Changing the tune
I read this article in Computerworld about Oracle embracing integration with some amusement. In his recent biography, Softwar, Ellison is adamant that the way to go is to install monolithic Oracle ERP software and use it to run your entire business without modifying the software.
Basically, he was saying if you aren't doing it Oracle's way, you are doing it wrong. He has something of a point in that many companies has screwed up processes that they try to map to an ERP and end up getting a big mess. However, some companies have a competitive advantage that is built up in their processes and systems and taking a plain vanilla Oracle implementation would put them back in the pack. It is interesting that customers seemed to have forced Oracle's hand on the integration front.
While I'm somewhat on the subject, Softwar is not a bad book. It drags at times (I guess I'm not that interested in his personal life) but the descriptions of what was going on at Oracle as it grew to be a huge and influential company is interesting. Worth a read if you like that kind of thing.