Client:
Date:
Thu, 2009/05/21
The 2009 South African Oracle User Group Conference is ushering in changes to the format, venue and target audience of this premier event to reflect market conditions, new developments at Oracle Corporation and the executive focus on getting value from existing infrastructure. With the theme of Navigate, the SAOUG has devised an agenda which continues the tradition of hands-on, technical content while adding further strategic value to executives looking to gain maximum value from their investments in Oracle technology and applications.
The conference moves to Durban for the first time and takes place from 22 to 24 June at the city’s International Convention Centre. It is expected to attract more than 700 Oracle, JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, Siebel and Hyperion users. The targeted individual profile includes business decision-makers and technologists.
According to SAOUG chairman Dirk Snyman, COO financial services, Rand Merchant Bank, the focus this year turns to applications and strategy. “Oracle itself has undergone substantial changes from a primarily technology vendor, to one which offers a combination of technology and applications,” he says. With a shift to applications, we are supporting the inclusion of C-level people and the value that they can derive from learning more about how users are putting applications to work within their environments.”
Noting that the present economic climate is one in which business executives are strongly turning to optimisation of existing investments, Snyman says a ‘solution’ mindset is apparent from many users of Oracle products and technologies. “It is tough in this market to send technical staff only to a conference and see the benefit of that. Rather, the conference is looking to align with the ‘value’ mindset; we, as Oracle users, are businesspeople who have made strategic investments in the vendor and as such, the conference must address the executive if it is to provide value.”
Andrew Krause, MD of the conference’s main sponsor EOH Oracle Services confirms that optimisation is top of mind. “Every client of ours is talking optimisation and are looking to achieve that in two ways; by better using what they already have and by improving the productivity of end-users. For most organisations, this means further tapping into the features of applications which they may not yet be using through learning and training. Strategically, it also means looking for more efficient means of structuring application delivery, such as managed services or hosted models.
Snyman draws attention to the agenda which includes participation from top Oracle executives and partners over the course of two days. Speakers Mark Townsend, Vice President for database product management, Oracle US and Frank Buytendijk, Vice President and fellow, enterprise performance management, are among some of the keynotes.
Some 20 partners will showcase their Oracle solutions and services, while hands-on technical demonstrations and labs retain interest for technologists. Focused tracks include Oracle Database, Oracle Fusion Middleware, Oracle Applications including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Business Intelligence (BI), Enterprise Process Management, E-Business Suite, and Human Capital Management, JD Edwards and Hyperion.
In devising the agenda, we made a point that this is not sales- but rather a user-driven conference. As we go through some tough years economically, most organisations will look to shifting their attention to strategic improvement of existing investments and resources. The conference will focus not only on building new technology solutions, but optimising existing ones,” he concludes.
For further information on transfers, accommodation and other exciting activities, visit www.saoug.co.za/conference. Registrations close 15 June 2009.