Collaborate 15 - Thoughts and Tips

Hello Everyone,

     I just got back from Collaborate 15 in Las Vegas, and I must say, this is a must for any OAUG, IOUG or Quest members. Why? Three reasons mainly:

1) The sessions presented by Oracle and third party companies utilizing Oracle technology.
          These can be really good or really bad. The ones presented by Oracle, are usually good and informative. They present new products by Oracle, or have technical sessions regarding current products. The sessions by third parties, these sometimes can be a sales pitch for the respective companies, but some of them provide very technical details and will give you an insight that Oracle will often not give you (why blast their own products).

2) The networking! You get to meet thousands (yes!) of professionals who work in YOUR area and share the same interests. Many of them from different companies all around the world!

3) The exhibit hall! Here you get to demo many third party software that can enhance your Oracle installation or product. You can also demo new products that Oracle has recently released or will release in the near future. It is also a great chance to collect some freebies from the booths and meet interesting people.

Now some tips for the conference:
- Plan out the sessions you will attend early! Utilize the Collaborate App (can be downloaded from the usual outlets). But, go back often because the sessions will sometimes change locations, or sessions can be added or removed. Also, you can utilize the app to download presentation materials, rate the presenters, and network with other attendees.

- Book your hotel early! Specially in Vegas, where the conference will be held for the next two years as well! Hotels get filled and the prices sky rocket, so keep this in mind!

- If you are attending in Vegas, buy a mono rail pass or a bus pass! This way you can move freely around the strip and have some healthy fun after your sessions are over for the day!

- Do not be shy! Talk to people, exchange business cards (yes bring these!), connect with them on LinkedIn, these connections can pay off in many ways.

- Take notes during your sessions!! There is great information buried in even the most boring of presentations, arm yourself with this knowledge and apply it in your work place!

- We all want to walk around the strip and enjoy Vegas, but please visit the exhibit hall! Many of the products showcased can add value to your environments and also you can win some cool prices!

If you are wondering what this conference is and you are an Oracle professional, then you are behind! Look it up and arm youself with this knowledge. If your company is not an OAUG member and utilizes Oracle, then make a case to them to become a member and then make an even stronger case for them to send you to the conference! It is definitely worth it and can add value to any organization.

Please ask away should you have any questions regarding the conference or Collaborate 15.

Thanks,
Julio

Introduction and purpose

Hello everyone! This is my first post. First, a little about myself. I am an Oracle applications developer, I studied CIS at the Georgia State University and I am currently in the process of receiving a second bachelor's degree in IT from UMASS.

Now, at my company we are currently in the process of upgrading two Oracle environments from 11i to R12 (12.2.4). We are in the middle of the upgrade for one of the environments, and the second we have yet to start development activities.

Why did I decide to open this blog? I just came back from Collaborate 15 in Las Vegas and before I boarded the plane on the way back to the ATL, I decided I would start this blog. Why? Because there is SO much information that gets lost and that people could really take advantage of. This was made apparent as I attended the sessions that I could while at the conference. The information shared was extremely helpful, and honestly, I had no idea that A) That information was available and in some cases B) that I even needed said information. The world of Oracle and EBS is huge and quite complex, specially since the introduction of 12.2, which added many complexities such as online patching. Anyway, back to the reason I am writing this. During our upgrade, I have encountered many issues that I had no answer for, trust me I searched all the usual spots (the blogs online, my oracle support etc), so I feel it would benefit some people if I shared some of the lessons I have learned during this upgrade process and also via the usual everyday production support and my development and functional support activities.

I will share lessons I have learned during our upgrade, and lessons I continue to learn. I will also share information I learn during conferences I attend, such as Collaborate, Apps Tech and Open World! In addition to sharing interesting information I come across online (proper credit will always be given).

The world of Oracle is complex and massive, and I hope I can help a few people support their users in a more effective manner. Also, I hope to build relationships with other bloggers and to improve my own knowledge!

Thanks,
- Julio