What is a DXP?
A Digital Experience Platform (DXP) is simply a platform for providing rich cross-channel personalized digital experiences.
It consists of multiple pieces of software, which generally include a CMS, CRM, and a personalization engine, working together to create and manage digital user experiences.
In the meantime, how we define a digital experience and how we provide it, is continually changing.
OPEN DXP
For this post, I can state that an Open DXP allows you to pick and choose the best-in-class and more easily adopt new software as your DXP evolves.
CLOSED DXP
A Closed DXP means you are all-in with a vendor and locked into their software.
Acquia's Open DXP is built on Drupal, which is open-source.
This means anyone can develop their customized DXP on top of Drupal.
DXPs are so complex and ever-changing that the key to a successful platform is to have a reliable, flexible, and open foundation.
Flexibility and openness are where open-source and Drupal excel.
It is fascinating that Acquia with Drupal and Liferay is the only open-source DXPs in Gartner's report.
Maybe this means that other software companies don't feel building an open-source DXP is a viable approach.
At the same time, open-source has continually managed to grow and thrive in closed spaces, especially when the open-source software/system is offering a viable alternative to closed proprietary software/systems.
I noticed that most of the articles about one DXP vs. another DXP are written by and for a DXP vendor trying to distinguish themselves from the competition.
And then I found Tom Wentworth's post titled What is a Digital Experience Platform (DXP) on Acquia's website.
Wentworth’s post is so focused on discussing Open vs. Closed DXPs, that there is no mention of the competing products and Acquia is only mentioned once, at the outset: "At Acquia, we believe in DXPs."
Tom's post adeptly focuses on explaining a DXP and the difference between an Open and a Closed DXP.
For anyone researching DXPs for their organization, I recommend reading Tom's blog post.
