TECHNOLOGY, FAQ: Oracle OpenWorld's Burning Questions

Oracle's OpenWorld conference, which kicks off Sunday in San Francisco, could be the biggest one yet for the company, which entered the hardware game last year through the purchase of Sun Microsystems and is closing in on US$40 billion in revenue.
But the bigger the company, the more questions it has to answer about its future directions and past promises. The tens of thousands expected at OpenWorld and its sister JavaOne conference will be in search of all the details.
An Oracle spokeswoman declined to comment on the company's planned announcements for OpenWorld, but through interviews with industry experts, reasonable speculation and some digging, here's a look at some of the most important questions facing Oracle going into the show.
The final word on Fusion Applications?
It's no longer fair for anyone to say Oracle's long-awaited Fusion Applications aren't real, but they aren't yet generally available in the traditional sense. Oracle recently put the next-generation suite into "controlled availability," where customers must undergo a type of readiness assessment before Oracle lets them buy anything.
For the past couple of years, Oracle has pulled back dramatically on the Fusion Applications hype as development on the next-generation suite chugged to a conclusion. Fusion is supposed to combine the best attributes of Oracle's other ERP (enterprise resource planning) lines, such as E-Business Suite and PeopleSoft, along with pervasive BI (business intelligence) functionality.
"It's important for them to say 'we're open for business with Fusion' and show some customer adoption" at OpenWorld this year, said Forrester Research analyst Paul Hamerman.
Oracle Senior Vice President Steve Miranda is expected to do something along those lines during a keynote address and customer panel discussion on Wednesday.
There are other gaps for Oracle to fill in the Fusion Applications story, namely just how the reported SaaS (software-as-a-service) option will work and be priced. So far, pricing has only been released for the on-premises versions.
Oracle also could make clearer what current E-Business Suite, JD Edwards and PeopleSoft customers are entitled to under their maintenance payments in terms of an upgrade to similar Fusion modules.
Customers shouldn't expect too many scary surprises, according to Frank Scavo, managing partner of the IT consulting firm Strativa.
"Oracle's got to make this attractive from an economic perspective, otherwise there's going to be tremendous inertia," he said.
But Oracle should also give existing customers a sense of what's in store if they don't immediately upgrade to Fusion, Scavo added. "Clearly, Fusion is the future. What kind of investment can [the installed base] expect for their maintenance dollars going forward? Are they going to see the best features of cloud computing, mobile technology and social [software]?"
All eyes on Exadata and Exalogic?
Observers expect Oracle to announce a number of new engineered systems that combine software and hardware, much like its initial forays in this area, the Exadata database machine and Exalogic application server.
"We expect Oracle to discuss customer adoption of its Exadata solutions, which continues to be impressive," Forrester Research analyst James Kobielus said via email.
Oracle has also indicated that Exalogic has been doing well, but specifics on that front have been fairly slim compared to Exadata. More specific adoption rates or details on high-profile Exalogic deals could come at OpenWorld.
As for those new machines, Oracle couldn't wait for OpenWorld to announce one of them. Last week, it rolled out the Oracle Database Appliance, sort of a miniature version of Exadata aimed at SMBs. On Monday, it unveiled an Exadata-like "supercluster" machine based on its SPARC chips.
At the show, it's possible that Oracle will announce new appliances that target specific software products, including Fusion Applications.
Any evidence the 'soup-to-nuts' stack play is working?
Exadata and Exalogic are part of Oracle's ongoing attempt to position itself as a one-stop shop for IT buyers, with the ability to sell customers everything from storage to business applications in tightly engineered packages.
