For the past week, those of us who attended Oracle’s OpenWorld conference have been comparing notes from the educational sessions, executive interviews, and hallway conversations we attended. If there is one thing that we’ve learned from the exercise, it’s that Oracle is making big moves on multiple fronts, and that those moves will have sweeping implications for JD Edwards users. The only problem is that it will take an entire series of articles (or even several series) to explain what’s happening inside the software giant.

To give you a sense of what I mean, check out this partial list of article ideas that we’ve scrawled on our whiteboards. When you’re done looking them over, let us know which ones interest you the most so that we can prioritize this information-dense mess.
 

  • The Transformation of JD Edwards Applications, Part 2. Last year, we wrote a white paper entitled “The Transformation of JD Edwards Applications” (which you can download from this site) that examines where Oracle is taking JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and World. At OpenWorld, Oracle provided a wealth of new details about how it will evolve these applications and integrate them with technologies from its Fusion products. There was easily enough information to write a whole new white paper. However, should we make it a multi-article series? Let us know what you think.
     
  • Application Integration Architecture (AIA) Meets JD Edwards. When Oracle announced AIA at OpenWorld 2006, it was little more than a whiteboard concept. One year later, it’s a body of real technologies that Oracle plans to embed in all of its applications. This article would explore how AIA is making its way into JD Edwards applications and what it means for developers and users alike.
     
  • Where is Oracle Taking Business Intelligence? Ever since Oracle purchased PeopleSoft, its business intelligence (BI) strategy for JD Edwards applications has been in flux. It now looks like the company has decided where it wants to take our community, though it may take years to get us there. This article would assess what we learned about that strategy at OpenWorld.
     
  • Oracle’s First Fusion Applications…What’s in Them for Us? At the conference, Larry Ellison previewed the first Fusion Applications that Oracle will deliver next year. The neat thing about those applications is that many JD Edwards customers will be able to use them along with their current systems. This article will delve into the “what” and “how” of it all.
     
  • The Undiscovered Ellison. Speaking of Larry Ellison, Oracle’s CEO used OpenWorld to reveal a side of himself that we’ve never seen before. Ellison kicked off the conference by reminiscing about Oracle’s humble beginnings 30 years ago. In the process, he demonstrated that he could be humble too and downright human to boot. Let us know if you want a closer look at the real Larry Ellison.
     
  • Roadmaps? We Got ‘Em! As always, Oracle hosted several sessions where it laid out its plans for future JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and World product releases and technologies. Whether it’s World A9.1.2, EnterpriseOne Tools 8.98, or anything else that’s yet to be delivered, we’re prepared to give you the lowdown on what’s in store.
     
  • Oracle’s Edge Applications…Coming to a JD Edwards Shop Near You. Oracle spent much of OpenWorld talking about the strategic role that its “edge” applications—products such as Agile, Hyperion, and Demantra—will play in its Applications Unlimited strategy. Care to know more about edge applications and what they could mean for JD Edwards users? Let us know and we’ll tell you more.
     
  • Other Generally Cool Stuff. Have you heard about Mix.Oracle.com? How about the new EnterpriseOne Financial Management and Compliance Console and the Java APIs in World A9.1? At OpenWorld, we learned about these and other neat things that are ready for JD Edwards sites to try. Tell us what interests you most and we’ll focus on it.

Like I said, we have an obscene amount of information lying on our conference room table that we can share with you. So please…help us put what’s important to you at the top of the pile. Then, stay tuned to see what rolls off the presses. We’re gonna be burning the midnight oil on these and other stories for weeks to come.

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