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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by MojcaS (talk | contribs) at 14:44, 14 August 2010 (WebSphere Commerce V7 enhancements at a glance). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

WebSphere Commerce
Developer(s)IBM
Stable release
7.0 with fix pack 1 (7.0.0.1) / 5/14/2010
Operating systemCross-platform
TypeInternet application
LicenseProprietary
WebsiteIBM

IBM WebSphere Commerce is a software platform framework for e-commerce, including marketing, sales, customer and order processing functionality in a tailorable, integrated package. It is a single, unified platform which offers the ability to do business directly with consumers (B2C), with businesses (B2B), indirectly through channel partners (indirect business models), or all of these simultaneously. WebSphere Commerce is a customizable, scalable and high availability solution built on the Java - Java EE platform using open standards, such as XML, and Web services.

Versions

It all started back in 1996[1], with the product called Net.Commerce, starting with versions V1.0, V2.0, V3.1, and V3.2. In 2001 the Net.Commerce product was renamed to WebSphere Commerce Suite, releasing versions V4.1 and V5.1. In 2002 WebSphere Commerce V5.4 was created, followed by V5.5 in 2003 and V5.6 in 2004. The last major release versions are:

There are three editions of WebSphere Commerce.[5] Each edition provides an increasing set of functionality in comparison[6]:

  • Express[7]
  • Professional[8]
  • Enterprise[9] (note: this was previously known as WebSphere Commerce Business Edition)

Since WebSphere Commerce is highly customizable solution, IBM provides an integrated development environment which can be used to build and test your customizations, extend the business logic, change the look and feel of your website, and create new logic to meet your requirements. The product used for developing and customizing the platform is called IBM WebSphere Commerce Developer. So there are also 3 editions of the developer product, matching their runtime environments (so called WebSphere Commerce Developer Express, Professional, and Enterprise). [10]

As with other IBM products, WebSphere Commerce Developer uses IBM Rational Application Developer (RAD) for WebSphere software as the foundation of the Java IDE. RAD extends Eclipse environment with visual and other development features.[11]

WebSphere Commerce Developer V6 is based on RAD V6, for WebSphere Commerce Developer V7 it is IBM Rational Software Architect (RSA) or RAD V7.5.4, and for WebSphere Commerce Developer V7.0.0.1 it is RSA or RAD V7.5.5.1

Migration

Migrating to a new version of WebSphere Commerce is supported by WebSphere Commerce Migration Wizard, an interactive wizard that guides you through each phase of the migration process, performing various tasks. [12]

Migration involves moving the WebSphere Commerce product to a new version level, while attempting to preserve all previous configurations. During migration, components from previous releases are replaced by new software installed at the new version level. The migration process does not involve adding new or custom features, rather, it is focused only on moving the configuration from one software level to another, ensuring that all existing function continues to work.

For example, you can migrate on the same operating system from WebSphere Commerce Version 5.6.1 and 6.0 to WebSphere Commerce Version 7.0, or from WebSphere Commerce Developer Version 5.6.1 and 6.0 to WebSphere Commerce Developer Version 7.0, and during the migration process you can optionally upgrade editions. Migration from a version of WebSphere Commerce before Version 5.6.1 to V7.0 is not supported by the product, however there are IBM services available for consultation.[13]

Primary components of the solution

As with most Web applications, WebSphere Commerce has 3 main components:

  • A database
  • An application server (Java EE)
  • A web server

Databases which are supported with WebSphere Commerce V7 are [14]:

  • IBM DB2 V9.5.4 (32 and 64 bit) on various platforms (Windows, AIX, Solaris, Linux on IBM Power Systems, IBM System x and other Intel based processor systems, and Linux on IBM System z), provided with the product, and V9.7.1, since WebSphere Commerce V7 fixpack 1. (Note: For DB2 9.7.1 support you must accept Feature Pack 1 terms and conditions)
  • Oracle 11g version 11.1.0.7
  • Apache Derby SDK 10.3.3.1.706492 (32 bit) (developer only), provided with the (Developer) product.

Application server which is supported with WebSphere Commerce V7 is IBM WebSphere Application Server V7.0.0.3 (minimum fixpack level), 32 bit, also provided with the product, and 64 bit, since WebSphere Commerce V7 fixpack 1.

