Aye, it's me again. Still employed at Jolly Old Oracle, but likely not for too much longer. Alack and alas.
Friday is indeed the Big Day (or the first Big Day). It's likely that Microelectronics and other Hardware-centric groups will be hit hardest (50% or more). FLMs, Directors and some VPs in Systems remain totally in the dark (as we drone workers have been), which bolsters the notion that highest-ups made the decision to kill most of 'Sun' a while back, and plan only keep a few stragglers around based on salary and other nonsense.
It'll be horrendous, however you look at it. I don't think any of us remaining in my group wish to stay on after Friday, because it will be all about cleaning up someone else's puke and sh--e as quickly and inexpensively as possible. Blindfolded. Likely naked. And, really, who wants that? I'll take the Package now, please, Sir/Madam.
Friday will be world-wide - most Geographies. Either immediate walk-out-the-door (most of US work sites not impacted by their 'WARN' notice) or a few weeks to find something (Deutschland and some other EU countries).
They'll likely keep a cadre of less-expensive engineers around to do the bare minimum required for support. For awhile. Existing legal agreements? Trifle!!! Throw lawyers and monies at them to make them disappear! End-Of-Life the whole lot, with a generous severance check to our Loyal Customers.
No rumours yet about the fate of Java, beyond that recent article positing that ownership of J2EE is being shopped around outside.
Everyone here has stopped working, emailing, caring. It's a mess. No transparency. No trusting that we in the rank and file are adults and can handle 'Business Realities'. Nowt. Instead, we've a dearth of information, leading to fear, paranoia, self-recrimination, etc., with no direction whatsoever from above. It didn't really need to be this way, though as someone who works for me mentioned earlier this week, "You forget that this is the way bloody Oracle does things."
Yes, but that still doesn't make it right.
Bollocks.