Oracle has waived the extended support fee (again) for Oracle E-Business Suite 11i for another two years (until November 2013). The fee was supposed to start last year (November 2010). What does this mean? Oracle EBS 11i users will get the extended support fee waiver for the life of 11i Extended Support. There are a lot of people out there sitting on 11i and waiting to see what happens with Fusion Applications, according to Debra Lilley, president of the UK Oracle User Groups. It’s about to get really interesting since EBS 12.2 is coming out in 2012 and it seems the upgrade path will be an issue. Though, many favor Oracle Fusion and are waiting patiently for it, there are still some kinks with the upgrade path.
In the upcoming release of WebLogic - WebLogic 12c – Oracle updated the software to:
- meet the latest Java standards. It will run on the latest version of the core Java runtime environment, Java SE.
- be compatible and comply with the full Java Enterprise Edition 6 platform profile (incl. APIs and libraries for Java EE6) JAX, JSF and Enterprise Javabeans.
That’s right folks, Eliot and I have authored a book! The book – which is available on Amazon – talks about strategies for software licensing. It addresses the “hot buttons” that govern ROI in your software licensing investment and offers great insight, tips and case studies to help you maximize your software assets.
Miro Consulting’s resident database expert Sam Alapati was recently published in Information Management Magazine addressing security tips from his years of experience in the industry. The piece addresses firewalls, encryption, identity management, GRC and cloud computing. Check out the full article here.
We have talked about web browser security in the past, but since it’s something we use every day, multiple times, we wanted to share another piece with you from Miro’s Sam Alapati from SC Magazine. Sam goes deep into every browser out there, what vulnerabilities each have and how to get the most protection out of them.
Firefox, Chrome and IE are at the top with all three offering security features to protect the user, although many do not utilize them because they don’t check their settings. Sam offers some great tips to take advantage of what each browser has to offer. Check out the piece here.
Yup, another target for hackers – voicemail. It falls pretty low on the totem pole of items to secure, and leaves many vulnerabilities for that reason. For example, a mobile phone will rarely ask you for a password when you call from your own phone – what happens if you lose it? Anyone who picks it up can dial in and listen to your messages. eSecurityPlanet’s Robert McGarvey recently wrote an interesting piece on the subject which offers tips for securing your voicemail. He called upon Miro’s Sam Alapati for expert advice on the subject. Here are some tips from the article:
Set up your VM so that you have to type in a password every time you access it. Disable “password bypass” settings on your phone.
Delete VMs when you listen to them, and don’t leave sensitive info in VM.
Check your VM settings and do this periodically. Are copies automatically forwarded to numbers you don’t recognize? The settings control how VM is handled but most users never check them.
Create the most complicated password your system allows and change it frequently.
I don’t want to sound like a cheerleader for Oracle, but after looking at some comparative benchmark tests, the competition just can’t stack up (pun intended). While not everything is perfect, the power and precision of Oracle’s Exadata and Exalogic is worth at least a peek (especially those out there seeking to cut real estate and costs at the data center). While the prices may be a little daunting, the benefits have caused a major “wow” factor.
Mid-tier organizations should pay attention to the opportunities Oracle brings with its Exadata and Exalogic machines. This explosive combination creates a powerful and complete data center solution with fewer boxes, resulting in less real estate and cost savings.
Exalogic is a different beast from Exadata boxes, but they are both highly complementary. While Exadata is geared towards Oracle 11g RAC as a powerful database machine, Exalogic is a pure application machine running on Linux and Middleware software. The Exalogic box gives you capacity on demand. It also comes with Weblogic, JRockit, HotSpot VMs and Oracle Coherence. The combination of a robust storage solution and a software/hardware application machine is an unbeatable best- of- breed solution that outperforms the majority of what’s out there on the market. You get more performance for your money on both. IDG’s Chris Kanaracus reviews Exadata.
WebLogic is the cornerstone for creating the ultimate strategic platform. Anyone running Oracle e-Business Suite will need to run an app server. By the time Oracle 12 comes along, it is highly likely that an app server will be mandatory – and what would work better than using WebLogic Suite enterprise edition, which has been known to outperform others in its class based on recent performance benchmarks. Any organization running Exalogic has Weblogic and only need to upgrade its license.
Support: With Oracle’s application stack on its own boxes, support will come naturally with maintenance and support. Oracle will have little to no interest in providing support to other hardware vendors as seen when the company withdrew support for Itanium.
Leveraging Oracle’s Fusion Middleware to connect custom and packaged apps, while utilizing Weblogic as the App Server creates a strategic platform that:
Outperforms any in the market
Replaces the need for an Internet app server – like the former JAVA edition
We’re not saying that Oracle is the best solution for everyone, but with the new combos – especially after some of the major acquisitions in the past couple of years – there’s a lot of firepower there. The three most important things to determine and manage closely whether any solution is right are:
1- Price: Not just the cost of the software/hardware or the human resources, but the cost of NOT creating the best value through licensing. If you don’t get the licensing right, you lose on many or all three of these points.
2- Performance: ‘Nuff said.
3- Productivity: Aside from the obvious definition of productivity, the main point here is that productivity also means getting the architecture right. So many companies make the right purchases, but muck up the execution.
We have all heard about the recent security breaches – Sony, Amazon, LastPass – but the question is, what is the cost of those breaches? Aside from embarrassment – how bad is it for the company. Here is a breakdown of the various costs associated with a breach:
Fixing what’s broken – strengthening existing IT security to prevent another breach
Replacement – if physical items were stolen
Credit monitoring – anyone affected by the breach will be vulnerable to identity theft; the breached company must pay for monitoring to help those who were exposed.
Lawsuits! – In large-scale cases – lots of them!
Restitution – If there was financial loss to individuals affected.
Reputation – a loss of customers is sure to be a result, which will also equal a decline in share price.
Loss of Employees – if employees don’t feel that they are not personally protected by their employer, they are likely to find another one.
Unfortunately, the list goes on and on. Key point – don’t let it happen! Check out Sam Alapati’s recent article on preventing a security breach for some great tips.
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