Unica V12.1.9 Release: Leverage New Integrations and Functionalities for Powerful, Conversion-Driven Campaigns

Introduction

Over the past three years, we have worked extremely hard to deliver the latest HCL Unica V12.1.9 release, a branch of the 12.1.X that was first unveiled in 2021. This release includes some of the most anticipated features and enhancements that our users have been requesting. The latest version of this platform focuses on the current MarTech landscape, effortless integration and support of multiple user databases, and far more advanced capabilities to further enhance your marketing efforts.

All the upgrades and integrations in this release can be easily incorporated without the requirement of any major system overhaul. This means that you can leverage the improvements these latest enhancements bring, minus the complexities typically associated with legacy or existing systems.

In this blog, we’ll cover some of the most awaited and critical features that you will experience on the platform of your choice. These features include functionalities and integrations, advanced solutions and improvements that will enable you to execute high-impact marketing campaigns.

So, let’s dive straight into the updated features and see how they will improve the way you approach your marketing campaigns.

New System Compatibilities

The constantly evolving MarTech environment requires agile integration of innovative technologies. Our aim in bringing integrations with expanded systems is to ensure that you don’t have to worry about using your systems or our suite separately, but rather in a more cohesive manner.

The HCL Unica 12.1.9 release now supports new user databases for fast and efficient data processing for large volumes of data. Leverage tools such as HIVE, Google Big Query, Data Bricks and Kafka Kerberos support on Windows to process data in real time, analyze vast amounts of data and manage data analytics workloads by reducing the need for expensive on-premises hardware and software. Engage with large sets of data from multiple platforms with ease, retain historical and current data and compare present performance with past performance and scale up or down based on your organization’s needs with minimal operational overhead.

System Upgrades

Another feature-rich upgrade includes “performance improvement hints” for flowchart execution that refine execution pathways, optimize resource allocation and reduce latency for outbound batch campaigns. Anticipate faster execution, improved campaign effectiveness and maximized operational productivity.

Customer Journey Improvements

We’re introducing more updates to customer journey authoring and orchestration, aimed at improving user interaction, user experience, and performance enhancements to enhance and manage customer journeys. These new functionalities reduce complexity, ensuring campaigns are delivered promptly.

Audit Trail Feature

Keep a detailed log of all actions taken within a journey made by users, such as audience targeting, navigation, and any interactions. This feature gives insights to marketers for reviewing how the journey has evolved, identifying any issues that may arise, and helping with compliance requirements. The real-time display of data shows metrics such as engagement, conversion rates, and more, which enhance responsiveness and help execute rapid iterations, optimize targeting strategies and improve campaign effectiveness.

Respect for Opt-in/Opt-out Preferences

The opt-in/opt-out preference enhancement ensures that the workflow engine checks a user’s consent status before executing any communication tasks. If a customer has opted out of communications, the “customer journey touchpoints” will automatically exclude them from any outreach efforts. The intent of this update is to help you honor your customers’ preferences and meet privacy regulations.

Touchpoint Management

We’ve enhanced touchpoint management to ensure that the audience remains engaged at specific touchpoints, such as a user waiting for a human agent to take over an automated chatbot window until the communication is sent out to them to avoid premature progression to subsequent stages of the journey. In case of message delivery failures or timeouts, the system has mechanisms for automatic retries and manual resends, providing marketers with the opportunity to reinitiate communication and optimize customer engagement.

Integrations and Functionalities

Get a fresh perspective on your data through its improved data processing and data visualization capabilities. The release introduces new system integrations for enhanced data visualization, easier navigation and view of related journeys.

Leverage KAFKA and Present Data with Improved Charts via Apache ECharts

Facilitate communication between different applications with the help of Kafka and streamline communication to ensure all events like orders, inquiries, and cancellations reach the user within a minimum time. Visualize millions of data points with Apache ECharts and make use of the charting library to create dynamic and aesthetically pleasing charts and graphics to better interpret complex data.

REST API Header and Touchpoint Enhancements

We’ve enhanced the REST API headers, which are included while the system is running. The REST touchpoint in “journey canvas” also comes with improvements, allowing users to choose the appropriate OAuth 2.0 grant type for accurate authorization and provide a scope field.

Additional Upgrades: Allow Duplicate Contacts to Re-enter Journeys

This feature allows marketers to re-enter the same audience into a journey multiple times after a defined period, regardless of their current stage, enhancing re-engagement flexibility. The re-enter setting should be selected and configured as shown in the screenshot.

