Re: Rift between Oracle and IOUG - who benefits?

Regarding the rift between Oracle and IOUW, the following posts are extracted from the Oracle-L mailing list - many thanks to those who participated (sorry, Tony, if you already posted this):
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Date: Fri, 19 Jan 1996 22:40:25 -0400 From: Paul Dorsey <DORSEY_at_ENIGMA.RIDER.EDU> Subject: Re: Dallas to host International Oracle User Week (IOUW) '96

It looks to me that there has been a complete rift between IOUG and Oracle. Open World will be probably quite similar to IOUG of old. Oracle has announced that they will NOT support IOUW with ANY speakers or product. So what does this mean for IOUW? My read on this is that IOUG and Oracle couldn't come to terms on the sharing of power and Oracle took its marbles and went home.

What will the role of IOUW be? Will they make up with Oracle or will they try to run a major Oracle conference without Oracle? If Oracle does not "support" IOUW, why would anyone want to go. ECO and the CASE conference are already quite good, focused AND supported by Oracle.

It looks like IOUG had better make nice or they might not exist next year.

Is there any other news out there?
Paul Dorsey
Dulcian Inc.
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Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 10:32:00 +1100 From: Tony Jambu 041 985 2628 <tjambu_at_FALCON.TELECOM.COM.AU> Subject: IOUW'96 : All explained from IOUG-A President

Oracle-l netizen
I believe the following announcement will enlighten you with regards to IOUW & Open World. It is from Merrilee Nohr, President, IOUG-A ta
tony

Last week we announced that the IOUG-A will present IOUW '96 in Dallas, September 15-20. Since then, there have been some questions from within the Oracle user community. In response to your questions, I would like to personally take this opportunity to explain in greater detail our plans for International Oracle User Week 1996.

Since the IOUG-A organized, we have enjoyed a positive and exciting shared vision with the Oracle Corporation: to build a strong, independent member service organization that speaks in an objective and collective voice and acts in good faith on behalf of the entire Oracle user community. With Oracle's encouragement and support, we believe we have made great strides toward achieving this vision. The IOUG-A is bigger and stronger than it's ever been (now 5,000 members strong), and our many popular programs and member benefits (including IOUW) are a testament to our commitment to representing and serving the user community.

We originally published that IOUW '96 was scheduled to be presented by the IOUG-A at Moscone Center in San Francisco, November 3-8. There was a time when that was true. However, Oracle Corporation's introduction of its new show, Oracle Open World, changed those plans.

When Oracle announced its plans for Oracle Open World, they proposed that we cancel our plans for IOUW '96 and fold just our technical sessions into their exhibition. We carefully explored and considered how this option might work. After months of good faith discussion, the IOUG-A Board of Directors agreed that it is in the best interests of the Oracle user community for the IOUG-A to continue to organize and present IOUW '96 separately from Oracle Open World, ensuring that the format and content are controlled by users.

The discussion, decision and its consequences were complicated, complex and reach far beyond the value and logistics of the event itself. There was no single issue of debate or disagreement. We simply, but solidly believe that IOUW serves a purpose and fills user needs in ways that Oracle Open World may not. Our concern is that Oracle Open World will be an Oracle marketing/prospecting show. The IOUG-A's IOUW '96 will be built on a solid foundation of practical and objective education.

IOUW has been and will continue to be a multi-faceted educational conference event whose component parts include multiple tracks of technical education, a full complement of mini lessons, in-depth training seminars and workshops, vendor campgrounds, a vendor expo, and the latest breaking news on technology issues and trends -- all planned and presented by users, for users of Oracle and other Oracle-related technology. In a nutshell, IOUW and its component parts exist to further the technical expertise and personal and professional growth of its attendees. It was and still is our goal and expectation that IOUW and Oracle Open World will jointly serve the user community as two related, but very different events.

After reaching our decision, we amicably signed-over the IOUG-A contracts for hotel and convention center space in San Francisco and we made new arrangements for IOUW '96 in Dallas. We continue to be in communication with our executive liaisons at Oracle and we fully expect to maintain a positive and productive working relationship with them. We have clearly stated our desire to support and participate in Oracle Open World. We certainly hope that Oracle will agree to participate in IOUW '96 and join their customers at this annual conference. In addition, plans are also being explored to integrate other Oracle user events into IOUG-A's IOUW '96.

On a final note, please be aware that no trademark of any kind exists for the names or acronyms of our user group or our event (ie., IOUG-A and IOUW), and that the IOUG-A has not received notification of any kind from anyone ordering us to cease using them. For 15 years, the Oracle user community has gathered under the name IOUW. We will do so again in September and we look forward to your joining us then in Dallas for the IOUG-A's IOUW '96.

In the meantime, if you have any further questions, suggestions, ideas or concerns, please let us know. The IOUG-A is your organization and it's your opinions that count and drive decisions like the one to maintain the independence of IOUW.

