Overview of Commerce Server 2009 R2
Microsoft Commerce Server 2009 R2 includes the Microsoft Multi-Channel Commerce Foundation and Microsoft SharePoint Commerce Services.
The Commerce Foundation supersedes any existing Commerce Server programming model and includes the following:
Multi-channel awareness, allowing you to name specific channels
Shopping features such as direct list support, Windows Live ID, and Bing Maps integration
A unified run-time programming model that uses a consistent structure for all calls across all Commerce Server 2009 R2 Core Systems
A metadata model to give descriptive data to all properties
Rich internet application (RIA) support in a multi-tier environment
Commerce Server Routing Service, which is Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) service that forwards requests from the Web Business Tools to the Commerce Foundation API.
SharePoint Commerce Services includes:
Integration between Commerce Server 2009 R2 and SharePoint 2010 allowing for direct calls to lists through the Commerce Foundation
Out-of-the-box e-commerce Web Parts and controls, offering ready-to-go functionality for any SharePoint-hosted site
New Solution Storefront site that is pre-configured with the Web Parts and controls, ready to sell your merchandise
SharePoint Commerce Services Extensibility Kit, which provides source code as a starting point for customizations of commerce Web parts and the out-of-the-box Solution Storefront
Templates to easily skin specific pages with built-in template libraries, XSL transforms, along with Master Pages and CSS
What-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) content management and design experiences offering designers and business users on-site editing and management of information and content
Commerce Server 2009 R2 provides the following for:
Developers. Commerce Server 2009 R2 uses the Commerce Foundation that unifies the run-time calling model across all Commerce Server 2009 R2 Core Systems, commerce entities, built-in multi-channel awareness, and metadata for commerce entities. All of these additions speed the time to market because developers can focus on quickly creating or extending the "entity" using the same programming model across any of the Commerce Server 2009 R2 Core Systems. This model allows the ability to accomplish multiple operations in a single call. This approach is independent of device or locale, meaning that building a site for the mobile channel versus a kiosk is exactly the same, with only the identification of the channel being required.
Site Designers. Designers can take advantage of the many Web Parts and templates that come with Commerce Server 2009 R2, and use new standards-based tools such as Expression Web or SharePoint Designer; and new Rich Interactive Application (RIA) technologies, such as Microsoft Silverlight, to design interactive and engaging experiences. Site designers can also create new micro-sites, for different channels, quickly and easily.
Merchandisers and Marketers. Manage the site in a WYSIWYG experience, through the site templates and individual page templates. Merchandisers and marketers can easily create new event-specific sites through the Channel Configuration feature, where the creation of a new site requires a few clicks of the mouse, ready for event-specific campaigns and searches. Optimize your searching with integrated default site search with Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, to make sure that your customers find what they are looking for. Use the Commerce Server 2009 R2 Marketing Manager to create customer-specific and brand-specific campaigns; personalize buying experiences through expressions; generate coupons and manage them; and schedule and approve discounts, ads, and direct mail. Edit product information right on the site, allowing for quick reviews, and a WYSIWYG experience.
IT Professionals. Use the tools and monitor performance to make sure that your e-commerce application is always up and running. The tools that IT professionals use to make this happen include a staging area, Microsoft Management Console, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support and profile data encryption with a Security Configuration Wizard, and Windows Server 2008 support. Commerce Server 2009 R2 provides several tools for system administrators and operations personnel to quickly deploy, administer, manage, and monitor the health of the enterprise network. Additionally, with site staging and replication you can automate the distribution and movement of data and sites across multiple environments.
Business Managers. Complete business analysis and reporting capabilities in an integrated, end-to-end view encapsulating both the Web click stream and e-commerce business data, such as catalogs, customers, and orders through its integration with SQL Server Reporting Services and inclusion of pre-packaged reports.
Line-of-Business and Trading Partner Integration. Seamless connection to internal and partner applications and systems such as Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, JD Edwards, and others through Microsoft BizTalk Server adapters. In addition, with the profile, order, inventory, and catalog system adapters for BizTalk Server, Commerce Server 2009 R2 helps accelerate and automate the delivery of products and services.