Articles - Page 130

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/andycohen">Andy Cohen</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/deane"> </a>is the founding architect of Sitecore XM Cloud. He is VP/Chief Architect at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.altudo.co/">Altudo</a>, and a CMS Critic contributor. <hr /> When people talk about personalization, they often mean “the right content to the right person at the right time.” That idea is now past tense.I have watched this shift play out up close, from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sitecore">Sitecore’s</a> early rules-based personalization, through <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack’s</a> use of edge-based personalization in a composable architecture, to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/optimizely">Optimizely’s</a> launch of Opal, a system of marketing AI agents. Personalization no longer stops at swapping content on a page. It now reaches into the interaction itself, and soon, into the relationships agents form with one another.<h3 id="when-agents-adapt-to-us">When Agents Adapt to Us</h3>That shift, from “what” to “how,” is where the major CMS players are already moving, and you can see it in the different bets they're making:<ul><li>Contentstack has put its weight behind <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/livin-on-the-edge-contentstacks-new-adaptive-dxp-might-just-rock-your-world">EDGE</a>, which they call a hyper-personalization platform. It blends their headless CMS with a real-time CDP, AI, and automation. The goal is simple but ambitious: deliver one-to-one experiences in the moment and at scale. Because it is composable, brands can adapt interactions without locking themselves into rigid patterns. What strikes me about EDGE is that it reframes personalization as something continuous, not a campaign you set and forget.</li><li>Optimizely has taken another route with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/optimizely-opal-gets-supercharged-for-agentic-ai-powering-infinite-use-cases-for-marketers">Opal</a>. Instead of a single assistant, Opal is built as a collection of agents that act like members of a marketing team. There is a campaign manager agent, a personalization advisor, a market researcher, and more. With the 2.0 release, Optimizely put the emphasis on letting these agents collaborate and run multi-step workflows across content, data, and experimentation. I have seen teams spend weeks coordinating those same steps manually. Opal hints at a world where marketing execution is handled by an ensemble of digital teammates who can plan, act, and adjust together.</li><li>Sitecore has focused on bringing assistance directly into daily work. Through <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.sitecore.com/products/sitecore-stream">Stream</a>, they have introduced AI copilots that support authors and marketers in real time as they draft and optimize campaigns. On top of that, Sitecore’s partnership with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/sitecore-sharpens-ai-focus-with-strategic-partnership-and-new-leadership-appointments">Gradial</a> shows how agentic workflows can extend into campaign execution. It is not just about smarter editors or quicker drafts. It is about agents that can carry intent through to delivery and adapt along the way. For a company that has lived for years in the world of static content publishing, that is a meaningful step forward.</li></ul>None of these approaches feels like a gimmick.They are different answers to the same problem: personalization is no longer about what content you are shown, it is about how the interaction unfolds. Whether that happens through hyper-personalization at the edge, through orchestrated marketing agents, or via copilots and execution partners, the shift is real and already in motion.<h3 id="what-nondeterminism-really-means">What Nondeterminism Really Means</h3>Most software behaves like math: 2 + 2 always equals 4. Generative AI does not. Ask it to draft a thank-you note and you will get three different answers, all plausible, none identical. That variability is what we call nondeterminism.It is the very thing that makes AI feel creative, but also the reason it needs personalization to stay useful. As <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://parivedasolutions.com/perspectives/managing-the-non-deterministic-nature-of-generative-ai/">Pariveda Solutions points out</a>, nondeterminism is what makes AI flexible and creative, but it also introduces governance challenges that remain unresolved. In my own work with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/getting-loud-with-xm-cloud-sitecore-reports-100-growth-of-its-ai-powered-cloud-based-cms">XM Cloud,</a> I have seen how unpredictable outcomes can be a feature if the system adapts well – and a liability if it does not.<h3 id="when-agents-adapt-to-each-other">When Agents Adapt to Each Other</h3>The next frontier is agents adapting not just to us but to each other. Nondeterminism multiplies when two autonomous systems interact. They need ways to converge on workable outcomes.Sometimes that looks like adjusting communication style, where one agent is structured and terse, another free-form and verbose. Sometimes, it means learning to accept differences in task style, such as fast approximation versus cautious step-by-step reasoning. Other times it's about role negotiation: who leads, who validates, who escalates.And sometimes it is memory. Agents do not just adapt in the moment; they remember. That memory can look like a grudge. A search agent that hallucinated last time will get fact-checked the next. A procurement agent that botched a deal may face stricter oversight. Even first impressions stick. If an agent’s very first hand-off is sloppy, the other agent may never fully trust it, no matter how good the later work becomes.Humans behave the same way. In corporate life, one bad kickoff meeting can color a partnership for months. Agents will carry those patterns too.