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Class Locator (code-named Leads Generation) is a marketing system which Microsoft Learning extends to partners. It gives partners the same industrial-strength marketing services that Microsoft uses. The initial release I worked on included a shopping cart, product catalog integration, search with map integration, authoring and planning tools, ratings, and more.
Shopping Cart
The shopping cart is built on Commerce Server 2007. We updated an existing cart to support new partner product types, updated the categorization and navigation on the site, and implemented automated catalog entry through services. Before our work, information was manually into Commerce server. Visit our Learning Manager at http://learning.microsoft.com/Manager/Catalog.aspx
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I was responsible for the overall system architecture, developing the web parts and service integration components, and overseeing the contracted development of the remaining systems. Some technical details can be found here, LeadsGen Architecture. Check it out live at: www.microsoft.com/learning/classlocator/
Product detail page
A product detail page is an auto-generated ASP.NET page which gets hosted on Microsoft.com and contains the needed hooks into other parts of the system such as links to the learning catalog, map search, custom content and navigation, or metadata tags for search systems.
The authoring process for a detail page involves a product detail page form. This form is generated from a web site and web services called the Lasso Dashboard. Once you create and download the form, you can edit it locally, send the form via e-mail (to localizers for example), and then re-use and re-upload the form by using the controls inside the form.
Lasso Dashboard
The Lasso Dashboad is also used to issue, review, and release detail page data to the public. It is tied into both the live and pre-production environments and so can automatically generate and preview detail pages for either review or release. A dashboard user can also search and review product detail data.
Map-based search
The Class Locator web application is build on ASP.NET and uses Ajax service calls to a IP to Geo-Location service and to a SQL class information database.
Microsoft.com uses global design templates which are implemented in front-end presentation layers. Much of the glass look (below) comes from these templates. Web parts such as search bar, results pane, and map panel are all examples where we attempt to match the design of the outer chrome.
