In July Compaq Computer Corporation and Oracle announced the formation of the Compaq Business Unit at Oracle and Compaq/Oracle Alliance. The unit and the alliance were established in order to deliver more reliable, higher performance and easier to manage integrated database server platforms. Under this arrangement all Compaq Authorized Dealers will get Oracle Software and technical support directly from Compaq as they are now getting for Novell Netware, SCO Unix and Microsoft Nt.

Cloud computing has gained traction with an increasing number of organizations in the past few years. The ability to access a shared pool of computing resources on demand is proving highly attractive to cash-strapped IT departments that are under pressure to deliver better services at lower cost.

The appeal of cloud computing is its promise to deliver agility and real cost savings. It allows organizations to rapidly access computing resources when they are needed, often in a self-service and pay-per-use model. These computing resources can expand and contract with the natural ebb and flow of the business cycle, eliminating the need to over-invest in excess capacity.

The building blocks of cloud computing are rooted in hardware and software architectures that enable resource sharing, such as clustering, virtualization and dynamic provisioning.  Cloud is the evolution of several proven and mature technologies: grid computing, virtualization, shared services and management systems. Many data centers already deploy these capabilities, and are extending them to the cloud model by adding self-service, auto-scaling and chargeback.

Oracle offers the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of grid computing technologies from applications to disk, that can help corporate data centers evolve to become private cloud service providers, delivering secure, high-quality IT services that can be easily scaled and which comply with organizational and regulatory policies.

Public, private and hybrid clouds

Cloud computing is typically divided into three levels of service offerings: Software as a Service, where complete applications are delivered as services to end users; Platform as a Service, where application development and the deployment platform are delivered as a service; and Infrastructure as a Service, where server, storage and network hardware and associated operating system and virtualization software are delivered as a service.

These services can be provided via public, private or hybrid clouds.  In a public cloud, multiple customers share computing resources provided by a service provider. Customers are able to access those resources very rapidly and pay for only the resources used as an operating expense. This model offers elastic scaling, so resources can be ratcheted up when needed and scaled back down when they are no longer required. Although public clouds provide compelling advantages, there are concerns about security, compliance and quality of service.  Since data is hosted by a third party, customers are trusting the service provider to keep the data safe from loss or improper access, to comply with regulations for storage and locality of data, and to deliver low latency, highly available service over the network.

In a private cloud, the computing resources are for the exclusive use of a single organization and are controlled by the enterprise. Private clouds are typically implemented in the organization’s data center and managed by internal resources, but they may also be managed by a service provider, in which case they are known as virtual private clouds. The main benefit of this model is the organization remains in control of security, compliance and quality of service.

A hybrid cloud is one that spans both public and private clouds for a single application. It requires interoperability across clouds and the ability to manage across both in a unified way. It allows the enterprise to run the steady state workload in a private cloud and “cloudburst” to a public cloud for peaks, then return that capacity back to the public pool when it is no longer needed.

Evolving to the cloud

There are several things to bear in mind when moving to a cloud model, including the characteristics of specific clouds and the organizational and cultural issues that might become obstacles to the adoption of future architectures.

An enterprise architecture framework is valuable to evaluate and design a cloud infrastructure that delivers on current and future business goals. Such a framework will help architects define the architectural vision, analyze the systems and technical architecture designs and incorporate migration planning, governance, and change management into the overall plan.

At Oracle, we provide technology to help customers build private clouds as well as run Oracle in public clouds. We also offer several applications, such as Oracle CRM On Demand, as SaaS services, and provide Oracle technology to enable other cloud service providers.

McCaw Cellular Communications and Oracle Systems Corp. have signed agreements to develop jointly and test new high-speed data broadcasting technology that promises major cost and performance benefits. It is to be based on a cellular system, which is to be tested in the Seattle, USA, area during the first quarter this year. The two plans to launch nationwide by 1993.

The companies say that the service could be more effective and economical than existing ISDN or modem distribution and can provide multipoint transmission of digitized data rivaling expensive satellite transmissions.

The new joint venture is to be headed up by Dick Brass, the   creator   of   the   first dictionary based spell checkers in the early 1980s. He has since issued a call for partners in Europe and Asia for the new system. “We are hoping to provide customers with more than an order of magnitude in cost performance   improvement over existing data systems,” he said. The Oracle-McCaw system would compete with traditional   telephone   suppliers, which  provide  the  lines for many computer networks, and two  other proposed wireless  services. The companies said that some applications could include news, weather maps, bulk electronic distribution of documentation, high speed delivery of software and fax and e-mail transfer at laser prim quality.

—acn

Since the first computers were introduced on the factory floor in the late 1960s, manufacturing automation has undergone an unrecognizable transformation. Today, automated processes create mountains of valuable data, but all too often, only a small percentage is ‘actionable’.  With the amount of data being produced doubling every two years, this challenge is only compounded as manufacturers struggle to keep up with the onslaught of information being pushed into their organization.

Information overload causes companies to incur significant costs as they store and collect reams of data needed to identify embedded trends, while at the same time producing manual reports to meet quality standards, regulatory requirements and general reporting goals. Increasing scrutiny towards new and tighter reporting requirements from such standards as FDA/CFR, GxP, ERES, Green House Gas (GHG), carbon footprints, lead content and safety standards, further escalates the need for firms to find new ways to process data.