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.deepset.ai/blog/ai-agents-and-deterministic-workflows-a-spectrum"> Deepset calls this the “spectrum of determinism to nondeterminism</a>.” I call it relationship management.<h3 id="everyday-illustrations">Everyday Illustrations</h3>Picture a grocery agent told to buy apples if they are $0.99 a pound. A deterministic system comes back empty because they are $1.09. An adaptive one checks with you, “They are a little higher today. Should I buy anyway?” That is useful, until the store’s own agent learns to nudge yours into paying even more.Or ride-hailing. You set a $20 target. The price surges to $23. Do you want your agent to decline, wait, or decide on its own? What happens when the ride-share’s agent starts upselling yours into priority pickup at $28?Or travel. You say, “Book me a flight under $500.” The system finds none. A flexible agent returns with, “There is one at $525 with better times. Should I grab it?” Helpful, but it shows how quickly rules can bend.In the enterprise, this gets thornier. Procurement policies might cap software licenses at $50 per seat. A deterministic agent halts the deal. A personalized one negotiates to $55 and closes it. That looks like a win until you realize the vendor’s agent deliberately anchored higher, knowing yours would flex upward.Healthcare raises the stakes even more. You ask for an appointment with your doctor next week. A rigid agent says none available. A personalized one offers a nurse practitioner tomorrow or a specialist in two weeks. That looks like a better experience, but it could also push you toward higher-margin services instead of the care you really wanted.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.salesforce.com/blog/deterministic-ai/">Salesforce has written about this exact problem</a> of when to script agents tightly and when to let them roam. I see it every day in delivery projects. Too rigid and you frustrate users. Too loose and you open the door to manipulation.<h3 id="agents-that-carry-“you”-with-them">Agents That Carry “You” With Them</h3>Now push it further. Imagine your agent not only executes tasks but carries your personality footprint into every interaction. If you are cost-sensitive, it pushes harder. If you are time-poor, it pays more for speed. If you are detail-driven, it double-checks everything.What if you could swap personas entirely?<ul><li>"Frugal Andy" does the grocery shopping</li><li>"Executive Andy" books the flights</li><li>"Playful Andy" explores games and hobbies.</li></ul>Your agent would not only personalize to you. It would personalize as you.But there is risk in this. If the other agent knows who you are or which persona you are using, it can adapt back. That can be powerful when aligned with your goals, but it can also be exploited. Imagine a vendor agent that recognizes executive mode and steers you toward premium packages.This is not hypothetical. Optimizely’s Opal agents already act like different team members depending on context. Contentstack’s Brand Kit lets you define voice profiles and store guidelines so that every AI-generated artifact reflects your identity. Sitecore’s Stream copilots are designed to guide content creators in real time, aligning their work with brand and role expectations.These are early signals of a future where agents carry pieces of us, including quirks, preferences, and even biases, into every exchange.<h3 id="why-this-matters">Why This Matters</h3>This is why nondeterminism is not a flaw but the feature. Deterministic systems did not need personalization. There was only one output. Nondeterministic systems can go in many directions, and personalization is what prevents chaos.The best metaphor I know is jazz. Musicians improvising do not know exactly where the others will go. They adapt, they respond, they personalize their playing to the group. The music works not because it is scripted but because the players trust each other enough to bend and flex.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/seizing-the-agentic-ai-advantage">McKinsey has argued</a> that this adaptability is the defining advantage of agentic AI. From what I have seen in publishing systems, SaaS cost optimization, and large-scale CMS migrations, I agree. The resilience comes not from rigid plans but from the ability to adapt in context.<h3 id="what-leaders-should-prepare-for">What Leaders Should Prepare For</h3>Leaders should focus on their readiness in key areas. For example, trust frameworks must extend beyond human-agent interactions into agent-to-agent ecosystems. Standards cannot stay as fixed APIs; they need flexibility built in. Identity management has to protect personality profiles and alter egos from misuse. And agents must be able to remember not just what they did for us, but how they worked with others.<h3 id="the-future-of-personalization">The Future of Personalization</h3>Personalization started with content. It evolved into experiences. Now, it is moving into interactions – first with humans and then with other agents.If we get this right, nondeterminism will not be something to suppress. It will be the source of resilience, adaptability, and creativity. The companies that thrive will not just personalize their websites. They will personalize their agents. Those agents will adapt to us, and to each other, in ways that reflect who we are or even who we choose to be.And like humans, they will remember. First impressions will matter. Grudges may form. And relationships between agents will start to look a lot like relationships between people. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