This strategy has an obvious downside to overcome, namely the specter of total lock-in to a single vendor.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see whether Oracle can show off a high-profile customer or two at OpenWorld who has bought into the super-stack vision in a big way, not just as an Exadata or Exalogic user.
As it turns out, one of those customers may end up being Oracle itself.
Oracle Chief Corporate Architect Edward Screven and systems chief John Fowler are scheduled to deliver a keynote on Wednesday that will "present the latest on Oracle's engineered systems and talks about how Oracle runs its business on Oracle hardware and software--and the success it is achieving by doing so."
Hullabaloo about Hadoop?
The Hadoop open-source framework for large-scale data processing is getting major interest from many vendors in the database and data warehousing arena. So far, Oracle hasn't made a huge investment. But it could lay out broader plans for Hadoop at OpenWorld.
"Oracle has been conspicuous for its absence from the Hadoop market," Kobielus said.
At least one possibly new Hadoop-related product will be discussed. "Oracle's loader for Hadoop lets you use the power of Hadoop to process data and load the results into Oracle Database for analytics," reads a description for a demo to be held at OpenWorld.
In addition, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said earlier this year that the company would launch a "big data accelerator" involving Hadoop at OpenWorld.
Oracle's in-memory computing play
Rival SAP has been rebuilding its long-term software strategy around HANA, an in-memory database that is the brainchild of co-founder Hasso Plattner and technology chief Vishal Sikka.
Ellison, whose flagship Oracle database currently powers many an SAP installation, has been somewhat dismissive of HANA's potential and said Oracle has been in the in-memory game for a long time, in an apparent reference to Oracle's TimesTen software, an in-memory database cache acquired in 2005.
OpenWorld is supposed to feature the debut of an "in-memory accelerator" for Exadata, according to remarks Ellison made earlier this year. But it's not clear whether this will constitute an entirely new product or something based on TimesTen.
Movement on mobility?
Hamerman is also looking for Oracle to flesh out its strategy for mobile applications. "They've been a little bit behind on mobile," he said. That's in contrast to SAP, which through the purchase of Sybase has made mobile development a central pillar of its strategy moving forward.
The OpenWorld schedule includes a number of mobile-oriented sessions, with application development and customer case studies among the topics, but it's not clear that Oracle has a high-level statement of direction on mobility planned for any of its keynotes. However, the likely place for such a thing will be during Monday's talk by Thomas Kurian, executive vice president of product development.
Larry talks cloud computing: Seriously this time?
Much attention at OpenWorld traditionally gravitates toward Ellison's main keynote address, which is held on Wednesday and usually contains its biggest news announcements.
But Ellison is also scheduled to appear Sunday evening during a welcoming ceremony for attendees.
Ellison will "provide an overview of this week's major product announcements," according to a statement on Oracle's website. "Learn about new engineered systems from Oracle that offer extreme performance, convenience, and cost savings. Hear the latest news about Oracle Fusion Applications, the new standard for business. And see how Oracle products are redefining cloud computing for the enterprise."
All of which begs the question, what's Larry got in store for Wednesday?
Believe it or not, Ellison's talk is supposed to focus solely on cloud computing, the marketing of which he has famously mocked in the past for being excessive "gibberish" improperly applied to old technologies.
Now OpenWorld attendees are set to get the definitive word on cloud computing, which is described by Oracle's site as "the #1 IT priority today," straight from Ellison himself.

