WebSphere Commerce V7 Feature Pack 4 is now available and expands on 3 core themes of V7: cross-channel optimization, customer-centric commerce, and foundational leadership. FP4 introduces the latest features and demonstrates how they build on the existing WebSphere Commerce platform. Features covered include enhancements to the mobile commerce solution, Facebook integration, updates to precision marketing and a new REST services framework.
WebSphere Commerce V7.0 Feature Pack 4 includes:
- Smarter stores optimized for mobile devices
- Facebook integration allowing shoppers to click and share
- Programming model enhancements
Starter Stores Optimized for Mobile Devices
Smart phone and tablet starter stores provide rich storefronts for several mobile devices and platforms. They can be deployed on mobile devices and accessed using the mobile Web or as native or hybrid applications. An overview of smart phone and tablet starter stores for a complete look at this exciting new functionality:
- Enhanced Madison store : Introduces WebSphere Commerce Search based navigation and search facets (in tablets), full checkout flow including ship to address and pick up in-store, Search engine optimization, multiple wish lists in smart phones and new technologies like Dojo mobile v1.7,HTML5 and CSS3
- Location based services – Allows shoppers to “check-in” indicating their current location and receive location specific promotions and other information. Also introduces “eFlyer” which displays locations specific advertising.
- Business users get the chance of creating location-based marketing activities while shoppers can check into their local store and get rewards and location based information.
- Potential customizations would be to integrate with other location sources such as In-store sensors , vendors and support other location-based services.
- Device specific Madisons applications – There are new features for native and hybrid applications such as 2D barcode scanning (which will require separate barcode scanning application like “Zxing”), voice search and store locator map integration
- Madisons Tablet store
Facebook Integration Allows Shoppers to Click and Share
Facebook integration demonstrates best practices for integrating Facebook social plug-ins into the Madisons starter store. With a single click, shoppers can share their finds with all of their Facebook friends using a Like button on the home page, Like and Send buttons on product pages, as well as an Activity Feed and log in support for Facebook. The key features include:
- Integrating Facebook social plug-ins for Madisons store.
- Like button on homepage
- Like and Send button on product details page
- Activity feed : friend activity and recommendations.
- Support for Facebook login : Facebook platform uses OAuth 2.0 protocol for authentication and authorization
- Business users can target the shoppers who liked their site with precision marketing
- Open Graph Protocol defines how a store page is represented on Facebook. It make the page just like a regular Facebook page and make the page appear on “Likes and Interests” section of the shopper’s profile.
Programming Model Enhancements – REST Services
WebSphere Commerce uses Representational State Transfer (REST) services to provide a framework that can be used to develop RESTful applications on several platforms. These platforms can include Web, mobile, kiosks, third-party and social applications. The new enhancements are including:
- Rest Services are used in Catalog navigation, search, product prices, inventory, user management, order management, store locator and user location.
- Rest services input and output format is JSON
- Uses GET, PUT, POST, DELETE HTTP methods.
- Caches server responses in both server side caching (dynacache) and client side caching (cache directives in response header)
