Can AEP Use a Custom Service for SMS, Push, and Email?

[JeanBaro_]

Hello AEP Community,

I hope you’re all doing well.

TL;DR:
Can we use an external (custom) service to handle all email, SMS, and Push communications in AEP, instead of directly connecting to providers like SendGrid, FCM, Apple, or the built-in ones? What would be the compromises or challenges in doing so?

Detailed:

I’m exploring the idea of integrating a custom enterprise messaging service with AEP for managing all outbound communications (SMS, Push, and Email). Our service would act as the final step in delivering messages to customers or leads, replacing AEP’s direct connections to services like SendGrid, FCM, or telcos. Instead, AEP would route these requests to our centralized Message Delivery Service through:

• REST API (single and bulk)
• Pub/Sub Events
• File uploads

The idea is for AEP to send just the Universal Customer ID and some basic message details, while our service handles contact details, customer preferences (e.g., time of day they accept notifications, language, preferred channel, consent, etc.), and the actual message delivery.

The minimum required inputs for our service are:

• Universal Customer ID
• Preferred channel(s) to use (ordered by priority) or "ALL" for splashing
• Message priority (immediate, high, medium, low)
• Template to use
• Campaign ID (optional)

Our service would asynchronously return statuses such as:

• Bounced
• Delivered
• Read (if applicable)

My question is:
Does AEP support using an external message sender (instead of directly connecting to services like SendGrid, FCM, or Apple) for SMS, Push, and Email? What are the potential challenges or compromises we should consider when integrating this setup with AEP?

Thanks in advance for your insights!

Best regards,

[Parvesh_Parmar]

Hello @JeanBaro_ , 

I believe Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO) could meet the needs of what you're trying to build.

Journey Optimizer | Adobe Journey Optimizer

AJO allows you to define templates, set targets, and send data to third-party tools—similar to the solution you're looking for.

However, AJO does provide the option to add your own channel, which is called Custom Action.

As far as I know, it’s not possible to build a custom connector or solution within AEP to perform the same tasks as AJO, such as template creation or data sending to third-party tools.

If you prefer not to use AJO, the best alternative I see is to set up a destination in AEP and export the segment to any marketing tool directly or via cloud storage (e.g., S3 or Blob storage). You can then use that marketing tool to send communications to your target audience.

If you want to develop your own custom tool, you could export your data to a cloud provider like AWS or Azure, where you can build your own solution.

Just a note: Aside from sending communications, there are other aspects typically required for businesses, such as reporting, deliverability, and tracking. These can become much more complex with a custom tool.

I hope this helps!

Kind regards,
Parvesh

[BMcLaren · Accepted solution]

Hi @JeanBaro_ 

Yes, Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) can integrate with external messaging services. It supports connections through APIs, Pub/Sub events, and file uploads, enabling the routing of requests through a centralised Message Delivery Service.

There are some complexities to be mindful of that you might want to consider when developing and maintaining a custom integration with AEP.

1. Seamless Integration: It’s essential to ensure that your custom solution works well with AEP's architecture. AEP's direct integrations (Source Connectors) often come with additional features like analytics, segmentation, and personalisation etc

2. Dependence on Custom Services: Keep in mind that relying on a custom service means any downtime or issues on that side could impact your messaging capabilities.

3. Extensive Testing: Thorough testing will be required to ensure the integration functions as expected, which could extend your project timeline.

4. Error Management: Error handling is critical. You’ll need to manage message delivery failures, retries, and other issues effectively, which includes tracking the status of messages and handling exceptions.

5. Ongoing Support: You will be responsible for the support and maintenance of the custom integration, including resolving any issues that may arise.

While integrating a custom messaging service with AEP is possible, careful planning will be key. Which I am sure you are already across considering your post. All the best!

The following link offers some of the Source Connectors: Source Connectors Overview | Adobe Experience Platform

Kind regards, 

[kautuk_sahni]

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