The Visibility, Style and Table ADOR objects are not supported in the
online email editor.Last Updated: November 29, 2015
New Features
XMPie® is pleased to announce the release of PersonalEffect® version 8.0 build 8950.
This version provides new features and enhancements as described below.
PersonalEffect version 8.0 features a new generation of cross-media. The previous generation of cross media (1G), which was based on ICP technology, continues to be supported side by side with the new generation (2G) (see 1G Support).
The new features listed below refer to the 2G technology.
For changes in the feature set between 1G and 2G, see Modified Behavior.
To learn more about what's new in PersonalEffect, watch the XMPie campus video tutorials.
To learn about the advantages of the new technology, read the sections below.
PersonalEffect 8.0 campaigns can be operated using either 1G or 2G technology.
1G is the standard way of building and managing cross media campaigns (before the introduction of 2G). All existing 1G campaigns will continue to work.
When starting a new campaign, you need to decide whether to create it in 1G or 2G. This selection cannot be altered after the campaign is created. It is recommended to create new cross media campaigns using the 2G technology.
Existing 1G campaigns, or 1G recycled cross media campaigns can continue to work in 1G or can be (manually) migrated to 2G. Recycled campaigns in this context refer to cross media campaigns that are copied and repeated more or less the same for another campaign.
2G is currently optimized for cross media campaigns. For print-only campaigns, some workflows are still better in 1G than in 2G. uStore products, can only be based on 1G campaigns.
The new cross-media technology is based on the OpenXM™ stack that includes the XMPL HTML, XMPL JavaScript and XMPL Rest API.
The XMPL HTML extends the HTML tagging language by adding new directives (tags and attributes) that provide the needed personalization functionality. This is a very rich language and is covered in the https://github.com/XMPieLab/XMPL-SDK/wiki . Using XMPL HTML one can easily convert an standard HTML website to a personalized page by adding a few personalization tags and a code snippet.
The XMPL technology uses HTML code snippets to modify the standard HTML behavior. This snippet method is a common practice in modern web development, for example, it is used to include Google Analtyics, Facebook Like, and other components in a webpage.
The XMPL JavaScript provides a personalization JavaScript library for client side developers. The XMPL REST API provides personalization API for any client on the Internet, including mobile devices, servers, and web applications.
The XMPL component of OpenXM is based on modern industry-standard web technology and development methods. It allows you to use virtually any website template and web component (Google Charts, Google Maps, Image Carousels, etc.). It gives you the freedom to work with many modern client-side (HTML5, CCS3, jQuery, AngularJS, Bootstrap, etc.) and server-side technologies (APS.NET, PHP, Apache, Wordpress, AWS S3, etc.) as well as various development environments (VisualStudio, WebStorm, Notepad++, Dreamweaver, etc.). The OpenXM technology allows hosting and developing sites anywhere, thus ensuring quick development cycles. Virtually any web developer can develop using the new technology, making it easier for you to hire web developers or outsource web development projects.
OpenXM enables mobile development that integrates easily with XMPie personalization. There are three options:
● Develop responsive websites that look and behave well on mobile devices
● Convert a responsive website to an app with tools, such as Adobe PhoneGap, and then post them on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store
● Create a native app and have that app interact with XMPie using the REST API exposed by the XMPL Server. REST API is the technology of choice for such integrations
HTML code snippets used by XMPL allow for easy modification of an existing corporate website, regardless of where it is hosted and what server technology is used, to include the XMPie personalization. For example, imagine that on downloading a brochure, the user is prompted to provide a few details, the downloaded brochure is then personalized, and further interaction with the corporate website continues to be personalized using uImage, adjusted offerings, etc. When the user returns to the website in the future, the corporate website can remember the user, and continue to provide personalized information as opposed to generic information.
All cross media customers are entitled to a "Circle PersonalEffect edition" subscription for no extra charge. This subscription includes the 2G equivalent of the 1G production functionality. Additional functionality, on top of features that already existed in 1G, might require extra charge. Currently, extra fee is charged for event-based automation and additional administrators.
For more details, see http://circle.store.xmpie.com/wp-content/themes/circle/peedition/pe-subscriptions.html.
