and PeopleSoft product and service offerings. We have also enhanced the quality and depth of information offered. For example, we have completely redesigned and augmented the Industry pages and expanded the section related to our Oracle Fusion Middleware offerings.

Enjoy checking out the updated sections which I’ve linked to above!

Tags

del.icio.us: fusion, middleware, oracle, peoplesoft,
technorati: fusion, middleware, oracle, peoplesoft,

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Download Oracle OpenWorld San Francisco presentations

Although I’m not physically present at Oracle OpenWorld San Francisco it’s nice to be able to follow what’s happening through OpenWorld online where you can view keynotes, sessions, online demos, webcams and the photo gallery. The blog center also provides some interesting analysis and commentary.

I’ve noticed a couple of people linking to presentations and was frustrated that I couldn’t access them as a username and password was required. Little did I realise that there is a publicly available username and password.

Featured Applications Tracks at OpenWorld this year are:

• Applications Strategy
• Applications Technology
• Corporate Performance Management
• Customer Data Management
• Financials
• Fulfillment
• Human Resources
• Maintenance
• Manufacturing
• PIM Data Hub and PLM
• Procurement
• Projects
• Sales and Marketing
• Service
• Supply Chain Planning

The Content catalog has a comprehensive listing of presentations that you can download. Use the following username and password:

username: cboracle
password: oraclec6

You should also check out the Oracle OpenWorld archives where you can download presentations from previous events.

There’s really enough presentations to keep you busy until OpenWorld 2006. I’m going to try and come up with a listing of the best ones I come across.

Tags

del.icio.us: 2005, download, oow, openworld, oracle, presentations, san+francisco,
technorati: 2005, download, oow, openworld, oracle, presentations, san+francisco,

ITtoolbox Cognos Blog

I came across a Cognos blog at ITtoolbox the other day which I though I would give a mention. Cognos has been around for as long as I’ve been implementing enterprise systems. In my former days as a BaaN consultant we used to use it and even with Oracle it’s a viable option when it comes to reporting.

According to the Cognos site:

Cognos is the world leader in business intelligence (BI) and performance planning software for the enterprise. Our solutions let companies improve and direct corporate performance by enabling all of the key steps in the management cycle—from planning and budgeting, to measuring and monitoring performance, to reporting and analysis. Cognos is the only company to support all of these key management activities with a complete solution that spans all of the essential components of CPM—enterprise planning, scorecarding, and business intelligence.

The About section of the Cognos Blog states the following:

I’ve been developing financial, accounting, and production reports for the last 20 years. Follow along as I share practical experiences in making Cognos Impromptu and Powerplay have a major impact on how organizations do business. I’ll also talk real life systems development, work philosophy, and more about the kind of people I’ve met along the way.

The Author is none other than Atlanta Dan and his bio reads as follows:

I have been developing financial, accounting, and production reports for the last 20 years. I started as a CPA who fell in love with the Apple and Supercalc. Over the years I have had to master Dbase II, Lotus, MS Office (Excel and Access), SQL, and dozens of other languages to make all kinds of reports work. Powerplay and Impromptu captured me 14 years ago and I have yet to find better reporting tools. I started developing for IWR and PPES 5 years ago. Hand-in-hand with these tools I have been developing the related SQL server queries and objects, including developing and implementing data warehouses, marts, and other data staging techniques to provide the data in the format needed by Cognos Powerplay and Impromptu.

Some interesting articles have been posted to date. Enjoy reading!

Tags

del.icio.us: BI, blog, business+intelligence, cognos, impromptu, powerplay,
technorati: BI, blog, business+intelligence, cognos, impromptu, powerplay,

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Oracle buys G-log, a logistics and transportation management software company

I thought Oracle had bought enough companies this year, evidently not. They’ve just announced the purchase of G-log which will provide a Comprehensive Logistics Management Platform to Complement Oracle’s Supply Chain Applications. According to the press statement:

Redwood Shores, Calif 20-SEP-2005 Oracle announced today that it agreed to buy G-Log, a privately held provider of logistics and transportation management software. The parties anticipate closing the transaction by the end of 2005, subject to certain regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. Financial details were not disclosed.

Globalization, increasing fuel costs, outsourcing, increased security and regulation, and transportation capacity shortages are driving the need for sophisticated logistics and transportation applications. G-Log delivers a single platform to plan, optimize, execute, analyze, and react to every aspect of supply chain flow. By bringing together logistics processes, data, knowledge and analysis in a single business engine, G-Log’s products allow companies to lower the total cost of ownership while giving them the ability to drive an integrated, information driven enterprise.

“The acquisition of G-Log will allow Oracle to offer a comprehensive supply chain and logistics management solution through which companies can better manage their global supply chains,” said Oracle Senior Vice President of Applications Development Rick Jewell. “With G-Log’s proven transportation management platform and Oracle’s leading technology infrastructure, ERP and supply chain applications, customers will now have an integrated offering for the lean enterprise.”

Over 50 percent of G-Log’s customers have Oracle applications and after completion of the acquisition, it is expected customers will recognize immediate benefits from the combination. G-Log’s customer base includes industry-leading shippers and logistics service providers such as Big Lots, Brown Shoe, DuPont, Exel, Family Dollar Stores, Giant Eagle, Halliburton, Kuehne & Nagel, Rohm and Haas, Tesco, Toll Solutions, UPM and Volvo.