The supported Web servers are:

Operating Systems

The following operating systems are supported for WebSphere Commerce V7 [15]:

WebSphere Commerce Developer V7 supported operating systems [16]:

Pages detailing prerequisites, supported operating systems, databases and servers per previous releases[17]:

Key Features

All editions (Express, Professional and Enterprise) include the following features:

  • Marketing and Merchandising tools
  • Search engine optimization
  • Member groups
  • Attachments
  • E-mail Campaigns
  • Mobile Commerce
  • Web content management
  • Category recommendation
  • Product recommendation
  • Payments
  • B2C starter stores
  • Shopping carts
  • Wish lists
  • Dynamic up sell and cross sell
  • Social Commerce
  • Advertisements
  • Credit lines
  • Open standards support

In addition to the above features, the Professional and Enterprise editions include also the following additional features:

  • Gift Center
  • Sales Center
  • Recommendation Engine
  • Auctions
  • Cross-Channel Precision Marketing
  • Cross-Channel Order Processing
  • Marketing Experimentation (A/B Testing)
  • Workspaces

However, only the Enterprise edition includes also the following features:

  • Reseller Hosting
  • Contracts and entitlements
  • Punch out
  • Organizations
  • Advanced Roles/Relationships
  • Business Acounts
  • Requisition lists
  • Extended Sites (multiple-site support)

All three editions of WebSphere Commerce Developer V6 (Express, Professional and Enterprise) include [18]:

  • Development (Apache Derby) database
  • Rational Application Developer
  • WebSphere Application Server

Additional features are continuously provided through Enhancements

Enhancements (new features)

In addition to the features that are already provided with WebSphere Commerce base product, additional new features are provided regularly by WebSphere Commerce Enhancements. These enhancements are delivered as installable Feature Packs, sample reference applications or documented solutions in white papers.

WebSphere Commerce feature packs include new features (so called enhancements) [19] [20]. These enhancements add new functionalities or features to the base product. To be noted, a feature pack differs from a fix pack, which is a set of correction fixes to the base code. Fix Packs within a certain release are cumulative. [21] Fix pack may also enable some additional technical capabilities. [22]

Each feature pack contains multiple features that are installed as one package, and can be then enabled individually. A feature provides a functional extension to the existing base product functionality.

WebSphere Commerce V7 enhancements at a glance

Deliver a Smarter Shopping Experience

WebSphere Commerce V7 Feature Pack 1: Foundation

  • The WebSphere Commerce foundation feature adds new groups of services to the WebSphere Commerce Server.
  • WebSphere Commerce foundation is typically required when enabling features after installing a WebSphere Commerce feature pack. Enabling WebSphere Commerce foundation ensures that the enabled features can function correctly with WebSphere Commerce. It provides the groups of services that are required to support new functionality.
  • For example, in WebSphere Commerce Feature Pack 1, WebSphere Commerce foundation is required when enabling the Remote Widgets and Gift Center features. It supports the RESTful framework to retrieve feed data, and enables gift list services such as multiple wish lists and gift registries.

WebSphere Commerce V7 Feature Pack 1: Management Center

  • The Management Center framework is the foundation for the catalogs, promotions, marketing, and asset business user tooling. The business objects are defined by the individual components that make up the Management Center. The framework uses those definitions to provide all of the features that you can use to find, create, modify, and delete the defined business objects. If you plan to customize the Management Center, it is important to understand the framework and the components that make up the Management Center.
  • The Management Center is a rich graphical Web-based tool that business users interact with to manage their business. The Management Center is developed using OpenLaszlo open source technology, which involves writing declarative XML files with embedded JavaScript.[23]

WebSphere Commerce V7 Feature Pack 1: Starter store enhancements

  • A starter store enhancement provides additional features to a starter store. Some starter store enhancements are applicable to a predefined starter store. To use a starter store enhancement, you publish a store archive file (SAR file) on top of an existing starter store; then enable additional features by using Change Flow options. Some new feature added by the Feature Pack 1 are:
    - Social Commerce
    - Remote widgets
    - Digital wallet
    - IBM Gift Center for the Madisons starter store

See also some Further information:

WebSphere Commerce V6 enhancements at a glance

Transforming the Online Shopping Experience with Web 2.0 and SOA

Feature Pack 1, Feature Pack 2 and Feature Pack 5: Customer empowerment

WebSphere Commerce V6 Feature Pack 1

   * Coremetrics for IBM WebSphere Commerce auto tagging utility (ie. enhanced Web analytics)
   * Coremetrics Tag Library support for WebSphere Commerce versions,5.6 and 5.6.1
   * Coremetrics reports for WebSphere Commerce
   * WebSphere Commerce and content management system integration with WebSphere Portal 5.1.0.4
   * Enhanced search and navigation by integrating to IBM OmniFind Discovery Edition

WebSphere Commerce V6 Feature Pack 2

   * WebSphere Commerce Web 2.0 store solution (note: replaced by Feature Pack 5 Madisons store solution)
   * WebSphere Commerce integration with sitemaps
   * Reports for IBM Sales Center for WebSphere Commerce[24]
   * Reports for e-mail campaigns
   * WebSphere Commerce and content management system integration with WebSphere Portal 6.0
   * Contract terms and conditions

WebSphere Commerce V6 Feature Pack 5

   * Madisons store
     Web 2.0 starter store with a streamlined purchasing process (note: this starter store replaces the Feature Pack 2 Web 2.0 store).
   * Buy Online, Pickup In-Store
     Cross-channel support by using Distributed Order Management (DOM) solution integration.

Feature Pack 2: Front-office integration

  • WebSphere Commerce Portal integration

Feature Pack 4: IBM Management Center for WebSphere Commerce

  • IBM Management Center for WebSphere Commerce business user tool

Feature Pack 1: Back-office integration using SOA enhancements

  • Improved Service Orientation and Web services support for back-office integration, including JCA adapters for Web Services, reference applications and pre-defined Web Services for integration with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Order Management Systems (OMS)
    • WebSphere Commerce and SAP system integration
    • WebSphere Commerce and Sterling Customer Order Management PCA (Sterling COM PCA) integration

Feature Pack 2: Paymentech plug-in for WebSphere Commerce

  • Paymentech plug-in for WebSphere Commerce
  • Compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards

See also some Further information:

Solutions

WebSphere Commerce provides a number of solutions [25] and has numerous partners, which are building further customizations [26][27]

Notes

  1. ^ IBM Archives 1996, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  2. ^ WebSphere Commerce InfoCenter v5.6.1, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  3. ^ WebSphere Commerce InfoCenter v6.0.0.9, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  4. ^ WebSphere Commerce InfoCenter v7.0.0.1, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  5. ^ WebSphere Commerce, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  6. ^ Compare editions, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  7. ^ WebSphere Commerce Express, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  8. ^ WebSphere Commerce Professional, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  9. ^ WebSphere Commerce Enterprise, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  10. ^ WebSphere Commerce Developer Editions, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  11. ^ Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  12. ^ WebSphere Commerce Migration Wizard, IBM. Accessed on 2010-08-14.
  13. ^ Migration Paths, IBM. Accessed on 2010-08-14.
  14. ^ WebSphere Commerce Version 7 software requirements, IBM. Accessed on 2010-08-14.
  15. ^ Operating system prerequisites for installing WebSphere Commerce, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  16. ^ WebSphere Commerce Developer hardware, software, and network prerequisites, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  17. ^ WebSphere Commerce detailed system requirements, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  18. ^ WebSphere Commerce Developer Editions, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  19. ^ IBM WebSphere Commerce Enhancements for Version 6, IBM. Accessed on 2010-07-31.
  20. ^ IBM WebSphere Commerce Enhancements for Version 7, IBM. Accessed on 2010-07-31.
  21. ^ Fix Packs for WebSphere Commerce products, IBM. Accessed on 2010-07-31.
  22. ^ Fix pack summary, IBM. Accessed on 2010-08-14.
  23. ^ Management Center customizations, IBM. Accessed on 2010-07-31.
  24. ^ IBM Sales Center for WebSphere Commerce, IBM. Accessed on 2010-06-10.
  25. ^ IBM WebSphere Commerce product line, IBM. Accessed on 2010-07-31.
  26. ^ WebSphere Commerce Leadership Summit 2009, IBM. Accessed on 2010-07-31.
  27. ^ WebSphere Commerce Leadership Summit 2010, IBM. Accessed on 2010-07-31.