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TECHNOLOGY, A thing Amazon must questions correctly with the Kindle Tablet

If Amazon a tablet known as expected, then have this week you a nail thing really well, if it is - to be successful and that's the tablet look, feel, usability and design make solid. Why? If something more than a me-too Tablet have a hard time, the new tablet of the interface from the get-go, is not nail it. This is a major challenge for the e-commerce powerhouse whose lack of aesthetics, or well presented user interface was his Achilles heel.
With its e-commerce platform, the hooks in the sale of digital media and own Android app store, you would think, success would be a given. Well, not so fast, Amazon.
Ignite Clank
Image of the first generation Kindle with Android OS (such as the Kindle Tablet may).To start with, let's just say, I hope that design elements from the Kindle does not take a Kindle Tablet e-book reader.
Nothing about Amazon Kindle screams style e-readers. Still is the interface make it easy to do things. With the latest version of the Kindle some options seem buried under menu layers or require more clicks than you would expect. And for years, I was surprised how much Amazon removed, it has become in the text-heavy design of the Kindle menus or strong navigate of their site, making the experience when finding and managing digital content a laborious click-fest.
Interface aesthetics have always felt like an afterthought for Amazon. Comparison the fresh, Visual interface of Barnes & noble 2011 nook makes third-generation Kindle (approx. 2010) feel, flat and staid - even if one would have thought that this third generation would have been Amazon able, his attention to nuances like interface aesthetics.
Wanted: Tablet design Mojo
Also the last Amazon products that complement an own Tablet stumbled upon when it comes to interface design. Amazon's music cloud players works, but can frustrating to use, and does not have any sense of design. I have similar experiences with the current Amazon shopping and music store apps on Android. Exactly like the Android cloud players Android came both the iOS Amazon shopping - and music-store apps not the flexibility and integration bring consumers to expect thanks to Apple.
Look has never been Amazon's strong suit. Amazon has surpassed always to the behind the scenes technology. Its recommendation engine for us, is only one buy always famous nor the darling of the e-commerce sites make bought online to track its a click payment system and the ability to things it. These functions match a killer, aesthetic interface, and Amazon could have a winner.
Two versions of Kindle.Design WINS
The only exception to my Amazon interface frustrations is his Kindle applications for iOS and Android. The applications are not perfect, but they go far show that Amazon can thoughts to give, and execution, well-designed, Visual products.
The hat-trick with an Amazon Tablet not with whether Amazon will be able to offer a device that integrates the showcase and services – this is a simple bet and a matter of course in the light of its history with Kindle e-readers and reader. The real question is whether the company can produce a tablet with an interface, of course, that is visually appealing and functional on for how it will be used by consumers.
Apple, on the other hand was a master of the interfaces - it designs its software smoothly with their hardware works. And it does so with an unsurpassed attention to detail.
Sure, the iPad success on the clean, can be credited simply-to-use interface of the Tablet-iOS operating system. This legendary OS had years of incubation on the iPhone before it received his doctorate in tablets.
Android two design steps behind Apple
In contrast to Apple the Android user interface feels again still as if it is in its infancy. Perhaps it is good that Amazon has chosen its own way with your own custom interface, allegedly, to follow the Android OS. But that's a big maybe.
Color NooksAmazon, the their own design independence would exercise be a good thing - or not. Barnes & noble took an independent design path with its nook color. As a result this e reader/Tablet looks nothing like Android, but is. Barnes & noble has done a great job, the reading experience for use on the 7-inch Tablet tailoring. But nook color is not a tablet, the media and app usage, aimed, like Amazon tablet to become apparent: B &-N has some Tablet features such as Web surfing and E-mail, and it has own app store, but the choice remains limited.
We still don't know what Amazon interface looks like, and what will be - working on their Tablet PC about the fact that the apps from the Appstore Amazon will be the requirements for applications. According to reports, the Tablet have no Google market, the on board.
If with this tablet, Amazon finally can make a product that is an outstanding star with its user interface and user experience, the Tablet has legitimate potential, a threat to Apple iPad. But if not, it risked provides the interface nail still another Ho-Hum tablet in a crowded, even if a Ho Hum tablet with probably a built-in media consumption and e-book experience than most. One can hope.

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TECHNOLOGY, Facebook as Media Hub: Shortcomings, Questions and Worries

