A Retrospective of the Two-day Conference in Madrid, Spain
Sean Scott, Oracle ACE and Managing Principal Consultant at Viscosity North America, Inc. ("Viscosity"), participated in the SPOUG22 conference, organized by the Spain Oracle Users Group (SPOUG), which took place in Madrid, Spain early June 2022. This year the in-person event was focused on continuing together towards progress and technological transformation thanks to Oracle's solutions and products.
Scott ran the transformational "Data as Code: Portable Datasets for Accelerated Software Development" session dedicated to a new approach to software development and data management – data as code. He explained how infrastructure as code changed how we build and deploy assets. Tools like Docker, Terraform, and Ansible allow developers to create entire application stacks without requiring specialized systems administration skills.
The Oracle expert proved that the Data as Code method gives teams — from DevOps to DataOps, Data Scientists, and beyond — the ability to process, manage, consume, and share data the same way we do for code during software development. It empowers end-users to take control of their data to accelerate iterations and increase collaboration. Therefore, resulting in more reliable development and testing outcomes and faster software development lifecycles! "My personal highlight was the keynote session, delivered by Maria del Mar de Ros, CEO of the Spanish Sail GP team. Sail GP is a global sailing championship sponsored by Oracle, with close, competitive racing among boats capable of exceeding 100km/hour! Her presentation described how crews utilize real-time monitoring and analytics captured from hundreds of sensors on each boat to inform split-second tactical decisions. The session was punctuated by race footage captured from crew body cams, boat-mounted cameras, and overhead, producing a dramatic, immersive experience," Scott commented on his experience attending SPOUG22. He also shared that one of the most engaging activities at the conference was the Puzzle Box activity on day one, where teams of 4-5 competed to assemble clues and solve the puzzles, which put his Spanish to the test.
SPOUG22 drew top-level speakers, leading sponsors, and exhibitors who presented their innovations and products to the Oracle community. Participants could attend the SIG meetings, working groups specializing in different Oracle products created this year within the association, to share experiences, challenges, and opportunities relating to each product.