Open Architecture

Technical Proposition 

Open Architecture

ADAM Software Technical Proposition: 

Open Architecture 

Why Read this 

Technical Proposition? 

Today’s enterprise marketers are facing a daunting array of challenges. The proliferation of digital 

communication channels, the ubiquity of mobile devices, and the phenomenal growth of social 

networks have converged to drive profound changes in how consumers and business buyers 

access and consume information—and in how they interact with brands. Customer expectations 

have also risen dramatically. Both consumers and business buyers now expect enterprises to 

provide rich, engaging, and highly relevant content whenever they want or need it, via the device 

and channel of their choice 

These developments have made personalized, omnichannel marketing a competitive necessity for 

most large enterprises. Delivering an outstanding customer experience has become the new basis 

of competition and a primary driver of competitive advantage. And personalized, omnichannel 

marketing is now an essential component of great customer experiences. 

In this complex and rapidly changing environment, marketing has become increasingly 

dependent on technology. Today, enterprise marketers have access to a rich variety of technology 

tools to improve marketing effectiveness and efficiency. What often remains challenging, however, 

is to fully integrate technology tools and to align technological capabilities with real-world 

business processes so that enterprises can deliver great customer experiences and maximize 

marketing productivity. 

Read this Technical Proposition to learn: 

º Why an open architecture that enables easy integration and customization is vital for 

marketing software applications 

º How the software solutions offered by ADAM Software leverage an open architecture to 

provide exceptional flexibility and interoperability to enterprise customers 

ADAM Software NV adamsoftware.net info@adamsoftware.net ii



Contents 

Why Open Architecture is Critical for Marketing Software . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

The Proliferation of Technology Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Integration with Other Enterprise Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Marketing Processes Vary and Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

How the ADAM Platform Delivers Exceptional Flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

The ADAM REST API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

The ADAM System API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

The .NET Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

ADAM Flexibility in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

ADAM Integration Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Integration Tools Developed By and With ADAM Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

Integration and Customization via the ADAM Provider Model . . . . . . . . . 13 

ADAM Software NV adamsoftware.net info@adamsoftware.net



Why Open Architecture is 

Critical for Marketing Software 

Increased marketing complexity and the need for greater marketing agility have made technology 

essential for effective and efficient marketing, particularly for large enterprises. Today, virtually all 

significant aspects of marketing—from planning and budgeting to data analytics to marketing 

content management and campaign execution—depend on information technology applications 

and systems. 

The nature of modern marketing places unique demands on marketing technology systems. 

To effectively support personalized, omnichannel marketing programs, software applications 

must have an open architecture that provides a high level of flexibility. In this context, flexibility 

encompasses two key software attributes: 

º The ability to easily integrate an application with other information technology applications 

and systems 

º The ability to easily modify and/or extend the functionality of an application to meet specific 

business requirements and needs 

While software architects have long recognized the value of flexibility for all types of business 

software, flexible software applications are particularly vital in marketing for three reasons. 

ADAM Software NV adamsoftware.net info@adamsoftware.net 1



The Proliferation of Technology Solutions 

The number of marketing technology solutions has been growing exponentially for the past 

several years. In the 2016 version of his marketing technology landscape graphic (shown below), 

Scott Brinker includes approximately 3.500 technology providers. When Mr. Brinker published the 

first version of his graphic in 2011, it included only about 350 companies. 

The scope and complexity of modern marketing make it impossible for any single software 

application to provide all of the functionality a large enterprise needs. As a result, many enterprises 

have implemented multiple software applications from multiple vendors. In a recent study by 

Econsultancy and Tealium, over half (51%) of marketers surveyed reported that they worked with 

twenty-one or more marketing technology vendors. And research in 2014 by Signal found that 

the average marketing technology “stack” contains as many as seventeen or more distinct tools. 

The use of multiple marketing software applications can enable enterprises to deploy best-ofbreed 

solutions for their specific needs, but this approach will not produce maximum marketing 

effectiveness and efficiency unless the applications are integrated in appropriate ways. Perhaps 

most importantly, a lack of integration can impair the ability of enterprises to deliver the kinds of 

personalized, omnichannel experiences that customers increasingly expect. In a recent survey by 

Econsultancy, respondents identified the lack of integrated technology platforms as the leading 

obstacle to executing coherent multichannel marketing programs. 




Integration with Other Enterprise Systems 

The need for interoperability also extends beyond marketing software applications. In order to 

deliver relevant and engaging experiences, enterprises need a holistic and comprehensive view 

of their interactions with existing and potential customers. Therefore, enterprises must be able to 

easily integrate marketing applications with other enterprise information systems such as customer 

relationship management, enterprise resource planning, and customer service applications. 




