Users of the former J.D. Edwards software noted that Oracle's commitment to World, announced late last month, comes after years of uncertainty about the product's future.

Despite the resurgent support for the World green-screen applications, users at last week's Collaborate 2006 Oracle user conference in Nashville, Tennessee, said there are still problems that need to be fixed.

For instance, at a time when World training is vital for users, Oracle has been "behind the curve" in providing such programs, said conference attendee Gary Riley, a systems analyst at Matanuska Telephone Association Inc. in Palmer, Alaska.

Riley said that as veteran World users leave companies, such training programs are needed to prepare the next generation of IT staffers.

Riley is a member of Collaborate co-sponsor Quest International Users Group, which includes users of Oracle's World and its follow-on OneWorld and OneWorld XE ERP applications. All of the products were developed by J.D. Edwards, which is now owned by Oracle.