Agent-to-Agent Personalization: Trust, First Impressions, and the 'Grudge' Factor

andycohen

I've been getting a ton of emails asking for another update on the People's Choice CMS awards since the last time I shared it so I thought now would be a good time to do so again.Without further hesitation, here are the results as they stand so far. Keep in mind we still have about a month and a bit to go so the results can change at any time. There are definitely a few upsets since the last time I posted this.For major changes, I'll put a note below the result and tell you what changed.<h3>Best Cloud CMS for SMB</h3><ol><li>LightCMS   – 49%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.surrealcms.com/">Surreal CMS   </a> – 28%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.acquia.com/products-services/acquia-cloud">Acquia Cloud   </a> – 22%</li></ol><h3>Best Cloud CMS for Enterprise</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.acquia.com/products-services/acquia-cloud">Acquia Cloud   </a> – 50%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clickability.com/">Clickability   </a>  – 28%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.crownpeak.com/">CrownPeak   </a> – 22%</li></ol><h3>Best CMS for Corporate Intranets</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.liferay.com/">Liferay   </a> – 46%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.entando.com/portal/">Entando   </a> –  33%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ocportal.com/">ocPortal   </a> –  21%</li></ol><h3>Best eCommerce Solution for SMB</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/">Prestashop   </a> – 44%</li><li><a href="/products/shopify">Shopify   </a> – 42%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://aspxcommerce.com/">ASPx Commerce   </a> – 14%</li></ol>Prestashop is really starting to pull ahead from a previous second place with 35% to a 44% jump to #1 they are obviously rallying their forces and pushing for a win.<h3>Best eCommerce Solution for Enterprise</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.prestashop.com/en">Prestashop   </a> – 45%</li><li><a href="/products/shopify">Shopify   </a> – 35%</li><li><a href="/products/bigcommerce">BigCommerce   </a> – 20%</li></ol>Again, Prestashop is really starting to take over in the eCommerce space, can Shopify &amp; <a href="/products/bigcommerce">BigCommerce</a> rally enough to pull off a win? We'll have to see.<h3>Best Free Forum Solution</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://vanillaforums.org/">Vanilla Forums   </a> – 35%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.mybb.com/">MyBB   </a> – 33%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://nodebb.org/">NodeBB   </a> – 31%</li></ol>We have a very tight race here for the three forum solutions. It's anyones game at this point.<h3>Best Commercial Forum Solution</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://vanillaforums.com/">Vanilla Forums   </a> – 41%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ninjapost.com/">Ninja Post   </a> – 36%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.invisionpower.com/apps/board/">IP.Board   </a> – 22%</li></ol><h3>Best Enterprise PHP CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://drupal.org/">Drupal   </a> – 58%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://typo3.org/">Typo 3   </a> – 23%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://ez.no/Products/The-eZ-Publish-Platform">eZ Publish   </a> – 19%</li></ol><h3>Best Enterprise Java CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.onehippo.com/en">Hippo   </a> – 50%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.adobe.com/solutions/web-experience-management.html">Adobe AEM   </a> – 31%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.jahia.com/products">Jahia   </a> – 19%</li></ol><h3>Best Enterprise .NET CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sitecore.net/">Sitecore   </a> – 43%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.kentico.com/">Kentico   </a> – 28%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sitefinity.com/">Sitefinity   </a> – 28%</li></ol>Interestingly, Sitecore is in the lead but Kentico and Sitefinity are battling it out for second place and are completely tied. Can someone rally to take out last year's winner, Sitecore? We'll have to wait and see.