Oracle usability update

September 17, 2009 at 3:35 pm | Posted in application, intranet, oracle, standards | 6 Comments
Tags: bt intranet, intranet applications, oracle, usability, usability standards

Yesterday I had the first of two meetings this week with Oracle to discuss the usability issues raised about Oracle UCM on my blog. Oracle accepted the usability issues I raised. Oracle wanted to address them in several ways.

1. The next version of UCM (10GR4) will address some of the issues raised. 11GR1 will address others. My 2nd meeting will identify which ones in more detail.

2. As BT is a major customer of Oracle I will be invited to their Customer Advisory Council meetings in future. There biggest customers have the opportunity to raise usability issues across the whole product range.

3. BT’s usability standards I posted about will be reviewed by Oracle to consider as a benchmark for usability of their products in future.

While there are no guarantees that any of this will happen or improve usability it is refreshing to see the attitude taken by Oracle at the first meeting. Time will tell if discussions are turned into actions and usability improves though.

I will keep you posted on how the 2nd meeting goes.

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Mark, we’re just starting to take a look at our (feeble excuse of an) Intranet, and I’m following your updates carefully, both for Intranet management issues and for Oracle support in particular. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Comment by Yossi Mandel— September 17, 2009 #

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- Yossi,
  
  Don’t be so negative! All intranets started off as nothing. Some grow faster and better than others for lots of different reasons. Let me know if you have any burning issues you think I can help you with or maybe know of someone else who can.
  
  Mark
  
  Comment by markmorrell— September 18, 2009 #
  
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[...] Mark Morrell An insight into how intranets are managed « Oracle usability update [...]

Pingback by Is Oracle up to its old tricks? « Mark Morrell— September 23, 2009 #

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Our burning issue is budget, which we’re working on, but thank you for the offer.

Comment by Yossi Mandel— September 23, 2009 #

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The value of the CAC meetings are that you can gang up with other high profile customers – during the first coffee break – and collectively exert a bit of extra pressure! Though they tend to get held in far-flung and expensive places, which means I only ever got to attend one in person.

Comment by soldiersailorliveordie— September 25, 2009 #

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- And that’s the catch with Oracle’s Customer Advisory Council meetings – the locations! It wasn’t practical to travel from Brighton, England to San Francisco. Great location but too long and expensive for one day.
  
  I have asked if they have virtual meeting and they say they are considering them. Why after all this time are they still ‘only considering’ them? I think it is a ‘no brainer’ if they are serious about major customers’ views on usability being represented. (maybe not? )
  
  I have a call with Oracle later in October about my usability issues generally with their products which I’ll ask for any input and feedback on nearer the time.
  
  Mark
  
  Comment by markmorrell— September 28, 2009 #
  
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Mark Morrell Intranet Pioneer