Comments on: Acquisitions, Culture, and the Social Web http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/ Jeremiah Owyang discusses how web tools and social media enable companies to connect with customers Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:40:52 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Thomas PM http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-1107716 Thomas PM Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:47:09 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-1107716 Hi Jeremiah, In my opinion the best reason for the acquisition of Sun by Oracle is that Sun has lots of very good developers! In the end it is all about people in the IT business. Nice post! cheers, Thomas Hi Jeremiah,

In my opinion the best reason for the acquisition of Sun by Oracle is that Sun has lots of very good developers! In the end it is all about people in the IT business. Nice post!

cheers,
Thomas

]]> By: What Your Social Networking Policy Says About Your Employer Brand and Culture | BrandForTalent.com http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-1002578 What Your Social Networking Policy Says About Your Employer Brand and Culture | BrandForTalent.com Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:21:02 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-1002578 [...] a recent blog post, Jeremiah Owyang, in discussing the acquisition of Sun by Oracle, makes an interesting observation [...]

[...] a recent blog post, Jeremiah Owyang, in discussing the acquisition of Sun by Oracle, makes an interesting observation [...]

]]> By: Andrew Finkle http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-1000035 Andrew Finkle Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:20:25 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-1000035 Testing out Gravatar.com HT @jowyang Testing out Gravatar.com HT @jowyang

]]> By: Alison Charter-Smith http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-999863 Alison Charter-Smith Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:43:04 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-999863 I have to agree with Sameer Patel's comments about these two companies are being two very different beasts. Also being a former Sun employee, I know first hand how different their two cultures are. Jeremiah, I think you've only got two things right in your post - culture is the biggest driver of adoption & it's top down managed. All this points to only one conclusion: Oracle culture will overcome and the only winners will be the customers. I have to agree with Sameer Patel’s comments about these two companies are being two very different beasts. Also being a former Sun employee, I know first hand how different their two cultures are. Jeremiah, I think you’ve only got two things right in your post – culture is the biggest driver of adoption & it’s top down managed. All this points to only one conclusion: Oracle culture will overcome and the only winners will be the customers.

]]> By: Joshua-Michéle Ross http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-999801 Joshua-Michéle Ross Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:34:26 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-999801 Good observations Jeremy, I think the culture clash will be Biblical. In that vein: My read is more like Ellison as Pharoah and The Sun Community as the Israelites.... After a bit of slavery the Sun OS properties decamp with only unleavened bread - forking their respective code bases and carrying on without Oracle. Oracle chases with its chariots of litigation but alas Larry is left with the hard assets (which he may not want) but no community. Without the community his code withers. Not sure whether the seven plagues will visit Oracle before that or not... Good observations Jeremy,
I think the culture clash will be Biblical. In that vein:
My read is more like Ellison as Pharoah and The Sun Community as the Israelites….

After a bit of slavery the Sun OS properties decamp with only unleavened bread – forking their respective code bases and carrying on without Oracle. Oracle chases with its chariots of litigation but alas Larry is left with the hard assets (which he may not want) but no community. Without the community his code withers. Not sure whether the seven plagues will visit Oracle before that or not…

]]> By: Chris Rackley http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-999788 Chris Rackley Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:25:29 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-999788 Though it is unlikely, what if a new culture were to bloom from Oracle and Sun, rather than a melting pot? This is the question left in my mind, because the idea of it is noteworthy, but the execution would be daunting and extremely risky. Further, I'm not creative enough to fathom it. But suppose there's a third option besides open and proprietary, and that this "culture" would be unveiled. Just a thought. Beyond that, though - I think the two cultures can co-exist. Even at our office, we have a good mix of generative-principled developers and appliance-ized minded designers/strategists. Though it is unlikely, what if a new culture were to bloom from Oracle and Sun, rather than a melting pot?

This is the question left in my mind, because the idea of it is noteworthy, but the execution would be daunting and extremely risky. Further, I’m not creative enough to fathom it. But suppose there’s a third option besides open and proprietary, and that this “culture” would be unveiled. Just a thought.

Beyond that, though – I think the two cultures can co-exist. Even at our office, we have a good mix of generative-principled developers and appliance-ized minded designers/strategists.