<h3>Best Enterprise CMS (Other Langs)</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://plone.org/">Plone   </a> – 43%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.getmura.com/">Mura CMS   </a> – 40%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.paperthin.com/">Paperthin Commonspot   </a> – 17%</li></ol><h3>Best Free PHP CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.joomla.org/">Joomla   </a> – 62%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.concrete5.org/">Concrete5   </a> – 24%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.processwire.com/">ProcessWire   </a> – 14%</li></ol><h3>Best Free Java CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.magnolia-cms.com/">Magnolia   </a> – 45%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.dotcms.com/">dotCMS   </a> – 28%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.liferay.com/">Liferay   </a> – 27%</li></ol><h3>Best Free .NET CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://umbraco.com/">Umbraco   </a> – 44%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://sageframe.com/">Sageframe   </a> – 29%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/">DNN Platform   </a> – 27%</li></ol><h3>Best Free CMS (Other Langs)</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.getmura.com/">Mura CMS   </a> – 52%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://plone.org/">Plone   </a> – 48%</li></ol>Mura CMS overtakes Plone but only by a margin, can they hold on to the lead?<h3>Best Open Source PHP CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.joomla.org/">Joomla!   </a> – 65%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://modx.com/">MODx   </a> – 18%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://ez.no/Products/The-eZ-Publish-Platform">eZ Publish   </a> – 18%</li></ol>MODx and eZ Publish are tied for second, can they rally enough to take out Joomla? You never know.<h3>Best Open Source Java CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.magnolia-cms.com/">Magnolia   </a> – 40%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.liferay.com/">Liferay   </a> – 37%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://dotcms.com/">dotCMS   </a> – 23%</li></ol><h3>Best Open Source .NET CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://umbraco.com/">Umbraco   </a> – 44%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://sageframe.com/">Sageframe   </a> – 29%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/">DNN Platform   </a> – 23%</li></ol><h3>Best Open Source CMS (Other Langs)</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.getmura.com/">Mura CMS    </a> – 53%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://plone.org/">Plone    </a> – 47%</li></ol><h3>Best Small to Midsize Business PHP CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.cmsmadesimple.org/">CMS Made Simple   </a> – 41%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://buildwithcraft.com/">Craft CMS   </a> – 30%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.impresspages.org/">ImpressPages   </a> – 29%</li></ol><h3>Best Small to Midsize Business Java CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.liferay.com/">Liferay   </a> – 64%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.percussion.com/">Percussion CM1   </a> – 36%</li></ol><h3>Best Small to Midsize Business .NET CMS</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.orchardproject.net/">Orchard   </a> – 44%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.envisagecms.co.uk/">Envisage CMS   </a> – 30%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/">DNN Evoq Content   </a> – 26%</li></ol><h3>Best Small to Midsize Business CMS (Other Langs)</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.django-cms.org/en/">Django CMS   </a> – 49%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.surrealcms.com/">Surreal CMS   </a> – 31%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.movabletype.com/">Movable Type   </a> – 20%</li></ul><h3>Best Website Builder</h3><ol><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.wix.com/">Wix   </a> – 43%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.squarespace.com">Squarespace   </a> – 35%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly   </a> – 22%</li></ol>There you have it. The results so far.<a href="/cms-critic-awards"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/votenow-1.png" /></a>

