In-person AEM Meetups are back! Following the success of our in-person AEM meetup in Columbus, the Southeast AEM User Group and Midwest AEM User Group teamed up to host an AEM User group meeting in Atlanta at Cox Communications headquarters. Hosting the meetup were 2X AEM Champion Tad Reeves and 3X AEM Champion Wilson Faure, bringing together AEM technologists and enthusiasts for a discussion on some of the latest Adobe technology.
Returning AEM Meetups to Atlanta!
It was more than excellent to gather AEM architects, developers and enthusiasts IN-PERSON in Atlanta for the first time in recent memory. The AEM meetup was graciously hosted at Cox Communications headquarters by Wilson Faure, 3X AEM Champion and Cox's Director of Digital Marketing Platforms, as a co-production of the AEM Southeast User Group and the AEM Midwest User Group.
The event was a double-header with two presentations - one on Adobe's AEM Sites Optimizer, and the other on DA/Edge Delivery Localization & Translation. Unfortunately, we weren't able to record video during the meetup, so you'll have to make due with a summary of the presentations - and catch up with anyone who attended if you want the full scoop!
On-the-Ground Experience with Adobe's new AI-Powered Sites Optimizer
At Adobe Summit, one of the headlining new products in Adobe's suite of tools for marketers is the Adobe AEM Sites Optimizer, Adobe's new Agentic AI platform for detecting and deploying site enhancements. We've all seen the presentation of what it WILL do or SHOULD be able to do, but it was FABULOUS seeing how Cox is putting Sites Optimizer to use.
A primary issue that site owners face is that with the vast amount of content on their sites that's constantly in flux (and which can be positively or negatively-affected by potentially (or seemingly) disrelated updates, you need eyes on your whole site, basically all the time.
Sites Optimizer has a heavy feature list that they're working up to, with the ability on the roadmap for being able to find opportunities to improve and fix both content and code-related issues that affect performance, security, accessibility, SEO and the like. The obvious problem lies in how many ways there is to author & publish content on AEM (see our AEM 6.5 vs Cloud Service vs Edge Delivery discussion), and getting Sites Optimizer up to a point where it can update content in the JCR, in Google Docs/Sharepoint or on Document Authoring (DA), as well as being able to make PRs for suggested code updates on either AEM or Edge Delivery.
As Wilson noted - AEM Sites Optimizer is definitely bringing value, with very regular updates coming from the Adobe Sites Optimizer team - new and substantive features are getting added constantly. So, if you've seen a Sites Optimizer demo in September, you should probably get another one in November as it's likely to be an majorly-improved product.
Translation & Localization on Edge Delivery with Document Authoring (DA)
This presentation was MEANT to be a thorough run-through of approaches for localization with Edge Delivery Services and Document Authoring (DA). However, because nobody in the room had worked with Edge Delivery Services in any capacity more than a quick demo, and nobody had yet played with DA yet, the presentation instead switched mostly to a walk-through of DA & the lifecycle of an Edge Delivery Site, and then onto the differences with localizing an Edge Delivery Site vs "classic" AEM.
DA has massively-powerful translation and localization features, which allow you to very-rapidly stand up a localized site with Edge Delivery Services.
Smartling and Google Translate connectors are supported out of the box, with a fairly simple framework in place so that if you have another 3rd-party translation connector you could submit this into the DA project via PR.
If you'd like a demo of DA translation & localization in action, just ask!
Join an AEM User Group in Your Area!
There are local AEM User Groups MANY geographies now, spearheaded by AEM Champions, solution providers and Adobe customers.
Head over to the Adobe User Groups main page to find an AEM User Group near you, or reach out if you'd like to help organize a meetup in YOUR area! We'd love to see you at our next event!
About the Author
Tad Reeves
Principal Architect at Arbory Digital
Tad has been working with Adobe products since 2010 and has extensive experience in website infrastructure. Starting in 1996, he has worn nearly every hat in website delivery from solution architecture to product management, and has over two decades of experience. He loves that Arbory gives him the opportunity to provide honest and effective solutions, even if it means challenging prevailing sales perspectives. When Tad isn’t working, he enjoys mountain biking and exploring nature with his wife & 3 kids.
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