Sitecore® Introduces Industry-First Enterprise .NET Experience Commerce Platform

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sitecore®, the global leader in customer experience management, today announced an early access program for Sitecore Commerce, powered by Commerce Server, the first enterprise-grade .NET customer experience management solution with fully integrated commerce functionality. The new offering will enable marketers and merchandisers to deliver personalized and relevant digital shopping experiences from initial customer acquisition through online transaction using a single, connected platform.

Following the acquisition of the assets of commerceserver.net in November 2013, Sitecore is blending real-time digital marketing with powerful enterprise commerce to create brand experiences that earn high-value, long-term customers. Sitecore is also working closely with Microsoft Dynamics AX to develop a powerful omni-channel commerce offering that addresses the unique requirements of retailers looking to bridge the gap between in-store and digital experiences.

E-commerce has traditionally consisted of a transactional shopping-cart, disconnected from content management and digital marketing systems. This hampers businesses' ability to provide customers with the highly personalized, context-aware experiences they now expect from brands and retailers. Brands must seamlessly connect the entire experience, from marketing to sales to service, to retain and grow their customer base.

According to leading analyst firm, Gartner, "By 2018, 70% of e-commerce will move from B2C and B2B models to models that focus on the individual customer experience."[1] This strategic shift is expected to produce a clear competitive advantage. Gartner states, "By 2018, organizations that have fully invested in all types of online personalization will outsell companies that have not by more than 30%." [2]

With Sitecore Commerce, marketers and merchandisers now have access to actionable insights, collaborative abilities and a holistic view of their customers. Sitecore Commerce empowers brands to drive e-commerce innovation and growth opportunities, leading to quicker time-to-market, reduced implementation costs, and increased sales and conversion rates.

"Both marketers and merchandisers recognize that actionable, data-driven customer insights are key to providing the highly personalized and relevant brand experiences that will positively affect bottom-line revenue," said Charles DelGrande, CEO, SMITH. "Sitecore Commerce allows us to deliver an omni-channel commerce experience that blends real-time digital marketing with powerful enterprise commerce capabilities to customers using a single platform."

"We view e-commerce a key piece of the customer experience platform puzzle. I'm proud of the addition of Sitecore Commerce to our leading platform, and excited to bring such a robust yet easy to use solution to the market," said Michael Seifert, co-founder and CEO, Sitecore. "As the only complete end-to-end .NET solution, Sitecore Commerce enables brands to go to market within rapidly reduced timeframes, more quickly increasing their revenue and accelerating growth."

The Sitecore® Experience Platform^TM  includes integrated digital marketing, e-commerce, multichannel customer experience and big data-analysis applications. Sitecore Commerce works natively within Sitecore Experience Platform's easy-to-use user interface, allowing merchandisers and marketers to quickly and easily implement the service into current campaigns.

Other key benefits include:

• Single, connected administration: All product catalog information is available within Sitecore, with no data duplication or synchronization hassles.
• Unified content and campaigns: Marketers and merchandisers can easily search and edit all assets, view end-to-end campaigns and access customer insights across all touch-points, and measure conversions and customer value.
• Enterprise grade: Sitecore Commerce is built to meet the most demanding enterprise commerce needs, with performance throughput and robust systems to meet seasonal shopping peaks head on.
• Highly flexible: Developers can build customized environments to meet specific brand needs and create unique shopping experiences, instead of relying on templates.

To learn more, visit: http://siteco.re/1qO2fqh.  

Pricing and Availability
Sitecore Commerce will be broadly available from September 2014. Interested Sitecore and former Commerce Server customers should contact their Sitecore account managers now.

Sitecore Commerce, powered by Commerce Server, will be demonstrated at Sitecore Symposium 2014 in Las Vegas on September 8-10. Register here to see the product in action and meet the Sitecore product managers behind it.

About Sitecore
Sitecore is the global leader in customer experience management. The company delivers highly relevant content and personalized digital experiences that delight audiences, build loyalty and drive revenue. With the Sitecore® Experience Platform™, marketers can own the experience of every customer that engages with their brand, across every channel. More than 4,000 of the world's leading brands – including American Express, Carnival Cruise Lines, easyJet, Heineken and L'Oréal trust Sitecore to help them deliver the meaningful interactions that win customers for life.

For more information, visit: http://www.sitecore.net  

[1] Gartner "Cool Vendors in E-Commerce, 2014", David Kohler, Penny Gillespie, Chris Fletcher, Gene Alvarez, and Praveen Sengar, 25 April 2014

[2] Gartner "Cool Vendors in E-Commerce, 2014", David Kohler, Penny Gillespie, Chris Fletcher, Gene Alvarez, and Praveen Sengar, 25 April 2014

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SOURCE Sitecore