Tackling Today's Biggest Challenges
Origins
Oracle Labs originated from Sun Microsystems as a research and development organization. Since then, its research findings contributed to the world of technology as we know it.
For example, chip multithreading and the Java programming language grew out of work done in Oracle Labs.
Present
Today, Oracle Labs researchers look for novel approaches and methodologies, often taking on projects with high risk or uncertainty, or that are difficult to tackle within a product-development organization. Its main directions of work include research, consulting, and product incubation.
Oracle's commitment to R&D is a driving factor in the development of technologies that have kept Oracle at the forefront of the computer industry. Although many of Oracle's leading-edge technologies originate in its product development organizations, Oracle Labs is the sole organization at Oracle that is devoted exclusively to research.
Our Portfolio
Oracle Labs maintains a balanced research portfolio with four major approaches:
- Exploratory research: bringing in the best and brightest in their fields to pursue their ideas within domains relevant to Oracle.
- Directed research: working in collaboration with product teams on difficult, future-looking problems outside the scope of the product release lifecycle, but driven by product requirements.
- Consulting: providing unique expertise that is useful in smaller engagements across many product organizations.
- Product incubation: Providing a place to grow new products resulting from Oracle Labs research. Incubation is necessary when research results do not have a natural home (as is often the case with research across product areas), or where more risk needs to be eliminated from the work to demonstrate its value.
Be Yourself Here
At Oracle, we don’t just respect differences — we celebrate them. We are committed to creating a workplace where all kinds of people can do their best work.
Cristina Cifuentes
"Latina, migrant, mother, wife, researcher, teacher, mentor, leader"
As a Latina growing up in Colombia, little did I know I would end up living in Australia after our family migrated 30+ years ago. I went from being overrepresented, to underrepresented, as a Latina; from speaking Spanish, to speaking English; and from seeing many female Computer Science students in class, to only seeing a few or none other than me. After doing a PhD degree, I grew into an academic career, which taught me how to teach and explain concepts. Teaching has helped in my industrial research career, where we need to explain new ideas and concepts we develop to a variety of audiences inside and outside the company. Leading projects in academia and industry has been tremendously interesting and valuable to me – being able to test whether ideas work well in practice or not, iterating over the next set of ideas, thinking about what's next, and developing a new future. My diverse background has helped me in growing a diverse and inclusive team. Our female ratio is above the average for technical CS fields, our age range varies from 1st year undergraduate student to retirement age, and several of the world's continents get represented in our team. These days, leading a team of researchers and engineers into the new frontier – Intelligent Application Security – I get to discuss new ideas with the team, use past knowledge to inform the future, develop strategy, and create a vision for the future of application security.
Alexandra Fritzen
"My strengths are valued and utilized and I receive support and training for tackling my weaknesses."
I joined Oracle Labs as an intern. Within weeks of my internship, I was on-site, preparing a product demo to a large customer. My manager and team gave me responsibility right away - and then supported me so that we could be successful. Since then, Oracle Labs has continuously provided me with challenges that help me grow and advance in my career. My strengths are valued and utilized and I receive support and training for tackling my weaknesses. I appreciate that seniority is not a prerequisite for being given responsibility and instead the skill- and mindset needed for a mission will determine who may lead it.
Khalid Agdmoun
"A place to reach new heights"
In my personal life, as a mountaineering enthusiast, I love to take challenges for reaching the highest peaks; within Oracle Labs, one exciting thing is that, every time, I feel I have a challenge to take up, and that there is always some tops we can reach by perseverance and hard work. The best part is that you always find a surrounding team willing to support you in your journey.