About This Constellation ShortList™
Digital experience (DX) platforms are intended to develop, coordinate, manage and optimize the volume and complexity of customer interactions across digital touchpoints. They provide a means of managing web, mobile and digital content, can evaluate customer behaviors, predict customer journeys, and can personalize and contextualize content and communications. Adding to the complexity of this category is the ever-evolving toolset and very definition of a DXP. In reality, no single uniform and universally accepted definition exists. But for Constellation, the true value of a DXP lies in how effectively and efficiently the solution can bridge consistency gaps across the totality of digital touchpoints.
Modern DXPs are increasingly focused on optimizing digital experiences across the totality of the customer experience ecosystem including marketing, customer service, commerce, and sales engagement. They analyze customer behaviors and identify important or distinct patterns, often using artificial intelligence (AI). AI may also be applied to dynamically serve content to customers.
Increasingly, DXPs are splitting into two similar, but crucially different camps: composable best-of-breed tools that together function as a platform or platforms that collectivize headless delivery tools atop a composable architecture, typically via a single vendor. For this list, only solutions delivered via a single vendor as a comprehensive toolset or platform have been considered. However, Constellation Research notes that in the very near future, contenders to digital experience solutions will emerge from adjacent categories including Web Operations that will pack just as much content management and asset firepower, but come coupled with critical operational tools including content delivery networks, load balance and optimization tools and critical reporting and uptime measures that turn the focus on uptime, speed and availability.
Threshold Criteria
Constellation considers the following criteria for these solutions:
- AI and machine learning capabilities
- API availability, microservices architecture
- Campaign to commerce
- Content management
- Data management
- Developer resources
- Digital asset management
- Digital feedback loops
- Display management
- Testing and optimization
- Mobile app platform
- Journey orchestration
- Personalization and targeting
- Reporting and analytics
The Constellation ShortList™
Constellation evaluates more than 50 solutions categorized in this market. This Constellation ShortList is determined by client inquiries, partner conversations, customer references, vendor selection projects, market share and internal research.
- Acquia
- Adobe
- Bloomreach
- HCL Digital Experience
- Kentico Xperience
- Optimizely
- Pantheon
- Salesforce Digital Experience
- Sitecore
Frequency of Evaluation
Each Constellation ShortList will be updated at least once per year. There could be an update after six months, should the analyst deem it necessary.
Evaluation Services
Constellation clients may work with the analyst and research team to conduct a more thorough discussion of this ShortList. Constellation can also provide guidance in vendor selection and contract negotiation.