People's Choice CMS Awards - Result Update #2

mike-johnston

Moxi9, recently re-branded from PHPfox, has unveiled its <a href="http://unity.moxi9.com/store" target="_blank">official store front</a>.
The community CMS has a long history under the name of PHPfox, but are now looking to evolve under the banner of Moxi9.
Although the <a href="http://moxi9.com/announcement/introducing-the-moxi9-store-front" target="_blank">Moxi9 Store is still technically in beta</a>, users can begin to use it freely. Currently, the store offers a range of modules and themes, along with a couple of language packs.
<h2>3rd Party Products &amp; Instant Downloads</h2>
Developers rejoice. If you want to submit your 3rd party Moxi9 product to be listed for sale, you can.
Plus, the Moxi9 store offers a fully integrated checkout for 3rd party products. Once customers have made a purchase, they get access to a download link, allowing them to download products immediately.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot_2014-09-09_at_11_45_07700x0.png" alt="Moxu9 store" />
Additionally, each product comes ready with its own public forum, where customers can discuss and ask questions about the product in question. In addition to user-user based support you can also contact the developer via email.
Moxi9 has told of plans to,”fill up the Store” over the next few weeks.
The first store products were being approved as of last week, and although Moxi9 have admitted their testing policies are currently slowing the process down somewhat, they fully expect products to begin flowing freely before too long.
In any case, as of right now, you can check out the new <a href="http://unity.moxi9.com/store" target="_blank">Moxi9 Store</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of Moxi9 via our CMS Directory.

Moxi9 Store Front Goes Live

<a href="http://www.blackmonk.com/" target="_blank">BlackMonk CMS</a> users received good new this week, as version 3.4 of the platform was released.
Founded in 2012, the Banglore based CMS can power online magazines business directories, community portals and more. For more information on BlackMonk, you can read my full <a href="/blackmonk-cms-review/" target="_blank">review of BlackMonk CMS</a>.
Version 3.4 introduces reports for guiding business decisions, a brand new design for a better mobile experience and a range of features which offer greater value to advertisers &amp; partners. 
<h2>Business Reports &amp; Content centric design</h2>
BlackMonk v3.4 introduces business reports which provide an accurate indication of user engagement, content submission and revenue generation.
The reports provides information relating to popular pages, monthly revenue streams and so forth.
Publishers can now generate reports for varying time lines and download data in CSV format for further processing in spreadsheet applications. The BlackMonk team have also upgraded the transaction reports, so publishers can now view transactions history of individual users as well download transaction logs in CSV format.
<h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/204a3653-85fd-41ba-b830-54d087d35013700x0.jpg" alt="BlackMonk" /></h2>
BlackMonk v3.4 puts content on the center stage with the introduction of new content centric template. The new template takes a minimalist approach, making it easier for users to browse and read content – even on mobile devices.
In fact, thanks to the new, easy and intuitive navigation, the new template delivers a great user experience across both computers and mobile devices.
<h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ea04b009-52c3-4ac1-b7e2-8531574e438b700x0.jpg" alt="BlackMonk" /></h2>
In addition to the features mentioned above, BlackMonk v3.4 brings forth an enhanced DEALS app, FAQ page options, content management for advertisers, numerous workflow improvements and more.
To get the low down on everything BlackMonk v3.4 introduces, check out the <a href="http://www.blackmonk.com/blog/2014/09/announcing-blackmonk-v34-with-new-templates-business-reports-and-more" target="_blank">official blog announcement</a>.