Sincerely,

Merrilee Nohr
President, IOUG-A

For more IOUW '96 information, call 800.647.IOUW (Intl: +1.312.527.6642) or visit the IOUG-A Web Site (www.ioug.org).
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Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 13:50:18 -0500 From: "Jan Baumgras, 566 Bldg., 6-0443" <jbaumgras_at_DOW.COM> Subject: IOUG clarification of IOUW vs. OpenWorld

A representative of IOUG-A was kind enough to call me to respond to my request for clarification on the differences between IOUW and OpenWorld. Unfortunately, I can't say that I know much more than I did before. The following is based on a brief verbal communication, so I hope I don't inadvertently add to the confusion by mis-repepresenting anything he said.

IOUG believes there is a need for an "educational conference" and has decided to put on its own show in Dallas separate from Open World. It is unknown whether Oracle will be present at IOUW96; Oracle has made no commitment to supporting/participating in IOUW. IOUG is leaving the door open for Oracle to to come. Why Oracle has not committed to IOUW96 was not discussed. Something was said suggesting that IOUG believes Oracle will decide to participate if enough people sign up for IOUW, but Oracle has not agreed to send anyone in any capacity yet.

IOUG is aware that most people will not be able to attend both conferences and expects that attendance at either one will not be as high as the 5,300 that attended IOUW95 in Philadelphia. IOUG understands that people will chose whichever conference looks like it will provide the proper type of information for them. IOUG obviously believes there will be enough interest in an educational conference to make it worth their effort to provide one.

I know nothing more about the format or content of Open World other than what can be inferred from what IOUG said. I have not seen or heard anything about what Oracle plans to do at Open World.

I won't muddy this message with my own opinion on the state of affairs. The intent here is simply to pass on what I was told as objectively as I can. For those who want to know what the impasse is and/or who is at fault, sorry, but I can't shed any light on that. I didn't ask, and the representative from IOUG didn't discuss it. We talked about what the content of IOUW will be as best as he could tell me without knowing whether or not Oracle will be there.

Jan
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Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 09:08:57 -0500 From: "Jan Baumgras, 566 Bldg., 6-0443" <jbaumgras_at_DOW.COM> Subject: IOUW vs. OOW - which to attend???

Everyone,

Now we've heard officially from IOUG-A on the situation with Oracle Open World and IOUW, and a number of people have posted messages suggesting that we users are not too happy about it. It seems that we liked having a single conference with significant participation by Oracle - sort of a one-stop-shopping location for anything and everything you wanted to know about Oracle. Apparently about 5,300 people thought so in 1995, since that's the number who attended IOUW95. I personally thought that the format in Philadelphia was pretty darn good, and IOUG-A ran that show alone but with heavy participation by Oracle both in technical presentations and marketing presentations. Oracle had plenty of opportunity to show off their new products, so I can't imagine why they felt they had to mess up the works this year. Did any of us users indicate that we thought having Oracle do it's very own show this year and drop out of IOUW would be a great idea?

I, for one, like to see what Oracle has coming down the pipe for new products, especially those which are due out the following year. It's helpful for planning our own projects. But, Oracle, it's been your heavy participation in technical presentations and training, not your marketing presentations, that have been the most useful at past IOUW's. I'm sorry to say that without Oracle's presence I fear that IOUW96 will not approach the quality of IOUW95. But if Open World is going to me a week-long marketing show, then it will be even more lacking than IOUW96. The sum of the two is not going to equal the past single-week shows, and that's more than a shame; it's a rip-off of the paying attendees! I'm sure IOUG-A will do its very best to make up for the loss of Oracle's participation; I just hope it's enough to make their show worthwhile. Personally, I hope we users will show our support for IOUG-A in this very difficult situation and will opt for IOUW96 to give them a chance to show us what they can do without Oracle if that's what it comes to. (If we're not willing to do that, we should let IOUG-A know now so that they can cancel IOUW96 before they sink more money into it, though!)

Unfortunately, I agree with what a few others have said that IOUG is being more hopeful than realistic about Oracle's presence at IOUW96. Larry Ellison is not one who admits he's wrong easily, is he? However, he does understand money even if he doesn't always understand his users. He won't want to waste money on a big extravaganza that no one attends. If we want Oracle to "relent", as Paul Dorsey put it, then we users need to let Oracle know now in no uncertain terms that we are not interested in an Oracle all-marketing show and that we will NOT show up at Open World. If they want to show us their new wares, they need to participate in IOUW96 in the same capacity that they always have. After all, if we tell Oracle that we won't attend Open World, they're hardly likely to just sit back and not bother to tell us what they've got in the works. (Wouldn't Sybase just love that!) We need to contact our Oracle representatives AND send messages to IOUG-A to take back to Oracle. As long as Oracle thinks it will have a good turnout at Open World, what incentive do they have to also come to IOUW96? If they know we won't show up at Open World, perhaps they'll be looking for another way to dazzle their users, and IOUW96 would be just the place, wouldn't it?

Who ever heard of a company competing with and cutting the throat of it's own biggest supporter - it's user group? If Oracle hasn't figured that out on its own, then perhaps we need to tell them.

Jan Received on Thu Feb 08 1996 - 00:00:00 CET