Oracle

I was part of the Sun Microsystems acquisition. Since the acquisition, the part of Oracle that came from Sun—the "Systems" org—has been largely independent, retaining its culture and able to manage its own direction.

The work has been very enjoyable, with good projects to work on and good people to work with. The company is stable and has a large portfolio if you want to work on different things. There has generally been enough money to go around for good equipment.

The Santa Clara campus is not particularly close to public transit, making getting here a pain unless you live close enough to avoid traffic. The shuttle connections to the trains are few and far between.

The compensation is below industry standard. This works well enough, even in the Bay Area, but is frustrating. The work has generally been good enough to compensate, but not always.

First, plan, then communicate.

Don't forget either step.

Think through the consequences of your actions or inaction.

And be ready to play politics to protect your organization, or get out of the way.