]]> By: jeremiah_owyang http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-999700 jeremiah_owyang Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:22:54 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-999700 Thanks Andrew, it would be interesting if there was a culture 'index' that could match the different cultures between companies to see if they are compatible. BTW: Go to gravatar.com to get a customized avatar here in the comments. You're one of my top commenters, and we'd love to see your face! Thanks Andrew, it would be interesting if there was a culture ‘index’ that could match the different cultures between companies to see if they are compatible.

BTW: Go to gravatar.com to get a customized avatar here in the comments. You’re one of my top commenters, and we’d love to see your face!

]]> By: Andrew Finkle http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-999556 Andrew Finkle Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:58:00 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-999556 Fascinating - and leave it to you to look at the "social" aspect of a merger (You should consult on Wall St for that). Culture is a HUGE reason why many (and most in tech) mergers don't work. On a separate note should the deal close - expect to see Larry jettison SUN's hardware business. He has ZERO interest in being a hardware vendor IMO http://twitter.com/A_F Fascinating – and leave it to you to look at the “social” aspect of a merger (You should consult on Wall St for that). Culture is a HUGE reason why many (and most in tech) mergers don’t work. On a separate note should the deal close – expect to see Larry jettison SUN’s hardware business. He has ZERO interest in being a hardware vendor IMO

http://twitter.com/A_F

]]> By: Sameer Patel http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-999409 Sameer Patel Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:45:58 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-999409 I hope you're right Jeremiah. But my gut tells me that it’s going to be much more lop sided in favor or Oracles culture. Culturally these are 2 very different companies. I personally know 2 director level folks that went from Oracle to Sun. Both were rejected for bringing an excessively aggressive work ethic that clashed with Suns work life balance approach. The good news as you say, is that Oracle is beginning to participate in the social web so I do expect that they will cherry pick Suns’ most successful social media programs and learn from them. Oracle is run by the numbers though, so expect them to dive in and look for results when deciding which SM programs to keep. I hope you’re right Jeremiah. But my gut tells me that it’s going to be much more lop sided in favor or Oracles culture.

Culturally these are 2 very different companies. I personally know 2 director level folks that went from Oracle to Sun. Both were rejected for bringing an excessively aggressive work ethic that clashed with Suns work life balance approach.

The good news as you say, is that Oracle is beginning to participate in the social web so I do expect that they will cherry pick Suns’ most successful social media programs and learn from them. Oracle is run by the numbers though, so expect them to dive in and look for results when deciding which SM programs to keep.

]]> By: Rich Sands http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/04/21/acquisitions-culture-and-the-social-web/comment-page-1/#comment-999406 Rich Sands Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:45:05 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/?p=3256#comment-999406 Much of Sun's software portfolio has been open sourced, and Sun has been a successful community leader, because of the transparent culture in the engineering ranks. Oracle does not have much choice in this - the Java, OpenSolaris, and MySQL communities are quite capable of forking their respective code bases and carrying on without Oracle, should Oracle prove to be a lousy community steward. Heck - this is already happening with the Drizzle and Maria forks of MySQL, initiated by community leaders such as Monty Widenius, one of the founders of MySQL who left Sun in February. Sun has learned the hard way that ironically, the only way to retain control of an open source community is to be both transparent and inclusive. Oracle will either learn this lesson from the Sun folk who have internalized it, or they'll learn it the hard way, but either way, they'll learn it. Much of Sun’s software portfolio has been open sourced, and Sun has been a successful community leader, because of the transparent culture in the engineering ranks. Oracle does not have much choice in this – the Java, OpenSolaris, and MySQL communities are quite capable of forking their respective code bases and carrying on without Oracle, should Oracle prove to be a lousy community steward. Heck – this is already happening with the Drizzle and Maria forks of MySQL, initiated by community leaders such as Monty Widenius, one of the founders of MySQL who left Sun in February. Sun has learned the hard way that ironically, the only way to retain control of an open source community is to be both transparent and inclusive. Oracle will either learn this lesson from the Sun folk who have internalized it, or they’ll learn it the hard way, but either way, they’ll learn it.

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