Demandware LINK On The Tail of Magento Connect

Magento’s innovations are driving an entire industry forwards. Demandware is now the first of the big shop system providers who are offering a marketplace for pre-built integrations along the lines of Magento Connect:

"This week, ecommerce platform maker Demandware launched a new marketplace called LINK, which gives developers and merchants free access to a library of ready-to-use solution integrations.


This means that retailers using the Demandware platform should be able to select a ready-made solution that makes adding PayPal's checkout services; Invodo's video player; or Bronto's email marketing tools effortless."

Marketplaces for ready-to-use solution integrations follow the same philosophy expounded by such companies as Facebook and Apple. In e-commerce the strategy is also not so unusual anymore. Besides Magento and eBay, Oxid and Shopify were the first to have launched such platforms.

Magento is currently working on Magento Connect 2.0, which should raise the general quality level of the ready-made extensions.

When will shops finally be able to communicate with each other?

Nonetheless, with all the new and more than praiseworthy Link/Connect/eXchange extension euphoria, the interesting question still remains:

When will it finally be possible to exchange data between different shops without treading the path of such marketplaces or expensive customizations? Such functionality would allow merchants to directly network with each other.

This year should show a breakthrough in this area. And it will be interesting to see who will be able to establish the standards for the interfaces and exchange formats.

The networking of e-commerce is going to be one of the central themes of the Summer Live Shopping Days conference in Berlin in August.

Related posts:

• Magento To Fuel Expansion with $22.5 Million Growth Capital
• Open Source Debate: Demandware vs. Magento
• On Collision Course: Magento vs. Intershop and Hybris

Originally posted in German by Jochen Krisch, adapted for excitingcommerce.com by Jason Soo.

Comments

[Dan Frydman]

This is pretty hardcore stuff. Linking between shops should allow greater access to relevant content and an increase in making eCommerce social.

Grouping stores together that complement each other - e.g. ski boots, sunglasses, luggage and travel insurance would allow for a better shopping experience.

Facebook's Open Graph seems like the first step towards this 'customers who bought this here also bought other there'.

Would be really interested to see how this develops. The obvious benefit is an uplift in sales and greater off-line advertising purchasing power.

Will we see brands come together online like airline partnerships of the last 15 years?

[Jochen (Exciting Commerce)]

Especially brands could really complement each other.

Things will surely change as we move from a retailer-oriented eCommerce to a more brand-oriented eCommerce