Discontinued functionality in WebSphere Commerce Version 8.0

If you are migrating from an earlier version of WebSphere Commerce, be aware of the various features that are deprecated or removed from this and earlier releases.

Discontinued features are those features that were announced as deprecated, and are now removed from the product. The following features are discontinued in this release of WebSphere Commerce.

Editions

WebSphere Commerce Express was an entry-level offering of WebSphere Commerce.
Recommended action: The following WebSphere Commerce editions are available:
  • WebSphere Commerce ProfessionalWebSphere Commerce Professional provides a powerful customer interaction platform to help midsize companies offer personalized, cross-channel shopping.
  • WebSphere Commerce EnterpriseWebSphere Commerce Enterprise provides a sophisticated platform for high-volume B2C and B2B business models and multiple sites.

Operating systems and environments

Support for operating systems that use 32-bit architecture is discontinued.

Recommended action: Support for 64-bit operating systems continues.

WebSphere Commerce Patterns

WebSphere Commerce provides virtual system patterns and virtual application patterns are discontinued.

Starter stores

The following starter stores and add-on store SAR files were removed:
  • Brazil
  • Elite
  • Madisons
  • MayUJoy
In Version 8, you cannot publish a store based on these starter stores. If a Version 7 store is based on one of these starter stores, you can migrate the store to WebSphere Commerce Version 8. With some exceptions, the functionality that is demonstrated in these starter stores is included in the Version 8 Aurora starter store. The following table list functionality that was removed with the suggested replacement action:
Function Description Recommended action
Coshopping With coshopping enabled, two shoppers to explore a store, view products and chat about products together. Integration for Shop with Friends, a more recent offering, is now built and supported by OpenClove. For up-to-date integration information and instructions, see Vidioly under IBM Commerce Partner Solutions.
sMash based implementation of Social Bridging and Social Commerce This implementation includes server-side integration of product ratings and reviews by using sMash. Use the Bazaarvoice hosted integration for ratings and reviews. Integration for Bazaarvoice is now built and supported by Bazaarvoice. For up-to-date integration information and instructions, see Bazaarvoice under IBM Commerce Partner Solutions.
Bazaarvoice for ratings and reviews Integration that is provided for Bazaarvoice Conversations PRR is discontinued. Integration for Bazaarvoice Conversations, a more recent offering, is now built and supported by Bazaarvoice. For up-to-date integration information and instructions, see Bazaarvoice under IBM Commerce Partner Solutions.
Integration with KickApps This integration provided capabilities for editing widgets and publishing functionality within WebSphere Commerce.
iOS hybrid application Hybrid application starter stores were accessed as an "app" directly installed on mobile devices. The Aurora B2C and the Aurora B2B starter stores use Responsive Web Design (RWD). This web design approach is aimed at crafting pages that are optimized for a wide range of devices, including smartphones.
Android smartphone native application

Sample stores

In WebSphere Commerce Version 8.0 the following sample stores were removed:
  • Advanced B2B direct sample store
  • Consumer direct sample store
  • Demand chain sample stores

The functionalities that is demonstrated in these samples are available in the Aurora starter store, discontinued, or is available as a sample provided by IBM.

Integration with other software

IBM Support Assistant

IBM Support Assistant (ISA) is discontinued. ISA was a mechanism to help you investigate and resolve problems without having to contact IBM support.

LikeMinds

LikeMinds is discontinued. LikeMinds is a collaborative filtering engine that analyzes user interactions that occur on your website and generates real-time predictions and recommendations to your website users, which are displayed by using Web activities.

Recommended action: IBM Product Recommendations replaces LikeMinds, and automatically generates personalized product recommendations on the storefront. The recommendations are based on the browsing, shopping, and purchasing behavior of individual customers. For more information about IBM Product Recommendations, see IBM Product Recommendations.

Taxware

Taxware integration is discontinued. Integration for Taxware is now built and supported by Taxware.

Recommended action: For up-to-date integration information and instructions, see Taxware - Sales and Use Tax System under IBM Commerce Partner Solutions.

WebSphere Portal

Portal integration is discontinued. This integration allowed to you aggregate WebSphere Commerce services and other content in a portal interaction environment.

Recommended action: The integration is with a REST API. No integration work is required.

WebSphere Commerce Payments

WebSphere Commerce Payments is discontinued.

Recommended action: Use the Payments subsystem and the appropriate plug-in.

Sametime with Customer Care

Sametime integration with Customer Care is discontinued. This integration allowed customer service representatives to chat with customers by using instant messaging.

Recommended action: For up-to-date integration information and instructions on community, social, and customer engagement, see IBM Commerce Partner Solutions.

IBM Sales Center for WebSphere Commerce

IBM Sales Center is discontinued. This solution managed stores, customers, organizations, orders, quotes, and payment information through a client interface that was installed on customer service representatives' systems.

Recommended action: IBM Customer Service for WebSphere Commerce is a lightweight alternative to IBM Sales Center. IBM Customer Service allows a Customer Service Representative (CRS) to complete storefront tasks on behalf of a guest or registered shopper. This solution is embedded into your Aurora B2C and Aurora B2B storefronts. For more information about IBM Customer Service for WebSphere Commerce, see IBM Customer Service for WebSphere Commerce.

Workspace Administration Tool

Workspace Administration Tool is discontinued. This tool was used to manage workspaces and workspace-related activities.

Recommended action: The Workspace Management tool replaces all of the workspace management features in the Workspace Administration Tool.

Local version of the WebSphere Commerce Information Center

The ability to install a local copy of the WebSphere Commerce Information Center is discontinued. This feature had allowed you to view documentation without being connected to the Internet.

Recommended action: View the WebSphere Commerce documentation online for the most up-to-date content for your version of the product and its various solutions.

WebSphere Commerce Accelerator

In WebSphere Commerce Version 8, customer service representatives use WebSphere Commerce Accelerator for order and payment-related tasks.

WebSphere Commerce Accelerator support for implementations of promotions, marketing, and pricing is removed. Several menus were removed from WebSphere Commerce Accelerator. Operational reports that were accessed from the Marketing, Promotions, Merchandising, or Products menus are not available in Version 8. See the following table for the replacement options.

Menu Menu options Management Center tool
Marketing All Marketing tool
Promotions All Promotions tool
Store
  • Preview
  • Open/Close
  • Change Pages
  • Upload Logo
  • Change Style
  • Manage Files
  • Change Flow
Store Management tool
Auctions All Auctions functionality is discontinued.
Consumer direct (B2C)Merchandise

B2B directProducts

  • Find Category
  • Catalog Management
  • Find Catalog Entries
  • Sales Catalogs
  • Catalog Import
  • Find Merchandising Associations
  • Product Advisor

    Discontinued.

    Recommended action: WebSphere Commerce search provides enhanced search capabilities over the Product Advisor.
Catalogs tool