Streamline Campaign Management

Expedite the process of designing, testing and launching marketing campaigns with GenAI-based updates in our omnichannel messaging solutions. Segment your audiences to deliver personalized content.

GenAI for Relevant Messaging

Leverage GenAI to analyze subject lines and to automatically generate them for specific campaigns and audiences that capture the audience’s attention for better open rates. Use relevant options that reflect customer experience. Increase the likelihood of emails being delivered to the inbox instead of the spam folder.

Usability Updates in Deliver Quick Builder

The Deliver Quick Builder editor now comes with improved usability to help marketers deploy multi-brand strategies with minimal friction.

HCL Unica Deliver now supports personalized sending domains, which means that a single email can now be sent from multiple branded domains. This makes managing communications across multiple brands much more efficient.

Advanced Messaging Solutions

With the addition of Rich Communication Services (RCS), you can now send more advanced messages compared to standard SMS. Businesses no longer have to limit their messaging formats to customers; they can send engaging and interactive messages to customers.

Interactive Messages

Branded communications through rich communication services (RCS) helps engage users with features like rich media to drive meaningful interactions. Since RCS includes branded, verified profiles, RCS marketing messages are less likely to be deleted as spam.

SDK for MX Push No Longer Mandatory

Painlessly integrate our “Deliver MX Push Messaging” into your mobile apps with our SDK-less push integration and keep your app trim and fast.

Best-in-class Reporting and Analytics

This release brings to you best-in-class analytics and reporting with upgrades to the existing reports to create more visually appealing reports, ensuring you can interpret data at a glance. The new user-friendly interface simplifies data analysis, making it more intuitive to extract valuable insights. Leverage our out-of-the-box reporting and revamped analytics to track metrics and optimize strategies.

Custom Report Creation

Access a variety of data visualization options, including drag-and-drop interface and SQL editor to design reports with ease. Use the upgrade to represent data through charts, graphs and dashboards and present high-level summaries or detailed performance metrics.

Multi-format Options

Export reports in multiple formats, including PDF, JPG and CSV. Facilitate collaboration and insight sharing across departments. Schedule emails to automate the process by selecting specific times and frequencies.

Real-time Personalization for Individualized Experiences

A new set of capabilities around real-time personalization enables you to deliver personalized experiences based on behavior, preferences or demographic data with instantly updated content.

Personalization Simplified

The brand-new interface provides a streamlined workflow to configure powerful marketing rules for the personalization of customer interactions over the web channels, making it easier for marketers to navigate the new features without much training.

API Parameters for Meaningful Interactions

The release will also support various API types for better integration with third-party services. Supporting different API types makes the platform more versatile and is being made available in addition to the standard HCL Unica Interact capabilities for personalization of interactions over the web that are already a part of the platform.

Tighter Integration Between the HCL CDP and the HCL Unica Suite

The HCL Unica V12.1.9 will see tighter integration of HCL CDP with the HCL Unica suite (Journey, Campaign, Deliver, Interact, Discover) leading to a minimal need for professional services to let you leverage both products together.

AI/ML Recommendations

The upgrade features built-in AI-ML recommendations and analytics that can be deployed instantly without extensive setup or customization. You can also integrate your own custom AI/ML models using the “bring your own models” option to enhance the platform’s capability.

Conclusion

Our latest marketing automation platform, HCL Unica V12.1.9 brings with it some amazing benefits and key integrations to improve your marketing campaigns. Now you can easily integrate, connect and manage systems cohesively without overhauling existing setups. We’re taking you from the advanced to the super-advanced world of marketing integrations and intelligence for seamless experiences and long-term growth. The release will be available for all HCL Unica; one where you’re sure to find something to boost your marketing campaigns.

Next in Innovation

The upcoming release for the next generation of HCL Unica in 2025 promises to reinvent the user experience, reflecting our commitment to accessibility and interaction with technology. Leveraging human-centered and AI-infused principles, the release will prioritize ease of use and interoperability for a connected and uninterrupted workflow.

Want to Learn More?

Register for our upcoming webinar, “HCL Unica V12.1.9 Year-End Release: Unwrap the New Features for Customer Engagement!” to learn more about the highly-anticipated features of the V12.1.9 release.

Get started with the HCL Unica V12.1.9 release by booking a demo with us. If you’re an existing HCL Unica customer, get in touch with your Client Director to learn how you can get the most out of this release.