Read an interesting article on Sun's Java Web Start product. It eases the deployment of java-based code to client machines. It can also check for updated content when the user subsequently launches an installed app.

Found a very relevant article today.

Builder.com are suggesting schema replication as a technique to use for moving data from an old system to a new one, and then have users examine it with adhoc SQL queries. Doesn't seem very efficient to me, unless the old system is being shutdown before completion/testing of the new one.