Marketing Processes Vary and Change 

The channels, processes, and workflows used in marketing can vary significantly from company to 

company and can change significantly over time. Therefore, enterprises must be able to tailor the 

functionality of their marketing software applications to fit their specific business processes and to 

modify the functionality as those processes change. 




How the ADAM Platform 

Delivers Exceptional Flexibility 

Throughout its history, ADAM Software (ADAM) has been focused on developing software 

applications (the ADAM Platform) that support mission-critical processes in large global 

enterprises. ADAM has also long recognized that most enterprise customers will want or need to 

integrate the ADAM Platform with other marketing software applications and/or other enterprise 

information systems, and to modify or extend the functionality of the ADAM Platform to meet 

their specific needs. Therefore, the ADAM Platform has been engineered from the ground up to 

have an open architecture that provides an exceptional level of flexibility and interoperability. 

The flexibility of the ADAM Platform is derived from two key mechanisms: 

º ADAM provides two robust and fully-documented application programming interfaces that 

enable access to all of the functionality of the ADAM Platform. 

º All components of the ADAM Platform have been developed using the Microsoft .NET 

framework and make extensive use of the provider model design pattern. 




The ADAM REST API 

In early 2016, ADAM introduced an application programming interface for the ADAM 

Platform (the ADAM REST API) that is fully REST-compliant. A “RESTful” API leverages 

the HTTP software protocol to enable the integration of software systems in a more 

standard and easy-to-understand way. The ADAM REST API facilitates the integration 

of the ADAM Platform with other software applications in three significant ways: 

º It eliminates the need for detailed knowledge regarding the language and architecture of 

(a) the ADAM Platform, and (b) the software applications with which the Platform will be 

integrated. 

º It allows for a “loose coupling” between the ADAM Platform and other software systems, 

which makes it easier to maintain integrations over time. 

º It allows full control over who can connect with the ADAM Platform and what can be passed 

between the Platform and another software application. 

The ADAM REST API supports two ways of consuming and navigating the API: 

º HAL/JSON hypermedia—Once a resource in the ADAM Platform is retrieved, a user’s client 

can bookmark the URI in its cache. The existing relation names will not change over time, 

but new relations can be introduced. Links in the returned resource representation help 

the user to navigate the ADAM REST API just by following those links. Using this approach 

helps create API clients/servers that do not depend too much on each other and can be 

developed in an independent way, as long as both the client and the server have a common 

understanding of media types used in the communication. For example, an enterprise user 

can start using the ADAM REST API by going to the root URI of the API and discover all the 

accessible resources. From that point on, the user can follow links and explore the resources 

existing throughout the ADAM REST API. Then the user can use the “select” keys, present 

in most of the resources, which provide information about which sub-resources can be 

embedded in that resource. This way, the user can retrieve the exact information needed in a 

single request, which helps optimize the “chattiness” of the API for a specific use case. 

º Plain JSON consumption—In addition to using HAL/JSON hypermedia to interact with 

the ADAM REST API, clients can also consume the API using plain JSON. This is a simpler but 

less robust approach, since it lacks discoverability and requires upfront knowledge of the 

URI’s for all the endpoints that the client will need. For pure JSON clients, ADAM provides an 

exhaustive collection of the endpoints available in the ADAM REST API. 

The ADAM REST API is fully documented via a reference manual that contains a complete and 

detailed explanation of the API’s functionality. 




The ADAM System API 

ADAM also provides a “conventional” application programming interface (the ADAM System API) 

that enterprises can use to customize and/or extend the functionality of the ADAM Platform and 

to integrate the Platform with other enterprise technology systems. The ADAM System API delivers 

a high level of interoperability and flexibility because of two critical attributes: 

º It is comprehensive and fully documented—All functions and features of the ADAM 

Platform are exposed through the ADAM System API, and ADAM provides a reference 

manual that co ntains a comprehensive and detailed description of the ADAM System API. 

º It is a stable, tested, and proven development tool—The ADAM System API is thoroughly 

embedded in the software development process used by ADAM. Our internal software 

development team uses the ADAM System API to create all of the standard features and 

functions of the ADAM Platform. In other words, the ADAM Platform has been built using 

the same API that is available to ADAM’s customers and business partners. The regular 

and extensive use of the ADAM System API by ADAM’s internal developers ensures its 

comprehensiveness and stability. 




The .NET Framework 

The Microsoft .NET framework (the .NET framework) is a software platform that is designed to 

facilitate and simplify the development of software applications. The .NET framework facilitates the 

flexibility and interoperability of the ADAM Platform in three basic ways: 

º Multiple language support—The .NET framework can support applications written in 

several programming languages, which simplifies the process of integrating the ADAM 

Platform with software applications that are written in other programming languages. The 

ability of the .NET framework to support multiple programming languages also means that 

enterprise customers can modify or extend the functionality of the ADAM Platform using 

code written in any .NET-compliant language. 

