Digital transformation in today’s fast-paced business environment isn’t just a trend; it’s a necessity. As organizations strive to stay competitive and efficient, upgrading to the latest technologies becomes paramount. For enterprise IT and digital transformation leaders, Liferay DXP 7.4 offers a compelling upgrade from previous versions. This blog post will delve into the features of Liferay DXP 7.4, considerations for the upgrade, and why making this move is strategically advantageous for your organization.
Introduction
Liferay Digital Experience Platform (DXP) has long been a cornerstone for enterprise IT solutions, providing robust capabilities for building highly integrated, customer-centric digital experiences. With Liferay DXP 7.4, the platform takes another significant leap forward, offering enhanced features that promise to streamline operations, improve user experience, and drive business growth.
Advanced Features of Liferay 7.4
Liferay DXP 7.4 brings a host of advanced features tailored to elevate your organization’s digital transformation journey:
Optimized Digital Experiences with Data-Driven Insights
Revolutionize digital experiences with data insights! Personalize customer interactions by using data-driven insights to tailor content and product recommendations. Elevate conversions and customer loyalty with this new feature that guarantees customer satisfaction while driving business objectives.
A/B Testing
Test various page variants with any clickable element.
Content Dashboard
Upgrade Content Audit tool with seamless filtering options for web content, documents, and more.
Content Performance
Dive into detailed traffic insights from different sources, organic and paid search included.
Deliver Rich Digital Experiences to Customers
With Liferay DXP 7.4, delivering compelling digital experiences has never been easier. The platform allows businesses to create personalized and engaging content that resonates with their target audience, ensuring a superior user experience.
Account Management Widget
Unleash unrestricted admin access across your site. Gain control over Accounts, Addresses, User Assignments, and manage Organizations, Groups, and Roles effortlessly.
Enhance your site with Display Pages
Beyond Web Content, Documents, and Blogs, now create Display Pages for Categories too.
Craft seamless Experiences
Duplicate or save experiences as drafts; set your default experience for specific pages hassle-free.
Revolutionize navigation with Fragments
Build mega menus using Dropdown and Menu Display fragments effortlessly. Explore various drop zones with Dropdown fragment and enjoy advanced Navigation Menus with upgraded Menu Display fragment.
Optimize with Page Audit
Seamlessly integrate Google PageSpeed for enhanced SEO performance and Accessibility compliance audit reports.
Build Seamless B2B Buying Experiences
The complexities of B2B transactions are simplified with Liferay 7.4’s enhanced capabilities. The platform supports seamless B2B buying experiences, making it easier for businesses to manage their sales processes and improve their customer relationships.
Order Type Pricing & Discounts
Change pricing and discounts based on order conditions with Order Type Pricing & Discounts.
Organization Management Widget
Visualize your organizational account structure using the Organization Management Widget. Sales Managers can efficiently manage sales networks. Agents and Account Managers can navigate accounts through a visible network model.
Product Image Optimization
Ensure your product images adjust to any device with Liferay's Adaptive Media technology, preserving their visual appeal and impact.
Access to Low-Code and No-Code Capabilities
Liferay 7.4 offers low-code and no-code features, empowering users with varying technical expertise to create and manage applications. This democratizes the development process, reducing reliance on IT departments and speeding up time-to-market for new solutions.
Adaptive Media & Collection Display
Adaptive Media optimizes image size based on viewport width, allowing manual overrides. Collection Display enhances performance with Pagination and filtering options. Collection Providers offer filtering configuration for diverse scenarios.
Forms
Introducing support for Boolean and Search Location fields. Access additional properties like Confirmation Field for Text Fields, Masks for Numeric Fields, Validation for Date Fields, and Hidden fields.
Related Items Providers
Showcase a curated list of interrelated items based on criteria such as Asset Entries or Blog Entries sharing the same Category, Categories for an Item, and Related Assets. Choose Related Item Providers using the Collection Display fragment on display pages for assets or within category collections.
