ERP Associates, Inc.

2000 was an interesting year to be a PeopleSoft consultant. That was the year that PeopleSoft released their 8.0 product line.  8.0 was a special release because PeopleSoft had moved their entire architecture from a client-server application to a no-code-on-the-client HTML-based web application.

PeopleSoft had managed to convince their customers that their implementation partners wouldn't be effective if their consultants didn't have web development experience - which at the time only PeopleSoft's consultants had.  So without 8.0 experience, there was a good chance you'd be on the bench until you were able to get some type of experience in a web-based version. 

In reality the platform change wasn't that big of a leap for developers because App Designer essentially worked the same way and the learning curve wasn't all that steep.  So after a few months both PeopleSoft customers and consultants had made the transition to 8.0 and the rest is history.

But unlike PeopleSoft release 8.0, the Oracle Fusion applications are going to require drastically different skills to maintain and support.  There's not going to be an "Application Designer" in the new world.  There won't be any PeopleCode.  SQR will disappear.  App Engine?  Forget about it!

So where does a PeopleSoft developer start in learning about the development tools that Oracle Fusion will be built on?  Well, one place is Oracle's PeopleSoft and Oracle Fusion Middleware Best Practice Center.   Right now the Fusion information is slightly out of date and it seems like a half-hearted effort.  But the contributers to the Oracle Fusion Middleware for PeopleSoft blog seem strong so I'm hopeful some good results will come out of this. Start with the PS to Fusion Quick Reference Guide, then check out the Tutorials and you'll be on your way.

As you start learning about Fusion technologies, take every opportunity to build and deploy Fusion-based applications in your current environment.  That'll not only give you the experience you'll need after the Fusion upgrade,you may be able to develop bolt-on solutions that will survive the Fusion Apps upgrade unlike your PeopleTools-based bolt-ons which will have to be re-written.

As slow as the Fusion applications are progressing, us old school PeopleSoft developers still have time to retool and get ready.  From what I heard at the conference, I wouldn't expect Fusion applications to be generally available before 2010.