º An extensive class library—The .NET framework includes an extensive collection of classes 

called the Framework Class Library. The classes in the Framework Class Library provide access 

to application functionality, and they also provide many of the components needed to 

modify or extend the functionality of the ADAM Platform. 

º The provider model—The .NET framework supports the use of the provider model design 

pattern, a mechanism that enables developers to create applications that can be extended 

or modified without having to rewrite extensive portions of the application code. Essentially, 

the provider model enables a developer to turn any feature or method in an application 

into an extensible and swappable component. The beauty of the provider model is that it 

enables an enterprise to easily modify the functionality of an application to meet current 

needs and to address future needs as they arise. 




ADAM Flexibility in Action 

Collectively, the ADAM REST API, the ADAM System API, and the .NET framework provide 

enterprises a wide range of options for integrating the ADAM Platform with other technology 

systems and for customizing the Platform’s functionality. The high level of flexibility and 

interoperability provided by the ADAM Platform can be illustrated using several examples. 

These examples include integration tools and capabilities developed and provided by ADAM, as 

well as integration tools developed by some of ADAM’s leading business partners. In addition, 

many of ADAM’s customers have integrated the ADAM Platform with a variety of enterprise 

information systems. 




ADAM Integration Tools 

ADAM provides several tools for integrating the ADAM Platform with other software applications, 

including Microsoft Active Directory and the Adobe Creative Cloud applications. 

º Microsoft Active Directory – The ADAM Platform enables easy integration with Microsoft 

Active Directory for user authentication and authorization. This integration enables 

enterprises to implement a “single sign-on” system that streamlines the process of managing 

user access and permissions and simplifies the log-on process for users. 

º Adobe Creative Cloud – ADAM offers a connector that integrates the ADAM Platform with 

the applications included in the Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop, etc.). This 

connector enables marketing and creative personnel to access the functionality of the 

ADAM Platform from within the familiar applications they use on a daily basis. 




Integration Tools Developed By and With 

ADAM Partners 

ADAM has a robust ecosystem of business partners—including digital agencies, system 

integrators, and providers of complementary technologies—that help enterprises maximize 

the value they derive from the ADAM Platform. Several of our leading business partners have 

developed tools that integrate the ADAM Platform with other information technology systems. 

These integration tools include: 

º ADAM + Sitecore Connector—The ADAM + Sitecore Connector resulted from a 

collaborative development effort by ADAM, Sitecore, and HintTech (now part of Tahzoo). 

This connector integrates the ADAM Platform with the Sitecore customer experience 

management (CXM) platform. Once integrated, users of the ADAM Platform and the Sitecore 

CXM solution have visibility into the assets residing in both solutions. The ADAM + Sitecore 

Connector enables Sitecore users to search and access all content assets in the ADAM 

Platform from within the Sitecore environment. Updates to assets in the ADAM Platform are 

automatically published to Sitecore, and the connector enables users of both solutions to 

have full visibility into asset usage. 

º ADAM/Hybris Digital Asset Accelerator—The ADAM/Hybris Digital Asset Accelerator 

was developed by EPAM Systems and provides integration between the ADAM Platform and 

the SAP hybris e-commerce solution. This accelerator provides bi-directional synchronization 

between ADAM’s digital asset management application and the hybris e-commerce 

platform, which effectively ensures that e-commerce sites always use current product 

images and other marketing content assets. It ensures that all taxonomies are synced 

dynamically, thus allowing creative teams to align asset deliverables with production 

taxonomy, while also planning marketing campaigns and product launches. 




º ADAM/Teradata Marketing Operations —ADAM and Teradata have partnered to integrate 

ADAM’s digital asset management solution with Teradata’s marketing operations platform. 

This integration enables users of the Teradata platform to access and use the rich media 

management capabilities of ADAM’s DAM solution from within the Teradata system. Teradata 

users can upload assets to (and retrieve assets from) ADAM’s digital asset management 

solution and leverage ADAM’s asset usage tracking capabilities to gain valuable insight 

regarding which digital assets are most productive. 

º ADAM/SDL Web Content Management—This integration enables users of the SDL web 

content management solution to leverage the enterprise-class DAM capabilities of the 

ADAM Platform from within the SDL WCM system. It allows SDL users to access, load, save, 

and convert different formats of rich media assets (videos, images, audio, etc.) from the SDL 

interface. This helps ensure that websites will contain only current and brand-compliant 

digital assets. The ADAM-SDL integration also enables SDL users to leverage the digital rights 

management capabilities of the ADAM Platform, which helps ensure that content assets are 

not used in violation of intellectual property rights. 