“By combining the talents and products of both organizations, Oracle will be better able to address evolving customer needs and effectively respond to industry trends that are driving the demand for complex logistics solutions,” said G-Log Chief Executive Officer David Cairns.

This is an interesting deal, according to an AMR Research article, entitled Oracle Buys G-Log, Potential Top Slot in SCM:

If Oracle can execute and all other market assumptions stay the same, the acquisition has the potential to propel Oracle past SAP to the No. 1 slot in 2005 Supply Chain Management (SCM) market share.

Looks like Oracle is definitely turning up the heat on SAP! I read with great amusement this ITtoolbox article entitled SAP executive knocks Oracle-Siebel deal, says Oracle will fail which outlines how Bill McDermott, chief executive of SAP’s North American unit, told participants at a recent mergers-and-acquisition conference, Oracle “continues to fail, will continue to fail, and we’re going to help them in every way we can.” Looks like things are getting nasty!!

Tags

del.icio.us: AMR, Bill+McDermott, g-log, glog, logistics, oracle, SAP, SCM, software, transport,
technorati: AMR, Bill+McDermott, g-log, glog, logistics, oracle, SAP, SCM, software, transport,

Monday, September 12, 2005

More Enterprise Software Consolidation - Oracle buys Siebel

Big news. Oracle has bought Siebel for $5.85 billion. There’s been speculation about this deal for quite some time now and personally I was certain it was going to happen. It just makes sense for Oracle to do this if they want to compete effectively with SAP. 

According to the press release:

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., 12-SEP-2005 Oracle Corporation (Nasdaq: ORCL) announced today that it agreed to buy Siebel Systems, Inc (Nasdaq: SEBL) for $10.66 per share. The offer is valued at approximately $5.85 billion, or $3.61 billion net of Siebel’s cash on hand of $2.24 billion.

“In a single step, Oracle becomes the number one CRM applications company in the world,” said CEO Larry Ellison. “Siebel’s 4,000 applications customers and 3,400,000 CRM users strengthen our number one position in applications in North America and move us closer to the number one position in applications globally.”

“Today is a great day for Siebel Systems’ customers, partners, shareholders, and employees,” said Thomas M. Siebel, Chairman of Siebel Systems. “The combination of Siebel applications with the development capacity of Oracle to enhance our CRM product set assures our customers continuing success. This is a very beneficial business combination that will allow us to be even more effective in delivering high quality, leading edge solutions into the hands of satisfied customers.”

“This is a customer driven event. Our joint customers have consistently recommended this transaction to both companies for over a year,” said Oracle President Charles Phillips. “We will embrace Siebel’s best-in-class CRM products and make the features of those products the centerpiece of our Project Fusion CRM.”

Tags

del.icio.us: CRM, oracle, SAP, siebel,
technorati: CRM, oracle, SAP, siebel,

Friday, September 09, 2005

Oracle to Podcast from Oracle OpenWorld San Francisco 2005

In a recent press release, Oracle has announced they will be podcasting at the Oracle OpenWorld Conference in San Francisco. This means Customers, Partners and Developers will be able to download and listen to valuable content anytime, anywhere

According to the press release:

For the first time ever, content will be available via podcasting at the upcoming Oracle OpenWorld San Francisco conference, Sept. 17 - 22, 2005 at Moscone Center. The Oracle OpenWorld podcasts will deliver news and information about each daily theme including Oracle Fusion Middleware, Oracle Applications and Oracle Database and Grid technologies. Attendees will be able to download audio programming and store content for future use and those who are not able to attend the show benefit from access to valuable, relevant information.

Oracle already offers a series of podcasts on its OTN (Oracle Technology Network) website - called Oracle OTN TechCasts - as part of a broader effort to communicate directly to its developer and DBA community on a variety of current and technical topics. Interviews with executives such as Vice President of Product Strategy Ken Jacobs and Senior Director of Product Management Roel Stalman are currently available via podcast through the Oracle OTN website or audio portals such as iTunes.

During Oracle OpenWorld, Oracle will conduct interviews with technology experts that will be syndicated through the OTN TechCasts RSS feed. By subscribing to this feed, users will be able to download these podcasts in the common MP3 audio format via iTunes 4.9 or podcast clients such as iPodder or Doppler to portable music players free of charge. Users can subscribe to the OTN TechCasts feed - or download standalone MP3 podcasts- from the OTN website at www.oracle.com/technology/syndication/techcasts/index.html.

“Oracle is one of the first companies to bring podcasting to a conference to reach audiences who may not have been able to attend,” said Senior Vice President Oracle Worldwide Marketing Judy Sim. “Also, the breadth of information available at Oracle OpenWorld will be extensive. By podcasting, OpenWorld attendees will be able to listen to relevant content long after the show is over.”

More on this announcement at the official OTN Blog.

Since I’m not going to be at the conference this year, I’m looking forward to monitoring as much as much of the activity as I can online and this announcement is a really good one.

Tags

del.icio.us: openworld, oracle, OTN, podcast, sanfrancisco, techcasts,
technorati: openworld, oracle, OTN, podcast, sanfrancisco, techcasts,