To meet these challenges and unlock the value from the mountains of data being generated, firms of all sizes are resorting to analytical engines to contextualize data into ‘actionable information’. For example, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer implemented a policy shift in which business units were required to take more responsibility for factory costs and margin performance. In order to successfully implement this change, Pfizer needed to give its executives information to analyze production performance, identify trends and help capitalize on emerging opportunities. To do this, Pfizer invested in new performance management software to assist managers with financial and cost analysis to help with critical margin decisions, like expanding production in growing markets, or cutting costs in others.

Weighing the Options

With the acknowledged overload of plant data from numerous points and enterprise systems, in conjunction with the increased demands to achieve reporting and statutory requirements, factories need to seriously address their data collection, audit trail and records retention processes. Ongoing excellence and continuous improvement programs such as 6-Sigma, all base their focus on root-cause and drill down analysis. With emphasis on cost and margins, factories need to understand every dollar spent in the supply chain, especially in today’s economy.

New analytics tools and technologies such as Business Intelligence (BI), Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence (EMI) and Manufacturing Operations Centers (MOC) are now being released into the market to bring traditional manufacturing operations into the modern-age. This allows for information to be consolidated, contextualized and ’pushed-out’ into the supply chain to maximize new collaborative relationships with partners and suppliers.

Firms are faced with a myriad of often confusing offerings with new features and functions. Companies looking to invest in new analytics tools and technologies should consider the following criteria when making their evaluation:

• Role Based Dashboards: Designed to deliver performance measures by responsibility. This means the line worker would see their unit production requirements for the lot or shift while plant managers would have expanded and consolidated views for a more plant-wide approach.
• Unified Plant Repository: Having a single source of truth upon which to make critical decisions is a paramount aspect manufacturing operations. New open and extensible data models allow for the capture of all the process variables at all stages of the supply hierarchy and expanded eco-system such as enterprise, plant, supply, equipment or device level.
• Bi-Directional Integration with Devices and Sensors: In order to have the best view of the factory floor, production and utility equipment needs to be integrated with the highest-level control systems to validate flow, quality and output.  Having access to this high-resolution data directly from the source allows the modern factory to capture and process errors in real time as needed before a larger error occurs.
• Contextualization Converts Raw Data into Useful Business Information. By applying context to time series data with additional out-of the box or standard rules to the data stream, plant personnel can better track the sate of product and their supply chain as it flows through the process.  Taking remedial actions at the time of incident can save production lots from excessive rework for example as factories strive to meet product quality and delivery commitments.
• Robust Integration Infrastructure: Linkage with legacy shop floor applications and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) is critical for the information to move from one application to another. Having a suitable toolkit or flexible integration platform lends for greater convenience when mapping code from one file to another.
• Embedded Best Practice Workflows: These can also drive next steps and follow-on actions, such as if a certain quantity or lot were completed, as an alert to the next station.  Supervisors have drill down capability to determine root-cause reviews for issues when they surface. These screens can also be fully configured and customized to meet the needs of specific plants or industries.

One example of a company taking advantage of new analytical tools and technologies is Foster’s Group Limited, a global multi-beverage company delivering a diverse portfolio of premium beer, wine, spirits, cider, and non-alcoholic beverages. Foster’s Group was seeking to increase its global market share through strategic acquisitions and strong business performance. To successful achieve this, Foster’s required a system that would enhance its internal controls and deliver a more consistent reporting process. Using Oracle’s Hyperion Financial Data Quality Management, Foster’s created a system that enabled the company to minimize data integrity risks and standardize its reporting processes.

Conclusion:

Manufacturers are looking for ways to optimize business processes to survive today’s uncertain times. Having the best tools on the factory floor can become a significant point of competitive differentiation by enhancing the probability of survival.

To achieve a higher-level image of not only the plant or the enterprise, but also the product movement through the supply chain at every step in the process, factories require more sophisticated analytical tools to gain a complete picture of their ecosystem. New intelligence software is being released into the market to allow firms to do just this and in the process, give manufacturers better control of their vital resources while enabling more informed decision making. As a result, manufacturers will benefit from real-time intelligence, unified plant repositories and integration of shop floor equipment and plant systems. In short, having the right technologies in place to manage this critical flow of data is no longer an option, but instead, it will increasingly become the key to success.

McCaw Cellular Communications and Oracle Systems Corp. have signed agreements to develop jointly and test new high-speed data broadcasting technology that promises major cost and performance benefits. It is to be based on a cellular system, which is to be tested in the Seattle, USA, area during the first quarter this year. The two plans to launch nationwide by 1993.

The companies say that the service could be more effective and economical than existing ISDN or modem distribution and can provide multipoint transmission of digitized data rivaling expensive satellite transmissions.

The new joint venture is to be headed up by Dick Brass, the   creator   of   the   first dictionary based spell checkers in the early 1980s. He has since issued a call for partners in Europe and Asia for the new system. “We are hoping to provide customers with more than an order of magnitude in cost performance   improvement over existing data systems,” he said. The Oracle-McCaw system would compete with traditional   telephone   suppliers, which  provide  the  lines for many computer networks, and two  other proposed wireless  services. The companies said that some applications could include news, weather maps, bulk electronic distribution of documentation, high speed delivery of software and fax and e-mail transfer at laser prim quality.

—acn