º ADAM Extensions—In addition to the specific integrations just described, ADAM makes 

several “Extensions” available to its customers. ADAM Extensions are plug-ins and add-ons for 

the ADAM Platform that have been developed by third-party contributors (ADAM partners, 

customers, and other developers). Extensions are designed to extend the capabilities and 

enhance the functionality of the ADAM Platform. All ADAM Extensions are available through 

free, open source code, and a complete list of currently available Extensions can be found on 

the ADAM website. 




Integration and Customization via the 

ADAM Provider Model 

As noted earlier, the ADAM Platform has been developed using the .NET framework and makes 

extensive use of the provider model design pattern, a software programming technique that 

enables developers to easily modify and/or extend the functionality of a software application. 

To use the ADAM provider model, a developer creates an abstract class or uses an abstract class 

that already exists in the .NET Framework Class Library. The abstract class identifies and describes 

certain attributes of a software function, but it does not include an implementation of the 

function. Then the developer creates a provider class that contains the default implementation of 

the function. 

The benefit of the provider model is that it enables enterprises using the ADAM Platform to 

create their own provider classes that contain alternative methods of implementing application 

functions. This capability makes it easy to customize the functionality of the ADAM Platform and to 

integrate the Platform with other information systems. 

“The ADAM Provider Model makes it easy to customize 

the functionality of the ADAM Platform and to integrate it 

with other information systems.” 




Integration and Customization via the ADAM Provider Model Continued 

The diagram below depicts just some of the ways that the ADAM Platform leverages the provider 

model to deliver exceptional software flexibility. 

Many of ADAM’s customers use the provider model together with the ADAM REST API and/or the 

ADAM System API to customize the functionality of the ADAM Platform to fit their specific needs 

and to integrate the Platform with other applications. We can illustrate the flexibility this provides 

with several examples. 

º ERP Integration—Several ADAM customers have integrated the ADAM Platform with 

an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. For example, Stanley Black & Decker has 

integrated its ADAM Platform with six ERP systems. In this implementation, the ERP systems 

serve as the data source for the product content management component of the ADAM 

Platform. 




Integration and Customization via the ADAM Provider Model Continued 

º User Authentication—Out-of-the-box, the ADAM Platform includes a complete internal 

system for user authentication (a user data store, login functions, etc.). As noted earlier, 

the ADAM Platform also enables enterprises to use Microsoft Active Directory for user 

authentication and authorization. Enterprises that want to use another authentication 

mechanism can easily create a new provider class that implements their preferred user 

authentication tool. For example, Microsoft has integrated its ADAM Platform with Windows 

Live ID for user authentication at one of its public websites (www.microsoftprosource.com). 

º Media Engines—By default, the ADAM Platform will ingest any type of file and is capable of 

showing the file type as an icon. To generate a preview and thumbnail of a file, the ADAM 

Platform includes out-of-the-box support for several media engines that are capable of 

rendering most popular file types. If an enterprise needs to work with a type of file that the 

ADAM Platform does not support by default (such as, for example, proprietary/legacy file 

formats or CAD files), the enterprise can use the provider model to develop a custom media 

engine or add a new third-party media engine. 

º Order Delivery—The ADAM Platform provides out-of-the-box support for several content 

delivery mechanisms, including file copy, HTTP download, and FTP-push and pull. The 

provider model enables enterprises to easily add other delivery mechanisms to the 

ADAM Platform. For example, Square Enix (Eidos) has integrated a DVD robot as a delivery 

mechanism in its ADAM Platform. In this implementation, if a user attempts to download a 

combination of assets that exceed a specified total file size, the system automatically creates 

a DVD. 

Notes 

1. The ROI of Tag Management (Econsultancy, in association with Tealium, 2015). 

2. Overcoming Barriers to Cross-Channel Success: Optimizing the Marketing Technology Stack 

(Signal, 2014). 

3. Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing: The Multichannel Reality (Econsultancy, in association 

with Adobe, 2015). 




ADAM Software 

Technical Proposition 

Contact 

ADAM Software 

Kortrijksesteenweg 1108A 

9051 Gent 

Belgium 

P: +32 9 381 63 36 

F: +32 9 381 63 46 

Email: info@adamsoftware.net 

Web: adamsoftware.net 

ADAM Software US, Inc. 

WeWork – Charging Bull 

Office 10.013 

25 Broadway, 9th floor 

New York, NY 10004 

P: +1 646 568 7880 

About ADAM Software 

ADAM Software is a global provider of media workflow and marketing technology 

software. We offer enterprises the ability to manage, structure and deliver media 

between people, processes and systems. Working with our partners enables us to 

implement our software globally while providing workflow solutions to all types 

of enterprises. What drives us is a passion to organize media intelligently, making it 

easier and more accessible to everyone. 

ADAM Software NV adamsoftware.net info@adamsoftware.net

Open Architecture

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