2G introduces a new user experience for implementing campaigns. The 1G user experience continues to be supported as well.
When working with 2G, creating and managing campaign components is performed in Circle instead of the uProduce Dashboard in 1G. The Circle campaign diagram which includes touchpoints (print, email and web) serves as the context for the implementation. Documents, production settings, scheduling, and so on, are all defined for each touchpoint. When executing, the Circle Run Center takes the role of the uProduce job center. In the Run Center there is also a link to the job center to get additional information. Working in Circle offers the following benefits:
● OpenXM technology
● Campaign diagram
● User collaboration (Circle Team and Business editions only)
● Mockups
● Previews
● Scheduling
● Event-based filters (Circle Business edition only)
● Execution for failed recipients (Circle Business edition only)
● Email notification on run completion email notification (a run in Circle is a production action triggered by the user or by a scheduled event)
● Showing analytics/ reports from the diagram
● Streamlined workflows which speed up implementation times
● The "easy start" wizard provids a quick and easy way to implement simple campaigns. With the "easy start" wizard, you upload an Excel file and the system automatically creates a plan file based on the data source and adapts for web.
2G requires the use of cloud and on-premises servers. Circle, which resides in the cloud becomes the new interface to the system, replacing the uProduce Dashboard and the RURL Wizard. It interacts with the uProduce Server that resides on-premises. It does so using a Circle Agent which is also installed on the uProduce server. An outbound SSL (port 443) connection is needed from the uProduce system to the internet. The uProduce acts as the production engine but also as the repository for the databases, recipient data, assets, and fonts. These do not travel to the cloud. Tracking data, including the event type, time, and Recipient ID does travel to the cloud. However, the data is stripped off any personal identifiable information (PII).
The website interacts with the XMPL Server, a web server that resides in the DMZ that provides a REST API to read/write ADORS, tracking, and recipients. The XMPL server can be installed on the same machine as the RURL Wizard (used for 1G). The XMPL server can also optionally host the personalized websites, but leaves the user with the option to host them remotely (for example, as part of a corporate site).
HTML Email documents now support Visibility, Style, and Table ADOR objects. This ability is limited to the ExactTarget Enhanced delivery provider type. It is not supported in SMTP.
The Visibility, Style and Table ADOR objects are not supported in the
online email editor.
uCreate Digital is the 2G equivalent of uCreate XM. It uses the same license key but requires a separate installation. It is a plug-in to Dreamweaver that allows to create 2G websites and emails. It allows personalization using ADOR technology, including Self Registration, and Refer-a-Friend forms. uCreate Digital requires users to connect to Circle with Circle credentials.
uCreate Digital has two panels, one for Web and one for Email.
● uCreate Digital Web panel allows creating pages in design mode and previewing them. Its output is HTML webpages that can run in any development environment. The output is not confined to Dreamweaver, so there is an option to start with Dreamweaver and then pass on the code to any web developers to continue the work from there in the development environment of their choice. The uCreate Digital Web panel provides basic functionality that is sufficient for many basic PURL websites. In addition, to enjoy the extended power that XMPL offers, one can add XMPL tags directly in the HTML.
● The uCreate Digital Email panel allows creating emails. Note that the panel does not create an email in your website - it is not a URL document. Instead it creates an email in a separate and special folder, different from the website that may happen to be currently open in Dreamweaver. The static images used in the email must also be located in the special folder before they can be used in the email. A special image button opens the special folder for you to drag your images into, and then drag the images from the email folder into the email body. When clicking Save, the HTML along with the images are saved as a document in Circle.
uCreate Print added a connectivity option for 2G campaigns. uCreate Print to Circle connectivity requires Circle credentials. uCreate Print connectivity allows to modify existing documents in 2G projects or creating new documents. It allows modifying the plan of the project using its easy logic wizard. Multiple documents can be modified, and they will be synchronized with the plan and data, as they exist in the connected Circle project. An alternative option to connectivity is to export to a DPKG, and then upload the DPKG into the touchpoint.
Note that in order to work in the uCreate -Circle connectivity mode, the project, the plan and the data source must already be defined in Circle.