2018 OOW – Final Thoughts

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018




I thought it was a great OOW. It seemed more joined up in the messages, across their entire portfolio.

I did think it was smaller but that its not a bad thing.

I loved Larry, he seemed less scripted than in recent years, it was Larry at his best. 

All parts of the conference, sessions, exhibitions, CodeOne, all were closer together and enabled delegates to move more easily between them.

I have a folder full (more...)

2018 OOW – Off Piste Fun

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018

Despite how busy OOW is, I love it. I try and pace myself to get through the week, and try to get to bed at a reasonable time each night.

The conference party at AT&T Park was great fun, as you can see from this video of Alex, Roel and Chris Saxon (AskTom). I like this venue, we can walk to and from it, and having a special ACE area is a lovely treat.


'The (more...)

2018 – Women in Technology

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018


My dream is that as a topic WIT or any diversity category will not warrant a posting in the future.

Signs were good this year at one point in the CodeOne Developers' lounge I had to queue in the Ladies restroom!

At Oracle HQ I met with one of my favourite ladies, Maria Colgan. She had some chocolate giveaways for her sessions. How cool when you have your own candy!

There are so any great (more...)

2018 OOW – Usergroups

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018

This was my first year at OOW without being a usergroup leader, although I am still very much involved.

UKOUG did have a meetup but I wasn’t able to attend, hope it was fun. 


This year the usergroup area was in the centre of the exhibition which is such an improvement on other years. This year there were no EOUC people manning the stand but I did install a UKOUG virtual assistant! Actually, (more...)

2018 OOW – #PaaS4SaaS Thoughts

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018

I have always had an interest in #PaaS4SaaS, both the integration capabilities but especially the ability to extend the SaaS applications. Within Accenture I think I will be doing even more of this and I'm quite excited about this continuing opportunity. 

The partner advisory council before OOW, updates in the ACE briefing and the partner round table I attended on the Thursday, all enforced my belief we are at a tipping point.

All new (more...)

2018 OOW – Certus part of Accenture

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018



When OOW call for papers was on, I worked for Certus but just 3 weeks before the event we became part of Accenture. This was announced in May but as staff we didn't move until 1st October. Tim Warner and I were the only Certus people attending.

This meant a new logo as we are keeping the brand.

On the Sunday I went to my first Accenture meeting. This was an Alliance meeting and it (more...)

2018 OOW – ACE Director

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018

The Oracle ACE Director briefings were on Saturday and they were really good. Whit they covered everything from database to development and each of them talked about the relevance to apps, so I was very happy. I love these sessions, not my normal topics, but I think it is important that we all have a wider understanding than our narrow field of expertise. 


Sunday evening, we had our community dinner out at Fisherman’s wharf. (more...)

2018 OOW – Fun in the City

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018

I managed to get a lift into the city with the groundbreaker ambassadors who had their briefing at HQ.  Then it was 7 nights in a hotel. 

If I stay more than 5 nights anywhere (including home) I like to have flowers, and when I arrived there were beautiful flowers in my room from my friend Dina Blaschczok.

I shared my room with Michelle Malcher and we had an amazing room on the 28 (more...)

2018 OOW – Before the party starts

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018

In the past there have been briefing sessions at Redwood Shores (Oracle HQ) in the days leading up to OOW. These few days are of more value to me than the actual conference, and although the ACE briefing was in town this time on Saturday I still had a Partner Advisory Council on the Friday and had arranged a number of meetings for the Thursday.

It doesn't matter how many times I go to Redwood (more...)

2018 OOW – My Oracle Open World

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Nov 2, 2018

I said I was going to be busy, but even I under estimated this year’s OOW. 

My Travel to OOW was quite a simple journey for me, flight to Belfast and then onto San Francisco. 

My neighbour on the long flight did think he had a right to half of my foot well, luckily it wasn’t too small a space and I sit quite still but it was really annoying. 

I (more...)

Oracle Open World – My Annual Jamboree!