BlackMonk v3.4 Released With New Templates & Business Reports

Jimdo, the widely popular website builder, has <a href="http://blog.jimdo.com/introducing-the-new-jimdo-experience-2014/" target="_blank">recently unveiled</a> a newer, sleeker version of itself.
Originally founded in 2004 under the name “NorthClick”, Jimdo has grown into one of the most user-friendly website builders on the market. Now, with the arrival of this “New Jimdo Experience”, the platform is pushing itself even further up the website builder ladder.
This new and improved Jimdo brings about a revamped user interface, modern templates, and much more. Let's take a look.
<h2>New Templates, More Design Features &amp; Smoother Editing</h2>
Along with this update, Jimdo released 30 new templates, with more being prepared. Plus, each new template comes in numerous pre-styled variations, which you can preview with your page’s content before making the change official.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/design_variations700x0.gif" alt="Jimdo" />
Plus, this reformed version of Jimdo allows you to insert and edit text directly on your page, rather than having to open up a separate window or pop-up box. This inline editing feature naturally makes building web pages faster, and a little more fun, too.
To further enhance the design process, Jimdo’s new style editor gives you access to hundreds of customization settings. All you have to do is click on a piece of text, a header image, or a background, before making it look exactly how you want. There's a full colour palette and hundreds of Google Fonts to experiment with.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/fonts700x0.png" alt="Jimdo" />
But that's not all. Jimdo has sprinkled this update with a range of smaller enhancements.
These include an improved shopping basket, new social buttons, improved widget/HTML elements, and even an opacity option for coloured areas.
For some more information on the all new Jimdo, check out their <a href="http://blog.jimdo.com/introducing-the-new-jimdo-experience-2014/" target="_blank">official announcement</a>, plus their <a href="http://blog.jimdo.com/8-jimdo-updates-youll-want-to-try-today/" target="_blank">coverage of the eight notable features</a> that Jimdo users can now enjoy.
Also,be sure to check out <a href="/products/jimdo/" target="_blank">Jimdo via our CMS Directory</a>.

A Look Inside the New Jimdo Experience

WordPress 4.0 is finally here, and it goes by the name of “Benny”.
As per usual, WordPress has named this major release after a famous Jazz artist. This time, it's Clarinetist, Benny Goodman. But that's not what we're really interested in here (Sorry, Jazz fans).
There are four key parts to WordPress 4.0, all of which work together to make life a little easier for WordPress website owners, admins and authors across the world. Here's a rather charming video which explains it all.

<h2>Manage Media, Edit &amp; Embed Easier</h2>
WordPress 4.0 is all about streamlining those everyday publishing and website improving tasks. The changes are subtle, but powerful.
First of all, WordPress' media manager has been polished up. Now, you can explore your uploads in a neat, infinitely scrolling grid. Plus, the new preview mode makes viewing and editing any amount of media simple, thanks to live previewing and handy navigation buttons, which enable you to quickly scroll through your uploads.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/media.jpg" alt="WordPRess 4.0" /> 
Writing, editing and publishing is now also smoother than ever. WordPress' editor now expands to fit your content as you write, and keeps the formatting tools available at all times. You scroll, they scroll.
Embedding things into your posts is also now easier than ever before.
Instead of having to preview your post to see embedded objects, those objects now appear in the editor as they would on your website. You can paste in a YouTube URL on a new line, and watch it instantly become an embedded video. The same rule applies to Tweets.
So, embedding with WordPress is now a visual experience. You paste some code in, and watch it come to life – right there in front of you.
To make embedding even sweeter, WordPress have also expanded the default supported services. You can now embed CollegeHumor, YouTube playlists, TED talks, an <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Embeds" target="_blank"> much more </a> .
Finally, WordPress 4.0 brings about another cosmetic revamp for the plugins library.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/add-plugin1.png" alt="WordPRess 4.0" /> 
It's now easier to find the right plugin for your needs, with new metrics, improved search, and a more visual, grid-based browsing experience.
WordPress 4.0 is still hot off the presses, but if one thing is for sure, it's made WordPress prettier. Grid style presentation of media and plugins, along with visually pleasing embedding, has turned WordPress into a bit of a looker.
For more information on WordPress 4.0 Benny, <a href="http://wordpress.org/news/2014/09/benny/" target="_blank"> check out the official annoncement </a> .

