I can’t believe another year has gone by.
It seems like only yesterday we were all at Kscope, watching as Joel Kallman made us all wave to him while he took a picture of the APEX Community Sunday Symposium. That was his signature move—having the crowd in his sessions wave to him as he snapped photos. No matter where he was in the world, he made us all feel comfortable and part of something bigger than ourselves. That was Joel’s essence: he genuinely cared about people, respected every community, and made everyone feel seen and valued.
APEX: From Black Sheep to Strategic Cornerstone
I think Joel would be incredibly proud of where his baby, APEX, now sits in the Oracle development landscape. APEX was once considered a tool for soley for DBAs to create dynamic pages–and regarded by many as the black sheep of the Oracle family. While Oracle Mobile Cloud, Visual Builder, and ADF seemed to be the favorite children, APEX quietly built its community and proved its worth, becoming the strategic tool for Oracle going forward.
I can’t help but think that Joel’s dedication to building up the community of users and partners from a grassroots, bottom-up approach is what enabled organizations to adopt the tool so easily and readily. The close-knit community – willing to share information, code samples, and best practices—combined with a responsive product management team, created an ecosystem unlike any other in the Oracle world. Joel didn’t just build a product; he built a movement.
A New Perspective: From Admirer to Practitioner
What makes this year’s reflection particularly meaningful for me is that I am now deeply immersed in the work he championed. At AuraPlayer, we’ve begun working on assessments and implementations for moving some major clients from Oracle Forms to APEX.
This hands-on experience has given me a whole new appreciation for APEX: the thoughtful architecture, the developer-centric approach, the balance between power and simplicity. I’m excited to see the continued developments as we move toward more modern APEX implementations with our customers.
My latest work with APEX has deepened my respect for his vision and his execution. He saw the future clearly and genuinely believed in the power of technology to transform businesses and connect people. His enthusiasm was infectious, his knowledge was generous, and his impact was profound.
The Enduring Legacy
The best way to honor Joel’s memory is to continue the work he started: building communities, sharing knowledge, embracing innovation while respecting legacy Oracle systems, and always—always—making people feel welcome and valued.
Thank you, Joel, for everything you gave to the Oracle APEX community. We carry your torch forward.
If anyone wants more information about moving their Forms environments toward APEX, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be honored to help you on that journey.
Mia Urman
AuraPlayer CEO & Oracle ACE Director
