Adobe launches Experience Cloud aims to bridge from marketing to more parts of the enterprise

Adobe is launching its Experience Cloud, which combines parts of its marketing, analytics and content tools, with the aim of broadening its footprint for more roles and functions of an enterprise.

And with the launch of Experience Cloud, Adobe is going to compete more directly with the likes of Oracle and Salesforce, two marketing and analytics players focused on customer experiences.

Kevin Lindsay, head of product marketing for Adobe Target and personalization efforts, said the Experience Cloud recognizes that "this isn't just about marketing anymore." The analytics and data driven approaches used by marketers are touching more parts of the business. "As we dig into this further, we can extend personalization into other parts of the business," said Lindsay.

Indeed, marketing can be the start of cultivating customers, but enterprises have to continue to optimize and personalize to keep the business. Lindsay refers to this reality as "customer journey management."

This turf is well trodden. Oracle, Salesforce, Microsoft and IBM all have suites focused on customer experience. The catch is that each of these players come at it from their own approaches. Adobe's Lindsay hopes the secret sauce for Adobe is its approach to data, content and analytics.

The Experience Cloud is the headliner at Adobe's Summit powwow in Las Vegas this week, but there are other notable moves. Among the key efforts:

• Adobe is launching the Advertising Cloud and breaking it out from the Marketing Cloud umbrella. This move will combine Adobe's data marketplace, ad technology and programmatic assets to compete more with Google. The Advertising Cloud also wraps in TubeMogul, a TV ad company acquired in 2016.

Tim Waddell, head of product marketing for Adobe's ad business, said the Advertising Cloud will synchronize cookies across its cloud to better track inventory and brand safety to make sure ads run in the right places. Other analytics tools to track viewability and performance will be included. Waddell added that Adobe aims to be the Switzerland of advertising tools.

"We're not in the media business. We will help you buy media no matter where it is. Google, Facebook and Verizon/AOL/Yahoo are all walled gardens," he explained. "The idea of independence is a key point for us.

• Adobe is integrating tightly with Microsoft Dynamics, Power BI and Azure to link data models and analytics tools.

• Sensei, Adobe's framework for machine learning and artificial intelligence, will be detailed more with illustrations about how it plugs into various clouds.
• The company detailed new tagging systems, support for third party tracking and new application programming interfaces as well as enhancements for its developer portal.