Connecting the dots with iStore

I recently completed an iStore implementation for one of our clients. And if you are considering eCommerce engines like InterShop, OpenMarket or Broadvision I would suggest to hold and see if iStore fits in better. iStore is Oracle's e-commerce engine nicely integrared with the advanced pricing and other Order management components. For close to two years I was a passive audience to the talk of integrating content and transactional data with some partial success. I was part of the development team of quoting applications (ground up) and then the content management and portals. These two apps are so closely related but we were unable or rather lacked courage to find the common ground of integration. It was there but so far distant. Oracle's iStore succeeded to connect the missing dots of that integration. I would highly encourage companies with or without an existing Oracle install base for pricing, configurator etc to implement iStore for their web presence.

Why does some people sound so sane?

Like,
1. Bill Clinton
2. Tony Blair
3. Colin Powell and
4. John McCain

The repeating story line

A familiar story...
1. A great idea
2. Good funding
3. A few challangers
4. Green signal
5. Optimistic timelines
6. A few contractors
7. Complex design
8. Flawed extrapolated scope
9. Enthusiastic team
10. Ah I forgot that moments
11. Delayed delivery
12. Unhappy business
13. Threats
14. Stressed out developers
15. Botched up codes and short cuts
16. Political maneuvering
17. New fundings
18. Late release
19. Few promotions, few quits
20. Poor performance

Business busy to replace the system.

Don't get too innovative

...Unless you communicate it well. I book my tickets online through my travel agent's website. Recently they made a change to their site to start giving option of alternative airports. So if I book my ticket from LAX to DEN they also offer seats from Orange county or Santa Ana. The innovation bombs on you as only the price is highlighted and not the airport. If I am searching for a flight from LAX to DEN and back I am assuming it to be the exact same when I finalize the trip. Last night I ended up paying extra bucks for the exchange ticket when at the airport the folks could not find me in the list. My experience revolves around web and I know how the alternate routes should have been handled. Please do not pain your users by the stupid innovation.

Woohoo! I am a Sun alumini

Cuz officially I can now participate in Sun's comminity blogs.

US Open coverage sucked

Because they had no interest in covering the US Open doubles/mixed-doubles matches. The Men's doubles finals was not even promptly covered in the "Latest news" section on www.usopen.org when the match was already over for close to 15 minutes. Is Tennis just the single's game?

Please do not dishonor Steve Irwin

He was my favourite and I did not watch his shows for any adrenaline rush. I watched him for his love and the understanding of animals. He has been criticized for holding his baby while feeding a giant crock. I do not understand it why? He showed that he did understand the behaviour of a crocodile. No one risks the life of his own baby. And when he did it he was loud and clear that it was not a risk but a clear understanding of the animal's behaviour. And talking of erratic behaviour? Who can compete with the humans? He was an extension of the animal kingdom. To understand animals one needs to feel part of it and very few can claim that today.

How can you stay uninspired?

[Story of SarathBabu. Scripts taken from Rediff.com]:
...My mother was not aware of institutions like the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, or the Indian Institutes of Technology. She only wanted to educate us so that we got a good job. I didn't know what I wanted to do at that time because in my friend-circle, nobody talked about higher education or preparing for the IIT-JEE.

When you constantly worry about the next square meal, you do not dream of becoming a doctor or an engineer. The only thing that was on my mind was to get a good job because my mother was struggling a lot. Read More

Will Microsoft be successful the third time?

They copied MAC and were successful.
They copied the Netscape and were successful.
Should they be successful the third time with Google?

I won't write any blogs.. today!

So much to write about... Andre's marathon win over Baghdatis. Baghdatis' gallant effort inspite of his pain. Nawab Bugti's cowardice murder. Lage raho Munna bhai's release. Some light hearted exchange with my old colleague. My past manager's endorsement on my linkedin profile. Junk emails in my inbox. A friend buying a Yamaha V-star and not letting me ride it. Thinguy's hilarious blog. A stack of bills in my mailbox. And I still won't write a blog today.