Site Navigation
Enable site builders to craft advanced navigation for content-rich sites by generating Display Pages for Categories. Add them as Navigation Menu items and utilize the Dropdown fragment to construct mega-menus without custom theme development.
Liferay Objects
Liferay Objects empower non-developers to create custom business objects with relationships and deployment options. Enjoy advanced features like headless APIs, search functionality, and integration capabilities with Workflow, Permissions, and Asset frameworks for enriched content handling in Liferay.
Affordable Plans to Launch and Maintain Digital Experiences
Cost-effectiveness is a key consideration for any enterprise, and Liferay 7.4 delivers with affordable plans that make it feasible to launch and maintain rich digital experiences without breaking the bank.
Asset Libraries
Organize your reusable content effortlessly and craft visually stunning Display Page Templates for various web and document formats. Benefit from the enhanced Staging feature to streamline content management across multiple sites with separate data sets.
Documents and Media
Seamlessly integrate YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and Twitch videos into Documents and Media, transforming them into native documents linked to video URLs. Enjoy the flexibility of managing Filenames and titles independently. Set publication expiration dates for better control.
Forms, Web Content, Documents and Media
Experience a unified interface for creating Forms, Structures, Types, and entries in Forms, Web Content, and Documents and Media modules. Simplify document uploads during content creation with Folder creation within Documents and Media.
JS Dependency
Define project specifications aligned with the Liferay version by targeting the platform for Java development.
Enterprise Search
Unlock advanced LES features and support with a Liferay Enterprise Search subscription.
Publications
Extend invitations to colleagues as viewers, editors, or publishers with the new feature. Collaborate seamlessly by exchanging comments within publications.
Search Re-indexing
System admins can now limit Reindex actions to specific Virtual instances for focused indexing.
Site Templates
Enhance performance with Partial Propagation exporting only modified pages efficiently. Cache Propagation Exports for quick reuse; temporarily disable during Template Changes for precise control over site updates.
Staging
Upgrade Staging with System Level configurations that enable selective Parent page publishing alongside published pages. Optimize asset export by choosing Asset Links publication logic according to your needs.
Theme Architecture
Boost page loading speed by minimizing CSS per page load while separating admin-only interfaces from theme changes to simplify custom theme development.
Translation
Automatically translate inline content on Content Pages and Web Content Articles using ML-based Google Cloud Translation tool. Track progress easily with improved language selector UI.
Video and Audio
Transitioning from Xuggler to ffmpeg enhances audiovisual preview generation efficiency significantly.
Create a Foundation for Your Interconnected Enterprise Landscape
Liferay 7.4 acts as a robust foundation for your interconnected enterprise landscape, facilitating seamless integration with other systems and fostering a cohesive digital ecosystem.
Accounts
Liferay has made a big improvement for business-to-business (B2B) interactions! They've expanded access to a feature called "Accounts" that was previously only available to customers using Liferay Commerce. This means businesses can now provide better customer service to their business partners.
Audit
System logs now include Audit information via a new System Property, allowing administrators to track the origin of each audit entry. The x-request-id in the response header is visible using the browser Network tool for comprehensive request life cycle monitoring.
Click-to-Chat
A subscription-based feature offering seamless integration with various Click-to-Chat platforms lets site visitors engage with customer service representatives effortlessly.
Headless APIs
Introducing RESTful web services for managing Users, User Groups, Organizations, Roles, and Accounts with features like assigning Roles to Users and configuring permissions. The service provides access to Pages, Fragments, Page Experiences while adding new endpoints for language selection display management and structured content versions retrieval.
Multi-factor Authentication
Enhanced FIDO2 device support enables user authentication using fingerprint readers or cameras on mobile/desktop devices or dedicated FIDO2 security keys for secure online access.
OAuth 2 Administration
Enhanced OAuth 2 Application Management streamlines application configuration as trusted without manual authorization. The “Remember Device” option allows administrators to remember user devices beneficially for single-page applications utilizing registered OAuth 2 apps.