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Oct 18, 2018

Normally before I travel to Oracle Open World, I would post what I intend to get up to there; and it would always start with how I wear so many hats ...

This year is no different, I am just as busy, in fact so much so, I’ve now arrived in San Francisco and only now posting my plans.


This year I’ve been employee of Accenture for just 20 days. I’m still learning all of their (more...)

ODC Appreciation Day : Perseverance

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Oct 11, 2018

Perseverance is a skill that you need when your career is an IT. My problem is that I struggle with the sheer amount of time that technology eats up.

I’ve been known to put off getting a new laptop and even phone because of the amount of time it takes to set it all up and migrate everything across. Even if you use some clever cloud backup, chances are you have to re-enter all the (more...)

180925 SPOUG – Not so much Cloud – Lots of Wind

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Sep 30, 2018

I am a very blessed person, speaking at conferences has given me the opportunity to see so many places and experience many things I would normally never have tried.


SPOUG - Spain was no exception. This was their first conference for some time and they had an amazing day at an indoor sky diving centre! And yes I did have a go.

Madrid is a beautiful city, and even at the end of September it (more...)

Announcing the EMEA ACES OOW Short Talks

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Sep 20, 2018

We are back! For the forth year EOUC, the community of EMEA usergroups is hosting an ACE short talks session at OOW.

We decided on 18C database tips, but with OOW moving to a week earlier a lot of rework was required by the OOW organisers to get everything in and it hasn't been possible to have a User Group Sunday. They have however included a smaller number of user group sessions in the (more...)

1809 POUG

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Sep 16, 2018

Look at the label!
You would also be forgiven for thinking POUG stood for Polish Oracle User Group but the official name is Pint with Oracle User Group. 

I remember last year lots of speakers saying how much fun this event was, and later in the year Kamil, the brains behind this event and fellow ACE Director, asked me why I had not been part of it and I promised I would (more...)

Congratulations Andy – Lucky UKOUG

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Sep 11, 2018

UKOUG have just announced that Andy Nellis has won the user vote for Oracle Scene.

Congratulations Andy.



I did stand for this and I wanted to do so to continue my volunteering for UKOUG, but I'm not disappointed, Andy will make a great Editor and I hope he will go on to other roles in UKOUG.

Read his linked profile, UKOUG is very lucky. He has been an end user and had many roles within (more...)

UKOUG – I’ve Still Got Something to Give

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Aug 26, 2018

I've been a volunteer at UKOUG for over 15 years, but my time on the board finished in March. I said at the time I hoped I would still be of use to the user group and I am now standing for Editor of Oracle Scene.

I want Oracle Scene to represent the whole community and have articles within an edition that will drive everyone to read it. I love walking into an Oracle Office (more...)

Best Way to Celebrate the Old Certus – A grand Finale – Vote for Us

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Aug 2, 2018



In May Certus was acquired by Accenture and I posted then about how it was a fitting outcome, much deserved.

Technically we move to Accenture on 1st October, so today we are still Certus, and it is business as usual.

It would be fantastic to have a grand finale and celebrate all that Certus has achieved.  A wonderful way to do that could be success in the UKOUG Partner Awards which will be announced at (more...)

Rant – OPN and ADDM!

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Jul 28, 2018

I should have good statistics for this blog, it should appeal to many different communities, OPN or the Oracle Partner Network will spark the interest of one community I work in and ADDM or Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor will have my technical friends thinking I have crossed to the other side. 

Actually the acronyms need to be used together: OPNandADDM

Oracle Product Names and Acronyms Drive Debra Mad!

I'm an Oracle ACE Director, a software (more...)

Thank you to all at UKOUG

Fusion Middleware and SOA
| Jul 19, 2018

My time on the board of UKOUG came to an end in March, and although I am still an active volunteer and have not left the organisation, I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you.

First for the opportunity to grow both as an individual and in my professional career. I would recommend volunteering to anyone in our community, it will motivate and educate you.

I was very touched to receive a (more...)