This is an updated version of what was originally published in October 2008. Revised as of May 2009.
In the PGiMarket world of Premiere Global, we have developed a new API in conjunction with a new email delivery platform.This new API uses:
- both SOAP and REST style submissions,
- Freemarker as a scripting languages to control message personalization and rendering, and
- an archive-style folder construct for organizing complex content
SOAP & REST
Most everyone is familiar with SOAP: including data with the submission using XML as the data format. REST on the other hand lends itself to accepting data in formats other than XML and allows for the data to be retreived asynchronously rather than within the submission itself. This is done using a "pointer" to identify the location of the data and any credentials required to access it.
Why REST? Well, when you get into high volume email applications, passing tons of recipient data in an XML format just isn't practical. The same is true of retrieving campaign results. Or, if your content is highly dynamic to deliver very targeted messages, passing all of that coding with an XML submission can be rather clumsy. Not familiar with REST, here's some information about it as well as SOAP that gives a good overview.
Scripting Languages
There are a few languages that are being used by various email services to create highly personalized or dynamic content:
In reviewing scripting languages, Freemarker is simpler in terms of snytax and covers most of the scripting needs we see, so that is what we choosen as a scripting language
PEAR Files
Many developers are familiar with archive files, so we have created one of our own specific to complex email content. Dynamic or conditional content, as it is known in the email industry, can have several specific pieces of content, each targeted to a specific recipient characteristics. Our Premiere Emessaging ARchive (PEAR) file structure gives developers a means of organizing this content for an email campaign.
Availability of the Marketing API
The Marketing API has been in use since early January by our Accelerator Professional product. The application uses the API to submit campaigns and to retrieve reporting / tracking data. The performance of the platform and the API have been excellent and we are moving rapidly to make it ready for direct use by customers.
In late June 2009, we anticipate making the Marketing API available as an infrastructure alternative -- starting at a capacity to send up to one gigabyte of email per hour with schedulable 4x burstability (4 gigabytes for an hour) at a flat monthly rate. Larger capacity offerings will also be available. Pricing and other details will be published later in May 2009.
Later this year, late Q3 / early Q4, we intend to make the Marketing API generally available to a wide range of applications and for lower volume, less capacity driven applications with more traditional CPM-style pricing as well as some flat-rate subscription pricing.
Stayed tuned for more new about the Marketing API!