Facebook ushered in a whole new phase in its history with the announcement of real-time media sharing Thursday. Most of us have used Facebook primarily as a communication and scrapbooking tool until now, but we may find ourselves consuming and sharing a lot of music and video there in the future.
As Mark Zuckerberg puts it, Facebook users have gotten used to “liking” content they think is cool or interesting, but now they’ll be able to click on that content and actually go listen, watch, read or play it. It’s a huge shift in the way we’ll experience Facebook.
Yesterday, when all this was announced, much of the focus among tech media and analysts was on the face-value appeal, the cool factor of Facebook-as-real-time media-hub. But, naturally, the initial buzz of the new features wears off, and then it’s time to think about shortcomings, flaws, potential problems.
Will It Feel Spammy?
Facebook will now let me see the media my friends are consuming, in real time in the new “ticker” at the right of the page. Fine. But wait, what if I don’t want all my friends on Facebook spamming me (in the ticker) with stuff they’re watching, cooking, or listening to? “Spam” is a hard word, but some of my friends, while I love them, have horrible taste in music and/or videos and/or food, and I’d rather not know what they’re listening to, cooking and watching. So those items in my ticker will feel like spam to me.
A Facebook spokeswoman tells me the only way to keep those “Josh is listening to ‘Cherry Pie’ by Warrant” or “Josh is preparing Tripe L’Orange” messages out of my ticker is to hide Josh’s updates in my newsfeed. But I don't have a problem with Josh’s updates--I want to keep tabs on him--I just don't want to know about his music/movie/foody tastes. He simply isn’t a “taste maker” for me in those areas.
Where’s the App?
While I was getting the one-on-one demo of the music apps in Facebook, I noticed an interesting thing. When the Facebook guy giving the demo clicked on a song that one of his friends was listening to on Spotify (Facebook’s marquee music partner), the desktop Spotify app popped up to play the music. He told me that there is no “canvas app” for Spotify, which, he explained, means that there’s no Spotify app that runs entirely inside Facebook, like Farmville. That means you have to have both the Spotify desktop app and Facebook running to achieve the cool music sharing/syncing tricks shown at f8 today. I hope a real Spotify Facebook app emerges soon.
Timeline Not Searchable
Facebook’s Timeline is supposed to “tell your life story” by choosing and displaying important photos, updates and “likes” from your years of using Facebook. It determines what content is important and not important by the number of “likes” or comments it got when it was posted, a Facebook rep told me.
But Facebook’s algorithm will never be as good as my own judgment and memory when it comes to determining which of my posts are most important--the ones that document some life-changing event or ones that express something uniquely me. I remember these events or posts, but Facebook provides no way for me to search through all the content I’ve stored in Facebook to find them. It’s surprising that something so obvious and basic did not end up in the Timeline feature. Hopefully it will be added in an update later.
If I Build It Will They Come?
But there are ways to control what content is displayed in your timeline. You can remove the content Facebook finds and places in your timeline, or you can affix a “star” to pieces of content the algorithm found that you think are really important. Facebook also provides some cool ways of showing only specific kinds of content--the music you’ve liked or posted about down through the months and years, for example.
But after you do all this work to create the perfect picture of your life on Facebook, Facebook gives you no good way to share that picture with your friends. There’s no share button to invite people to have a look at your “life story.” How did that get left out? The Facebook representative I talked to said the only way of inviting people to look at your timeline is to just post an update saying “Hey y’all come and check out my Timeline.”
Lots of Privacy Questions Remain Fuzzy
Facebook is creating a platform where you can find out about new content of all kinds from your friends, and even experience that content in real time with them. From a user point of view that’s a pretty cool thing, but with Facebook putting itself in the center of it all as intermediary gives it an extraordinary amount of power.

Why? Because every song or movie (or book or news article or game) you like or consume is associated with your Facebook account and carefully logged in your “social graph” on Facebook’s servers. If it were just yours or my musical interests it wouldn’t be a big deal. But Facebook will be learning and recording the tastes and buying habits of huge blocks of users with similar tastes. Even if that information is kept as anonymous, aggregate buckets of data, all kinds of content sellers can learn a lot about what kinds of users buy what, and when and where and why.
And why wouldn’t Facebook share that information with its partners like Spotify? They’ve shared user data with app partners before. What law says that Facebook can’t directly associate your Facebook ID with your "taste" data and sell it to the highest bidder? Is “opting out” of Facebook media apps the only way to prevent this?
What Now?
As for the feature omissions I mentioned above, there’s a good chance Facebook will build them in over time. Meanwhile, the privacy community (privacy groups, educators, lawyers, pundits, etc.) will give the new timeline and media sharing features a good going-over, and squawk loudly about the parts it believes expose sensitive user data. Then Facebook will act contrite and announce that it has corrected one-tenth of the problem, leaving most of the user data in question still exposed. Then Facebook will do it all over again with the next new set of features. Why does Facebook do that? Because that is the Facebook way.

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