OpenID Connect
Proxy-configured OpenID Connect requests through System Properties enhance Token Refresh functionality to renew access tokens proactively before expiration.
Remote Apps
Remote Apps simplify the process of incorporating remote JavaScript files into Web Components, along with a new Widget that can display customized apps as elements. This eliminates the need for deployment and allows front-end developers to work independently, while also seamlessly accessing Liferay's APIs through the JavaScript Client SDK.
General Considerations for Liferay DXP 7.4 Upgrade
Upgrading to Liferay DXP 7.4 requires careful planning and consideration. Here are some key aspects to keep in mind:
Compatibility and Requirements
Ensure your current infrastructure is compatible with Liferay 7.4. Verify the system requirements and make necessary upgrades to avoid any disruptions during the transition.
Data Migration
Data migration is a critical component of the upgrade process. Establish a clear migration plan to ensure data integrity and minimize downtime.
Customizations and Integrations
Assess existing customizations and integrations to determine their compatibility with Liferay 7.4. Plan for necessary adjustments to avoid any potential issues post-upgrade.
User Training
Training your team on the new features and functionalities of Liferay 7.4 is essential for a smooth transition. Provide comprehensive training sessions to ensure your team can fully leverage the platform’s capabilities.
Why Upgrading to Liferay 7.4 is a Strategic Move
Upgrading to Liferay 7.4 is not just about keeping up with the latest technology; it’s a strategic move that offers several long-term benefits:
Enhanced User Experience
Liferay 7.4’s advanced features enable businesses to deliver richer, more personalized digital experiences, leading to higher user satisfaction and engagement.
Increased Operational Efficiency
The platform’s low-code and no-code capabilities streamline the development process, reducing time and resources spent on building and maintaining applications.
Better Data-Driven Decisions
With access to comprehensive analytics and data-driven insights, businesses can make more informed decisions, optimizing their digital strategies for better outcomes.
Future-Proofing Your Business
Liferay 7.4 provides a scalable and flexible foundation that supports future growth and innovation, ensuring your business remains competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
How to Upgrade to Liferay DXP 7.4
Upgrading to Liferay DXP 7.4 involves several steps:
Assessment
Conduct a thorough assessment of your current setup, including customizations, integrations, and data.
Planning
Develop a detailed upgrade plan that covers all aspects of the transition, including timelines, resource allocation, and risk management.
Testing
Perform extensive testing to identify and address any potential issues before the actual upgrade.
Migration
Execute the data migration process, ensuring all data is transferred accurately and securely.
Implementation
Deploy Liferay 7.4 and carry out the necessary configurations to align with your business needs.
Training
Conduct user training sessions to familiarize your team with the new platform and its features.
Improving the Liferay DXP 7.4 Upgrade Performance
To maximize the performance of your Liferay 7.4 upgrade, consider the following tips:
Optimize Your Infrastructure
Ensure your IT infrastructure is optimized to handle the demands of Liferay 7.4. This includes upgrading hardware and software components as necessary.
Utilize Best Practices
Follow best practices for data migration, customizations, and integrations to minimize disruptions and ensure a smooth transition.
Monitor and Analyze
Continuously monitor the performance of your Liferay 7.4 implementation and use analytics to identify areas for improvement and optimization.
Seek Expert Assistance
Consider engaging with Liferay experts or consultants to guide you through the upgrade process and provide valuable insights and recommendations.
Conclusion
Upgrading to Liferay 7.4 is a strategic move that can significantly enhance your organization’s digital transformation journey. With its advanced features, optimized digital experiences, and seamless integration capabilities, Liferay 7.4 offers a robust foundation for future growth and innovation. By carefully planning and executing the upgrade process, businesses can unlock the full potential of Liferay 7.4 and stay ahead in the competitive digital landscape.
Ready to take the next step in your digital transformation journey? Contact us today to learn more about Liferay DXP 7.4 and how it can benefit your organization.
