The document discusses how to connect SalesForce.com with OpenSocial. It describes OpenSocial concepts and explores three options: 1) Pull/push data between SFDC and OpenSocial sites using OpenSocial's REST API, 2) Pull OpenSocial apps into SFDC by rendering them in an iframe, and 3) Publish SFDC data and apps as OpenSocial apps to reach users on OpenSocial sites like LinkedIn and Hi5. The presentation provides demonstrations of these options and concludes that bridging SFDC and OpenSocial is relatively easy using REST, iframes, or publishing SFDC as an OpenSocial app.

1. Integrating SalesForce.com with
OpenSocial
Chris Schalk, Google Developer Advocate
11/05/2008

2. Agenda
• OpenSocial Concepts
• Exploring ways to connect OpenSocial with
SalesForce.com
2

3. Agenda
• OpenSocial Concepts
• Exploring ways to connect OpenSocial with
SalesForce.com
3

4. OpenSocial Concepts
What is OpenSocial?
“OpenSocial defines a common set of APIs based on Open Standards
for building social applications across multiple websites”
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7. Too many platforms!

8. Standards based
OpenSocial
Write once…
Deploy everywhere

9. Massive exposure for
your apps!

10. Not just Social Network Sites
• Social network sites - Profiles and home pages
ex: MySpace, Hi5
• Personal dashboards – Widgets
ex: iGoogle, My Yahoo
• Sites based around a Social Object
ex: Flickr, YouTube
• Enterprise, Professional
ex: LinkedIn, Oracle, SalesForce.com
• Any web site
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11. Some OpenSocial Partners

12. Today: 375 Million User Reach

13. Where is OpenSocial live today?
Initial Developer Sandboxes: Applications live to Users:
• iGoogle • MySpace
• imeem • orkut
• CityIN • Hi5
• Freebar
• Tianya
• Friendster
• Ning • Webon from Lycos
• Plaxo Pulse • IDtail
• Mail.ru • YiQi
• Netlog
• Hyves
• LinkedIn - New
Individual Developer Links:
http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/gettingstared.html

14. OpenSocial today
 375,000,000 users
 150,000,000 installs
 4,500+ apps
 Pipeline of 100+ containers worldwide
 20,000+ developers
 10,000,000 daily app users
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15. OpenSocial Roadmap
• Version 0.5 was released in a “developer release” on Nov
1st.
• First “sandbox” was made available on Orkut
• Version 0.6 was released in December
• Initial version of Shindig server software was launched as Apache
incubator project
• Other sandboxes came live - Hi5, Ning, Plaxo …
• Version 0.7 (production) was released in January
• MySpace, Hi5, Orkut currently running with 0.7
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16. OpenSocial Roadmap
• Version v0.8 is current
• Latest evolution of OpenSocial as defined by the
OpenSocial development community
• Updated JavaScript API
• Now contains a RESTful API
• hi5, MySpace, orkut, iGoogle now support 0.8
• Specification:
http://www.opensocial.org/Technical-Resources/opensocial-spec-v08
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17. OpenSocial v0.8.1 spec is here
• Specification is now published
• Updates include:
• RESTful Protocol updates
• JSON RPC Protocol
• Specification:
http://sites.google.com/a/opensocial.org/opensocial/Technical-
Resources/opensocial-spec-v081
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18. OpenSocial 0.9 - Future Directions
• Goal:
– Enable a faster development experience that is both secure and
efficient
• Solution: “Opensocial Templates”!
OS Templates core principles:
• Client-side and server-side processing
• Standard set of tags with extensibility model
– Example: <os:ShowPerson>
• http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-
spec/web/opensocial-templates
– Demo: http://ostemplates-demo.appspot.com/
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19. To follow the progress of the Spec…
http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-spec
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20. Demonstration:
Building OpenSocial Applications
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21. Agenda
• OpenSocial Concepts
• Exploring ways to connect OpenSocial with
SalesForce.com
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22. How to connect SFDC with OpenSocial?
?
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23. How to connect SFDC with OpenSocial?
orkut
REST
0110100101011 hi5
LinkedIn
Option 1: Pull/push data into SFDC using OpenSocial’s
RESTful protocol
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24. Option 1: Pull/push data into SFDC using OpenSocial’s
RESTful protocol
• Goal: To access data only from OpenSocial sites
• Requirements:
• Read/Write access to data from OpenSocial sites,…
• Integrate into SFDC …
• Implementation
• Use RESTful protocol supported by OpenSocial sites
• Use Apex code to directly access OpenSocial sites
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25. How to connect SFDC with OpenSocial?
iGoogle
FriendConnect
Option 2: Can pull OpenSocial apps into SalesForce.com
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26. Option 2: Pulling OpenSocial Apps into SFDC
• Goal: To provide OpenSocial apps from within
SalesForce.com
• Requirements:
• Provide access to OpenSocial apps as they would appear
in iGoogle, or other OpenSocial containers, but from
within a SalesForce.com UI.
• App functionality should not be hindered by being
rendered within SalesForce.com environment.
• Implementation
• Leverage existing ways to publish gadgets/OpenSocial
apps via generated JavaScript snippets.
• For OpenSocial, FriendConnect can be used.
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27. Demonstration:
Pulling OpenSocial Apps into SFDC
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28. How to connect SFDC with OpenSocial?
orkut
REST
hi5
LinkedIn
Option 3: Publish SalesForce.com OpenSocial apps to
OpenSocial Sites
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29. Option 3: Publish SalesForce.com OpenSocial
sites to OpenSocial sites
• Goal: To provide access to SFDC from an OpenSocial
application
• Requirements:
• Read/Write access to SFDC Accounts,Contacts,Leads,…
• Connect OpenSocial contacts with SFDC Contacts/Leads
…
• Implementation
• Use Force.com site to serve as OpenSocial App provider
• Publish static OpenSocial XML app spec
• Build a data gateway for OpenSocial app clients
• Use Apex pages, classes
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30. Demonstration:
Building an SFDC OpenSocial App
with Force.com Sites
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31. Summary
It is relatively easy to bridge SFDC with OpenSocial!
• Can use REST protocol for simple communication layer
• For Gadget/App integration an iFrame solution works well
• For OpenSocial SFDC apps, RESTful protocol provides a
solution
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32. Useful Links
Homepage & specification:
• http://www.opensocial.org
Get on the forums:
• http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial
Subscribe to the Shindig mailing list:
• shindig-dev-subscribe@incubator.apache.org
Help shape the specification:
• http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-spec/
Templates:
• http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-spec/web/opensocial-templates
Check out Shindig:
• http://incubator.apache.org/shindig
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33. Questions - Contact Info
Q&A
chrisschalk.com
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