Oracle VM
Oracle VM is a server virtualization technology that allows server resources to be shared securely, dynamically, and efficiently. Virtualization allows one server to securely do multiple jobs by running multiple operating systems. Data centers that utilize many servers can more efficiently optimize all of the resources by viewing those resources as a pool, with work moved between servers as needed. As a result, businesses need less hardware, which saves money. Also, less power is wasted by machines that would be doing essentially nothing—which saves even more money, and also helps the environment. Consulting Developer, Linux and Virtualization (Corporate Architecture)
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Product: Oracle VM Q: Why is Oracle VM innovative? A: The combination of virtualization with commodity equipment and open source software is considered to be one of the fastest growing and most crucial technologies of the decade, even more so in the current economic climate. As a result, every major player in the computer industry is looking for breakthroughs in technology and business decision processes, such as Oracle's recent purchase of Virtual Iron, to set itself apart. Memory, or RAM, turns out to be a particularly hard resource to efficiently virtualize across a number of operating systems. I'm working on a software technique called Transcendent Memory that should, over time, make it possible for less RAM to be purchased and much less electricity to be wasted powering RAM. Transcendent Memory is the first true breakthrough in this area in several years. You can find out more about this at the Transcendent Memory site. Q: What makes the product unique? A: Virtualization is the lowest level of the software stack, even lower than the operating system. With Oracle VM, Oracle provides the full software stack and, more importantly, can provide support to Oracle's customers for the full software stack, all on commodity hardware and an open source foundation. Oracle's open-source team has a number of significant open-source contributions. There's a comprehensive list at the page for Oracle's Technical Contributions to Linux. Q: What innovative technology are you excited about right now? A: I'm constantly amazed by the iPhone. It grew from a phone that could do some cool stuff in 2007, to a phone that could do lots of cool stuff in 2008. Now it serves nearly all of my needs as a portable computer replacement and more, but with a fantastically simple and useful computer interface. So now it's a computer that I use once in awhile to make or receive phone calls, but also so much more. I am a baseball fan and I can listen to and soon will be able to watch baseball games on my iPhone. I am an avid reader, and I recently read a rather thick (I think) book on my iPhone. I don't hurry to get the morning newspaper anymore because I read most of the top news on my iPhone. The list goes on. Q: What would you call the enemy of innovation? A: The enemy of innovation is "nose to the grindstone, get it out the door" thinking. While meeting our commitments to our customers is critically important, we all have to take time to think beyond just how to get the job done. We need to think about how to get the job done better, and beyond that into how the job might be done completely differently. Q: What do you think of as the most innovative time in history? A: Now. Imagination is sparked by the free flow of ideas and there's never been a time when more information and ideas were available to more people from more sources at a faster rate than today. Fasten your seat belts! | 
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