Robert van Mölken lives in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and is a Fusion Middleware specialist. He has over 9 years of experience in IT. Robert studied computer science at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht and received his BCS in 2007. Before his graduation, he started as a graphic designer and web developer, but soon shifted his focus to Fusion Middleware. His career started just before the release of Oracle SOA Suite 10gR3 and progressed heavily from there. Currently, Robert is one of the expertise leads on integration and cloud at AMIS. Before he started working at AMIS, he already had 4 years of experience in SOA Suite 10g and 11g. AMIS is specialized in most of the facets of the Oracle Red Stack and is an initiator of the Red Expert Alliance, a group of well-known Oracle partners. His main emphasis is on building service-oriented business processes using SOA Suite 12c, but lately his focus has shifted towards cloud and on-premise integrations, using Oracle's offerings and custom JEE solutions. Robert is a speaker at international conferences and is frequently on the AMIS Technology blog, the Oracle Technology Network, and OTN ArchBeat Podcasts. He is one of the two SOA/BPM SIG leads for the Dutch Oracle User Group (OGh) and organizes these meetups. He also works closely with the SOA Oracle Product Management team by participating in the Beta programs. In 2016, Robert was named Oracle ACE, promoted from ACE Associate, for SOA and middleware, because of these contributions. He served as a technical reviewer for the book Applied SOA Patterns on the Oracle Platform. It was published in 2014.
I would like to thank the people who have helped me over the years to shape my professional career. I'm most thankful of the people at AMIS who gave me the chances to excel in my career. Without them, I wouldn't have come this far. My utmost gratitude goes to my friends and family for their loving support in writing this book. And finally, a special thanks goes out to my coauthor, Phil Wilkins, for his efforts and hard work in making this title a reality.
Phil Wilkins has spent over 25 years in the software industry with a breadth of experience in different businesses and environments, from multinationals to software start-ups and customer organizations, including a global optical and auditory healthcare provider. He started out as a developer on real-time, mission-critical solutions and has worked his way up through technical and development leadership roles, primarily in Java-based environments. Phil now works for Capgemini, specializing in cloud integration and API technologies and more generally with Oracle technologies. Outside of his work commitments, he has contributed his technical capabilities to support others in a wide range of activities, from the development of local community websites to providing input and support to the development of technical books (particularly with Packt) and software ideas and businesses. He has also had a number of articles published in technical journals in his own right and is an active blogger. The journal contributions have been part of a wider commitment to the UK Oracle User Group (UKOUG), where Phil is also a member of the Middleware Special Interest Group Committee. He has been recognized as an Oracle ACE Associate. When not immersed in work and technology, he spends his time pursuing his passion for music and with his wife and two sons.
I would like to thank those who, over the years, have offered me opportunities, encouraged me, and supported me to reached the point where this book has become a reality. I would also like to thank my coauthor, Robert van Mölken, not only for his hard work but for also his passion and commitment that has taken an idea to a conclusion. Lastly, but most importantly to me, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wife, Catherine, and our two sons, Christopher and Aaron, for their tolerance of the many hours I spent in front of a computer, not only on this project but also many that have preceded and those that will surely follow.
We would like to thank the Oracle middleware team, particularly Ramkumar Menon, Yogesh Sontakke, and Jürgen Kress, who have been very supportive and engaging; they shared with us the details of the ICS Roadmap, providing access and an early glance of the product and answering the questions we posed.
We would also like to thank the Packt team, particularly David Barnes, who took the time to help us get this project up and running.