This Imperial Middleware will be operational as planned

Blogger: Richard Watson

Dum Dum Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum.

KURIAN*

Lord Phillips, this is an unexpected pleasure. We're honored by your presence.

PHILLIPS**

You may dispense with the pleasantries, Thomas. I'm here to put you back on schedule.

Thomas turns ashen and begins to shake.

KURIAN

I assure you, Lord Phillips, my men are working as fast as they can.

PHILLIPS

Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them.

KURIAN

I tell you, this middleware will be operational as planned.

PHILLIPS

The Emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation.

KURIAN

But he asks the impossible. I need more men.

PHILLIPS

Then perhaps you can tell him when he arrives.

KURIAN (aghast)

The Emperor's coming here?

PHILLIPS

That is correct, Thomas. And he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress.

KURIAN

We shall double our efforts.

PHILLIPS

I hope so, Tom, for your sake. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am.

<fades>

Commander Kurian will be relieved that it seems the Oracle Fusion deathstar will be operational as planned, as Anne reports here. So, let's award the middleware team 10 out of 10 for execution. Ramming acquisitions into a (excuse the pun) coherent set of products is tough engineering and marketing work.

Product strategy is a different matter. Burton Group's position on heterogeneity (not homogeneity) as a driver for an application platform strategy is well known. We see opportunities for Rebel incursions.

Also, technically, I don't (yet) see any influence of the BEA microkernel architecture surfacing in other parts of the suite. This is a pity, because promoting a modular architecture like OSGi really helps developers digest parts of the stack they need and remove the bits they don’t. The WS02 carbon project and Paremus Service Fabric are pioneers for this type of architecture.

Miko Matsumura has also picked up on the cinematic sweep of Oracle's advances through the middle(earth)ware market.

* Thomas Kurian - Senior Vice President, Oracle Fusion Middleware.

** Charles Phillips – President, Oracle.