Platform for communicating across multiple communication channels
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with communications through a software platform are described herein. In an embodiment, a method for communicating with users across multiple communication channels from a single platform includes gathering data related to a first user; storing the gathered data; accessing the stored data to determine whether a message should be sent to the first user; accessing the stored data to determine what communication channel should be used to send the message to the first user; formatting the message for the determined communication channel; and sending the message to the first user through the determined communication channel.
1 . A method for communicating with users across multiple communication channels from a single platform comprising:
gathering data related to a first user;
storing the gathered data;
accessing the stored data to determine whether a message should be sent to the first user;
accessing the stored data to determine what communication channel should be used send the message to the first user;
formatting the message for the determined communication channel; and
sending the message to the first user through the determined communication channel.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the data in a data store.
3 . The method of claim 1 , where the multiple communication channels includes at least one of an electronic mail communication channel, a mobile phone communication channel, an internet website communication channel, or an interactive television communication channel.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising evaluating rules to determine that a communication is to be sent to the first user.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising storing rules in a subsystem.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising storing the data in the subsystem.
7 . The method of claim 4 , where the subsystem is one of a content management system, an extensible profile system, an activity and response system, or a rules and segmentation system.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising formatting the message through a multiple channel rendering engine.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising sending the message through a messaging engine.
10 . A method for associating a stored profile of a user of an internet website with the user comprising:
detecting the user accessing the internet website;
placing an HTTP cookie on the user's computer;
creating an anonymous profile of the user in a data store;
storing the user's website activity in the data store;
associating the user's website activity with the anonymous profile;
monitoring the user's activity for personal identification data;
associating the personal identification data with the anonymous profile; and
converting the anonymous profile to a first known profile.
11 . The method of claim 10 , where the data store is a database.
12 . The method of claim 10 , where the data store is a subsystem.
13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
searching the data store for known profiles with personal identification information that matches the personal identification data of the first user profile; and
merging the first user profile with a second user profile with personal identification information that matches the personal identification data of the first user profile.
14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising sending a relevant message to the user based on the user's website activity.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising selecting a communication channel from multiple communication channels by which to send the relevant message to the user.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising formatting the relevant message based on the selected communication channel.
17 . A system for selectively communicating with a user across one of at least two communication channels comprising:
a data store;
a rendering engine in communication with the data store for selectively rendering a message for one of the at least two communication channels; and
a first subsystem in communication with the data store and the rendering engine, the first subsystem including logic for generating the selectively rendered message;
wherein the system is distributed across a single platform.
18 . The system of claim 17 , where the one of at least two communication channels includes an electronic mail communication channel, a mobile phone communication channel, an internet website communication channel, or an interactive television communication channel.
19 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a messenger engine in communication with the rendering engine for delivering the message to the user.
20 . The system of claim 17 , where the first subsystem is either a content management system, an extensible profile system, an activity and response system, or a rules and segmentation system.