BEA and Oracle

The Zealot is off to Denver today to meet with some Oracle execs about the BEA acquisition. Finally, Oracle figured out that Oracle App Server is - well, junk. Perhaps junk is too harsh. It leaves some things to be desired. Like market share and ISV support. At any rate, for the low, low price of $8B+, they're getting some solid technology. This pleases me because the synergistic potential of these combined companies is fairly impressive.

The Reg had an article this morning with new roadmappery. Most interesting to me, WebLogic will pick up Coherence. Bundling details are forthcoming I'm sure, but I do hope IBM takes notice. WebSphere ND/XD would be even more formidable if a couple of things happen:

1) Someone fires the illiterate 15 year olds running IBM marketing. WebSphere eXtreme Scale? I bite my thumb at thee. Don't get me started on what they've done to the venerable AS/400.

2) ObjectGrid/Data Grid/WXS gets bundled into both ND and XD. I believe it has to happen. It's beautiful technology, and Billy Newport's team just put out a major new release with some uber cool functionality. Compute Grid should be a part of XD, and of course keep the advanced workload management and autonomics of WebSphere (pardon me whilst I vomit) Virtual Enterprise.

and finally,

3) Stop the product catalog sprawl. Period. XD should be XD. ND should be ND. Splitting XD into three distinct product codes is a mistake, because it's a nickel and dime disincentive to go whole hog. Oracle doesn't get this. They never have, I don't think they ever will.


These things have got to happen to compete against the new Oracle.