Changing the way of Development for Adobe Experience Manager
A lot of innovations surrounding AEM are tailored to change the way development will be done on Adobe Experience Manager. Adobe wants to remove the need for in depth knowledge of Adobe Experience Manager, OSGi and JCR – and provide a more standardized and easy way to tailor AEM towards our customer’s needs.
Innovations in Edge Delivery Services and Publishing
One of the most significant changes was the integration of Edge Delivery Services (EDS) in AEM. Shifting the way of developing for AEM completely.
With the usage of the Universal Editor and a Github integration – new sites can use AEM as data storage and asset management system, while component creation and adaptation can be done straight from Github. Only CSS + Javascript knowledge is needed and changes are reflected on the fly. So say goodbye to long-running deployments!
Only when a real back-end integration needs to be done – AEM development (and thus a deployment) is still needed.
By removing the need for a deployment when working on components, allows for a more rapid development cycle and shorter time to market.
As Edge Delivery Services has been set-up with performance in mind – caching is done by default on the edge and Google’s Web Core Vitals are at a staggering high.
Of course, innovations don’t stop there as Adobe is underway in it’s developments that allow for seamless experiences across the AEM stack, regardless of whether a site uses EDS exclusively or in tandem with the (standard) publisher tier.
Alongside, the AEM Importer tool has been updated for efficient content migration from any URL to formats like docx, markdown, HTML, or JCR, tailored for EDS applications and imports. This will allow customers to switch more easily to Edge Delivery Services.
GitHub Integration with CloudManager
Another feature to ease the work for developers is the integration of CloudManager with GitHub. This new connector will automate the validation process when commits are pushed and pull requests are opened, with CloudManager taking the lead. Feedback will be seamlessly communicated back to GitHub – so there’s no need for developers anymore to go directly to CloudManager.
Further developments will be the inclusion of the deployment pipelines and making the development workflow smoother and more efficient.
API First Approach with AEM Web APIs
Adobe is set to overhaul AEM Web APIs completely, moving towards an API-first architecture. This transformation aims to minimize the need for customizations and streamline operations across all aspects of AEM, including assets, sites, and forms. The addition of webhooks will further enhance the capability to interact dynamically with AEM services.
The idea behind this is to keep AEM more standard, but still allow flexibility to build on top of AEM, instead of customizing AEM itself. All CRUD (Change-Read-Update-Delete) operations will be manageable via the new set of APIs.
Other innovations worth mentioning
Enhanced Networking Configuration in CloudManager
Networking on a SaaS platform will always have its limitations, however the update to CloudManager now allows more flexibility in networking configurations. This enhancement includes the ability to manage port openings and establish VPN connections with external applications – all from within the console.
Where things like these were difficult / undoable in the past, this will allow customers to fully customize the way they are connecting from and to AEM – and will make these connections more secure and maintainable.
Real User Monitoring
Real User Monitoring (RUM) is set to be included out-of-the-box in AEM, providing vital insights into Web Core Vitals and other key metrics without needing user consent. Dashboarding and analysis on top of those RUM metrics will be available,
A/B Testing and GenAI Integration
Experimentation within AEM has been taken to the next level with native A/B testing capabilities within the Universal Editor, allowing in-page edits for each variation. Moreover, the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) introduces the ability to contextually generate text, images, and banners directly within AEM, offering a configurable approach to maintain consistency in tone and style.
Workfront Integration for Streamlined Workflow
Adobe Workfront, the content work management platform designed to help teams streamline workflows, manage projects, and improve collaboration across an organization, got a the native integration in AEM. This integration will significantly reduce the need to switch between both applications, as users can now view tasks and update statuses directly within AEM. This enhancement is a game-changer for project management within the Adobe ecosystem, ensuring a more integrated and efficient (content) workflow and in-context task completion.
Conclusion
The Adobe Summit of 2024 showcased a bright future for Adobe Experience Manager, emphasizing Adobe’s commitment to innovation and user-centric enhancements – for both customers and developers.
Want to know more how these new innovations can benefit your company?
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