ODTUG Kaleidoscope 2011 – The Premier Conference for Oracle Fusion Middleware

My favorite conference since 1997 has been the yearly ODTUG [Kaleidoscope] conference. Because of its size – that lends an intimacy to the event that is simply unique – and the way the program is structured – with a perfect mix of content and more playful activities – as well as the people that attend – friendly and knowledgeable and ready to share experiences and enthusiasm – and more mundane aspects like venue and organization – always great.

This year’s Kaleidoscope conference is held in Long Beach, California, from June 26th to June 30th. It will be the best event for anyone doing, dabbling in or considering doing Oracle Fusion Middleware. The brand new Fusion Middleware track at this year’s event – next to tracks on APEX, BI & EPM, Database Development and MySQL – is simply ideally suited to learn [more] about ADF, WebCenter, SOA Suite and BPM 11g. See http://kscope11.com/fusion for all details – and to register.

AMIS has had a strong presence at ODTUG’s conferences since 2003. Over the years we must have contributed close to or even more than 50 presentations. Additionally, we have a tradition of organizing an ODTUG sneak preview mini-conference at our office in The Netherlands where we host nine conference sessions from Dutch presenters – as a rehearsal for the real conference and as an opportunity for Dutch Oracle developers who are not able to come over to attend the conference in person to witness some of the talks of the town. This year will see us make another substantial contribution to the conference.

Many months ago, the FMW track was crafted – with several clear objectives in mind: anyone considering starting to get into Fusion Middleware – be it on the SOA & BPM side or on the ADF & WebCenter side – should be able to get a thorough introduction in FMW from the sessions in the track. And anyone who has been doing FMW for some time should find best practices, real life experience and background information to confirm and improve what he or she has been doing. And anyone experienced in (parts of) SOA & BPM with an interest in ADF & WebCenter or vice versa, anyone well versed in ADF & WebCenter with an intention to start doing SOA Suite or BPM, should find the perfect introduction, leveraging the overlap and integration points between various FMW components.

In short: if you are contemplating doing FMW or doing FMW with a mind to do more of it – the FMW track at ODTUG Kaleidoscope 2011 is the place to be.

The program was composed to cover all core aspects of designing and developing user interface applications as well as SOA Composite applications and BPM Processes. Experts – including many Oracle ACEs and ACE Directors, some Oracle staff and experienced developers – from literally all over the world have been approached to share their experience, knowledge and enthusiasm. With a focus on starting out with FMW, become successful in real projects and tie together different elements from Fusion Middleware as well as from other product suites at Oracle. Deep dives and advanced, elite-only presentations are not the focus for this conference. Introducing a broad audience to FMW, enabling new or fledgling FMW developers to get started and going, providing guidance and inspiration for the first stages of development based on experiences however is [the focus].

The pillars of the FMW track: Sunday Symposium, Monday BoF (Bords of a Feather) sessions, Thursday Thunder and 60+ sessions on FMW topics (See http://kscope11.com/component/seminar/seminarslist?topicsid=4 for the list of sessions). And in addition there are the other tracks to also join sessions from, the many opportunities to meet peers and discuss Oracle technology or life in general with and the socials events that make ODTUG Kaleidoscope even more enjoyable.

A personal favorite of mine is the yearly community service day on Saturday. Attendees meet to collectively work on a community project for the local community – like the school we helped restore last year in Washington DC or the dune area near Monterey that we helped clear up in 2009. This day is a wonderful opportunity to meet people even before the conference starts in a very different setting. For non-US visitors like myself it is also a good way to learn a little bit about the US more or less from the inside. I would certainly recommend participating if you have the opportunity.

Sunday Symposium

http://kscope11.com/fusion-middleware-symposium

A one day overview of FMW to get you started on the conference track. It illustrates-through real world practical examples-why, when, and how to apply which pieces of Fusion Middleware and associated technologies. The symposium also has all the news and roadmaps around Fusion Middleware from the Oracle product management teams. The symposium’s aim is to shortcut developers on the Road to Fusion.

At the end of the symposium, attendees should have a good feel for how they might want to get going with Oracle Fusion Middleware – in their organization as well as they themselves – starting on Monday with the conference proper. Which business requirements and current challenges may be the first to address and what is a good way to address them using Fusion Middleware. Attendees will also learn from the symposium how to convince their colleagues, managers, and end users of the relevance of Fusion Middleware for their specific needs. The Symposium also serves as a guide to the rest of the FMW track at the conference.

Information and Registration

You will find more information on ODTUG Kaleidoscope 2011 at http://kscope11.com/. Early bird registrations end on March 25.