ARCmanager
The ARC is a Web 2.0 application enabling real time customization capabilities for marketing campaign collateral.
Customers
Manufacturers or master franchises that need to offer web-to-print solutions for their dealers or sub-franchises.
Problem
Manufactures/master franchises needed to offer an easy to use web based tool to their dealers/sub-franchises for the customization of their marketing material. The tools in the marketplace did not address their unique needs:
- Web based customization tools were too slow and would require server side processing causing the end user frustration and subsequent abandonment
- Could not offer more advanced features found in typical desktop publishing applications.
- Needed to maintain quality control over the design output.
- Needed to be integrated into a variety of systems, such as online storefronts and dealer portals.
Solution
To solve the problem, Somotsoft designed and developed the ARC (Archive. Retrieve. Customize.). The ARC is a web-based middleware application using a SaaS (Software as a Service) architecture that serves up marketing templates for the end user to customize.
Because the ARC is a Web 2.0 application, the interface allowed for real time feedback that coupled an intuitive, easy to use Flash® interface with complex and powerful design functionality found in typical desktop publishing applications. This significantly enhanced the end user's experience, thus increasing the adoption and retention rate of the tool.
In addition, the ARC has a full set of API's that make integrating it with other web-based systems such as online storefronts or dealer portals simple and resource efficient. These systems can use the API to control access to the ARC templates and business rules inside the template translating into convenient and flexible customization
Technology
The ARC is built using SaaS architecture on the OpenLaszlo® framework, an open source framework with similar functionality to Adobe Flex® that renders the user interface in Flash®, and XML for the data layer. OpenLaszlo® was selected because it offers a rich user experience while decreasing the deployment cost compared to Adobe Flex®. XML was chosen for the data layer to maximize the compatibility with other web-based systems.
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