Highlights of Version 7 Feature Pack 6
New features available with WebSphere Commerce
Version 7 Feature Pack 6 include: Dynamic merchandising,
business user tools improvements, store preview, Data Load utility
enhancements, and WebSphere Commerce search enhancements.
Dynamic merchandising
Business users can improve the marketing of catalog entries to customers through enhancements to marketing activities, attribute dictionary attributes, and search by:- Using enhancements to attribute dictionary attributes, the storefront search, and the catalog entry recommendation action to simplify and improve targeting catalog entry recommendations. These enhancements provide Marketing Managers with the capability of recommending catalog entries that are based on the navigation decisions of a shopper. Learn more...
- Assign attribute dictionary attributes as merchandising attributes with a new Use in merchandising property. This property allows Category Managers to tag catalog entries with hidden merchandising attributes. These attributes can be used in the Marketing tool to create activities that recommend catalog entries that contain a specific merchandising attribute. Learn more...
- Recommendation rules can be configured to produce more relevant product recommendations by using WebSphere Commerce search. For example, when you are working with featured facets in the storefront. Learn more...
- Enhancements are made to the attribute dictionary in the Management Center to increase business user productivity by using WebSphere Commerce search. For example, attributes can be used in search rules to fine-tune search results. Learn more...
Business user tools enhancements
Marketing Managers can improve managing marketing objects and creating marketing content and activities by:- Creating marketing image content that can contain multiple click actions in the form of an image map. Learn more...
- Creating and managing folders in Management Center to organize e-Marketing Spots, activities, content, customer segments, and promotions. Learn more...
- Specifying an e-Marketing Spot title to display in the storefront by using a new marketing
action when they create a web activity. Learn more...
- Marketing Managers can also set marketing content as default e-Marketing Spot title content to display when there is no content that is set to display as a title with an activity. Learn more...
- Returning information about store page elements as e-Marketing properties in a new marketing action. Marketing Managers can use this action in a web activity to change page elements on the page that contains the e-Marketing Spot that the activity is running within. Learn more...
- Create and manage folders to organize attributes in the attribute dictionary. Learn more...
- In an extended sites store, Category Managers can now use the Catalogs tool to set store specific descriptive information to override inherited catalog entry descriptions. Before Feature Pack 6, catalog entry description overrides could be set only by loading the store-specific descriptions with the Catalog Upload feature or Data Load utility. Learn more...
- Load catalog information with the Catalog Upload feature in XML formatted load files instead of only CSV formatted file. Learn more...
- Define product-specific swatch images so that shoppers can see the actual patterns and textures of products on the storefront. These images override generic swatch images that are defined in the attribute dictionary. Learn more...
Management Center store preview enhancements
Business users can now switch more efficiently between Management Center and store preview, and view or share preview URLs outside of Management Center. As a business user, you can:- Open Management Center tools for specific business objects directly from store preview. For example, when you are viewing a product in store preview, you can click an Edit Catalog Entry link to open the Catalogs tool to edit the product, saving you time. Learn more...
- Open store preview directly to the page that you are working on in Management Center. You no longer need to navigate to the page from the home page. Learn more...
- Generate a preview URL to conveniently share a preview of your store changes with other people who might not have access to Management Center. You can also use the URL to view the store on different browsers and devices. Learn more...
Data Load utility enhancements
- Operations Managers or Site Administrators can use a file difference preprocessor to improve Data Load utility performance for routine data loads. The use of the file difference preprocessor provides users the ability to load only the changes that exist between frequently loaded files. By loading only the differences between files and not data from the previous data load, users can improve the performance of running the Data Load utility. Learn more...
- Operations Managers or Site Administrators can load data in XML format with the Data Load utility. Previously, users could load data with the Data Load utility only in CSV formatted load files. Learn more...
- Data Load support is available for loading the relationship between attributes and attribute folders. Learn more...
WebSphere Commerce search enhancements
Feature Pack 6 offers the following enhancements for WebSphere Commerce search:- Search rules can be configured to produce more relevant search results. For example, by promoting or demoting products in search results. Learn more...
- Management Center store preview enhancements are supported in WebSphere Commerce search. For examples, see the Management Center store preview enhancements section of this page. Learn more...
- An optional inventory index can be set up and built to refresh independently of other search indexes, such as the product index. Search rules can be created to demote products that are out-of-stock, or conversely, to promote overstock products. Learn more...
Aurora starter store enhancements
- The content of e-Marketing Spots and wish lists can be offered as a feed that shoppers can subscribe to and view in their favorite feed reader. Learn more...
- While in preview mode, certain store pages display embedded Edit links that open business objects for editing in Management Center, saving time for business users. Learn more....
- The Advanced Search page is added to the storefront. It can be accessed by either selecting it from the search autosuggestion menu, in the site footer, or by using the site map under the EXPLORE heading.
- The mini shopping cart now offers improved performance by minimizing calls to the server while your shoppers are browsing your store.
- The store is upgraded to Dojo 1.8 to take advantage of the latest Dojo technology. Also, Dojo 1.8 supports Internet Explorer 9, which provides better browser support for the store.
- The store (desktop store only) is translated into the Hebrew language. Some additional enablement steps are required. Learn more...
- The store is tablet-tolerant when viewed in the native browsers of certain mobile operating systems. This means that the Aurora store is fully functional on tablet devices that run these operating systems. The store supports typical tablet features, such as pinch-to-zoom and orientation switch. You do not need to deploy a separate SAR file for tablet web browsers. For a list of supported mobile operating systems for viewing the Aurora store on a tablet, see the relevant topic that is listed in WebSphere Commerce Version 7 software requirements.
Mobile store integration enhancements
- The Aurora starter store is optimized for the mobile web. Publishing the AuroraMobile.sar file enables the Aurora starter store for smartphone devices such as the iPhone and Android web browsers.
- IBM Worklight can be used to deploy WebSphere Commerce-based mobile applications. A reference example is provided to illustrate how a WebSphere Commerce hybrid mobile application can be built by using the IBM Worklight mobile development platform.
- Mobile starter store assets, such as use cases and style guides, are provided to help reduce the time that is required to complete customization projects.