What is the Latest Version of Adobe Experience Manager?

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is a robust solution for content management, spreading from text and encompassing media too.

The latest version of AEM is Adobe Experience Manager 6.5 and was released on April 8, 2019, after going through 23 iterations of bug fixing and QA. Not only that, but the latest version was tweaked from the feedback of 750 customers, delivering a better product with a user-first approach.

It arrived with a whole host of fresh features and enhancements for a fuller, healthier content management system… And then two months ago Adobe released a service pack to bolster AEM 6.5.

So what are these new features? Let’s take a look at them one by one.

Stronger foundations

The latest version is built on top of the Java Content Repository and OSGi-based framework, and features new support for Java 11; overrides default GC values with others; and two new Uberjar versions: the first for public interfaces that aren’t marked for deprecation, and the second for interfaces marked for deprecation.

Better user interface

There was a bundle of enhancements to the user interface in the latest version for an easier experience, including: a new workflow status in Column Views for pages and assets; Column Views only load the entries that are visible on screen, and only load the others when you begin scrolling; a Select All action that is a fast way to complete an action with all pages or all assets in the same folder; and a new user interface for permissions management.

Experience Manager Sites updates

You are now able to edit in-context content, as well as compose client-side rendered experiences on the Page Editor; to edit the AEM editable aspects of the client-side rendered experiences — known as the SPA Editor — on the Use Template Editor; to create country-specific, and franchise-specific SPA experiences on the Use Multi-site Management.

Headless Management

Via AEM you are able to provide content in multiple formats and from multiple levels on the stack. Also, the Assets’ HTTP API is a CRUD API, which was extended in AEM 6.5, and has the new capabilities to expose lists of Content Fragments, with its List Core Component, from Content Services; shows the default Content Services JSON output for each component in the Core Component Library.

Different design and add-ons

Digital displays have been reworked to optimize online experiences, which include: an expanded media player support that is able to scale to the largest signage networks; unified experiences and content from across digital and in-store, with better content reuse; a streamlined workflow for authoring and approval; and unified insights that are delivered by Adobe Analytics.

Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud

If you work with Adobe Creative Cloud apps, such as Photoshop and InDesign, the collaboration between you are marketers is streamlined in the content creation process. Also, new features support VR headsets and 360-degree videos, and custom video thumbnails.

Finer AEM Forms

Several new features that relate to Forms include: usability improvements with interactive communications; automated validation in from data models of input data; embed adaptive forms and interactive comms in the single page applications.

AEM Service Pack release

And finally, some of the key enhancements to Adobe Experience Manager via the Service Pack release, also known as Adobe Experience Manager 6.5.5.0, include: an update to the built-in repository, Apache Jackrabbit Oak 1.22.3; to ability to customize column names that can be seen in the AEM inbox;  and enhanced accessibility in multiple areas in the Web Content Management, including Page Editor, and Admin UI.

If you would like a complete list of all the latest features that are delivered on Adobe Experience Manager 6.5 then you can go to Adobe’s General Release Notes.

PS: UV is one of the world’s leading Adobe Experience Manager integrators. Contact us to see how we can work together.