OOW2K6 Keynotes

Oracle has published the schedule of keynote speakers for Open World.  To be frank for me  keynotes are usually the least appealing component of most conferences.  Keynote speakers tend not to to leaven their marketing spiels with humour or insight.  Which is fair enough, they're executives not court jesters, but it can make for some turgid speeches. 

Still, one of  the advantages of attending Open World is the opportunity to see most of the big beasts of the IT savanna.  With the (understandable) exception of Microsoft and IBM the main players in chips, boxes and wires are all present. This means that the speeches are more interesting because there's more needle. Obviously everybody bashes Microsoft and IBM.

The ones that look the most interesting are:>

Tuesday, October 24 8:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m. PT

Mark Hurd, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, HP is talking a little early in the morning after OTN Night.  But it will be worthwhile turning up for just the last ten minutes to see whether he takes questions on employee surveillence.

Wednesday, October 25 10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m. PT

Jonathan Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer and President, Sun Microsystems, Inc.  has the hardest task of the week.  Scott McNealy was easily the most entertaining keynote speaker I saw at previous Open Worlds.  Is Schwartz going to try to match his predecessor's charm or will he play Iron Chancellor Brown to McNealy's Blair?

Wednesday, October 25 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. PT

Larry Ellison, Oracle Chief Executive Officer will almost certainly be impossible to see live.  If you don't know somebody with influence who can reserve you a seat and you don't want to blow a roadie to get a backstage pass your only option is to start queueing before lunchtime.  Probably best to watch it on TV from the comfort of a bean bag somewhere in the Moscone Centre. 

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