Day 2 at Oracle CloudWorld 2024: Exploring AI, Security, and the Future of Cloud

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Day two of Oracle CloudWorld 2024 was packed with forward-thinking insights, customer stories, and exciting technology announcements. From Safra Catz’s keynote setting the stage to Larry Ellison’s visionary address and Juan Loaiza’s technical deep dive, the day emphasized Oracle’s commitment to AI-driven and multi-cloud infrastructure. Here’s my take on the keynotes, demos, and discussions from the day.

Keynote by Safra Catz: Partnerships and Customer Success

The day began with Safra Catz’s keynote, where she emphasized Oracle’s commitment to customer success. Customers like MGM Resorts, represented by CEO Bill Hornbuckle, highlighted how Oracle’s cloud infrastructure is helping to transform guest experiences and streamline operations. The CIA, represented by CIO La’Naia Jones, showcased the importance of Oracle’s security solutions, drawing attention to their long-standing partnership, which began in 1977.

BNP Paribas also shared insights about their use of Oracle ERP to transform financial operations, while also touching on Oracle’s involvement in tennis sponsorships. This demonstrated how Oracle’s impact goes beyond just technology.

Following BNP Paribas, Cloudflare’s COO, Michelle Zatlyn, joined Safra Catz on stage to speak about cloud security, Cloudflare, a leader in web performance and security, discussed their partnership with Oracle to ensure data safety and provide robust infrastructure. The collaboration is critical in today’s cloud-driven environments, where cybersecurity is paramount.

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Larry Ellison’s Vision: A Multi-Cloud Future

Since last year, I had been looking forward to updates on multi-cloud partnerships, and Larry Ellison delivered. His keynote highlighted Oracle’s commitment to giving customers flexibility and choice, emphasizing the multi-cloud era for Oracle Database. Larry’s analogy of Oracle supporting multiple operating systems and applications throughout its history underscored Oracle’s dedication to meeting customer needs.

Oracle’s focus on Exadata and Oracle Database 23AI, which will take center stage by December 2024, is a testament to Oracle’s efforts to fully embrace autonomous systems. By 2025, both Fusion Cloud ERP and NetSuite ERP will be running on the Oracle Autonomous Database, setting the stage for a new era of self-managing and self-securing systems.

The concept of a Robot DBA—an AI-driven system that manages databases autonomously—was particularly intriguing. This represents Oracle’s ambition to redefine how database management and security operate at scale.

On the security front, Larry touched on data security, application security, user identity, and network security. He further discussed how biometric authentication, ZPR (Zero Packet Retention), and packet inspection robots are part of Oracle’s approach to Gen2 cyber defense. His vision of using code generation to enhance application security was another step forward, showing how automation can improve not only performance but security as well.

Juan Loaiza’s Keynote: AI and Data Development

Following Larry’s keynote, Juan Loaiza took a deep dive into generative data development and AI-centric enterprise infrastructure. A key point was how data storage and retrieval no longer need to follow traditional structures, with JSON duality view providing a flexible way to unify relational, graph, and SQL data.

When Akash Guha from PayPal joined the stage to discuss their use of JSON duality, it highlighted how Oracle’s innovations are already making an impact in real-world applications. This approach to unifying data will simplify data management and provide more flexibility for enterprises, allowing them to optimize their operations and make better data-driven decisions.

Exploring the Expo: Innovation at Every Turn

In between keynotes, I explored the Oracle CloudWorld Expo, visiting familiar kiosks like Avalara, Opkey, and Deloitte. A standout was the Google Cloud partnership and the sneak peek at the Cloud Customer Success Dashboard, set to launch in January 2025. This dashboard promises to give businesses greater control over their cloud metrics.

PaymentUS also stood out for its focus on partnerships, innovation, cloud, and AI, further demonstrating how even well-established companies are continuing to innovate.

Conclusion: A Journey Worth Following

Day two at Oracle CloudWorld 2024 showcased how Oracle is not just following trends but leading the charge in AI, multi-cloud infrastructure, and autonomous systems. From security innovations to data management solutions, Oracle is shaping the future of how businesses operate in the cloud.

As I reflect on the day, it’s clear that Oracle’s journey to multi-cloud flexibility and AI-driven automation is worth following closely. With announcements like multi-cloud partnerships, Exadata, and Oracle Database 23AI, Oracle is paving the way for a more secure, flexible, and innovative future in cloud technology.

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