WordPress 4.0 "Benny" Released With Editing & Interface Improvements

<a href="http://dotcms.com/">DotCMS</a>, a renowned open-source Enterprise Content Management System, has <a href="http://www.azulsystems.com/press-2014/dotcms-and-azul-systems-partner-to-enhance-online-experience-of-web-scale-content-management-systems" target="_blank">partnered up</a> with <a href="http://www.azulsystems.com/"> Azul Systems</a> an award-winning Java runtime solution.
<a href="http://www.azulsystems.com/products/zing/whatisit"> Azul Zing </a> ® is the Azul Systems product in question. Zing is now certified with DotCMS, enabling DotCMS users to benefit from vastly improved scalability, consistent response times and improved reliability.
DotCMS has been <a href="/announcing-this-years-nominees-for-the-2014-peoples-choice-cms-awards/" target="_blank">nominated in two categories in the 2014 CMS Awards</a>; Best Free Java CMS and Best Open Source Java CMS.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/400.png" alt="DotCMS" />
<h2>Speed Behind the Scenes</h2>
DotCMS and Azul Systems made this partnership official following a successful Proof of Concept (POC) at a leading healthcare provider.
The healthcare provider was hosting more than 1,000 websites on a cluster of dotCMS servers running with 40 GB heaps, but was experiencing application pauses of up to 170 seconds. That's a problem.
Now, thanks to the introduction of Azul Zing, the healthcare company is experiencing dramatically improved throughput performance, higher availability and increased reliability. Problem solved.
Regarding the newly formed alliance, Will Ezell, CTO of dotCMS, had this to say:
<blockquote>“Our enterprise customers implement demanding use cases with dotCMS and depend on it to run their business. Deploying on Azul’s Zing enhances the scalability, responsiveness and reliability of dotCMS and assures deployments can deliver consistent, low latency response times regardless of user load.”</blockquote>
The CEO of Azul Systems, Scott Sellers, also chimed in:
<blockquote>“Companies depend on their online presence for revenue and customer service. One of Zing’s design goals was better performance for interactive web-scale applications like dotCMS, particularly those implementing rich, engaging features. By deploying dotCMS on Zing, enterprises can deliver the best possible customer experience, grow online usage without worry, and take advantage of all the advanced capabilities of dotCMS.”</blockquote>
To test Zing with dotCMS, you can request a <a href="http://www.azul.com/trial" target="_blank">free evaluation copy right here</a>.
Plus, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/dotcms/" target="_blank"> DotCMSvia our CMS Directory</a>.

DotCMS Partners With Azul Systems to Improve Scalability & Reliability

Hotjar - Spot what confuses

Spot what confuses your users with Hotjar & AI

#ffffff

We are now accepting nominations for the Critics' Choice portion of the CMS Awards. These awards will be selected by our panel of judges however, we are allowing everyone to submit products for consideration as well.
Remember, this is the second half of our awards. We have the People's Choice awards which are selected by YOU and are currently in the voting stage (you can vote <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/">here</a>) and this is the Critics' Choice portion which is selected by our panel of judges (to be announced soon).
<img style="display:block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/awards-logo.png" />
To be considered, you must enter a complete and full answer including a several paragraph mini essay describing why you feel the product you are nominating is worth consideration for the specific award.
To begin submitting products for nomination, go to <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/">https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/</a>

Nominations are open for the Critics' Choice CMS Awards

<a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Events/SymposiumNA2014/Home.aspx" target="_blank"> Sitecore Symposium 2014 Las Vegas </a>  is right around the corner.
Scheduled to be held in the Aria Resort, Las Vegas from September 8th – 10th, Sitecore's latest symposium is promising to offer plenty in the way of best practises and customer experience insights. Not to mention, the thoughts of industry leading experts concerning the latest customer engagement trends will also be present.
<a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Learn/Blogs/Business-Blogs/James-Smith/Posts/2014/08/Symposium-preview.aspx" target="_blank"> According to James Smith</a>, Sitecore's VP of Marketing in North America, “Symposium is our most important event of the year, and we’ve designed it to help marketers and developers deliver personalized and measurable experiences that build customers for life.”
Let's take a closer look at what will be on offer.
<a href="http://www.sitecore.net/registersymna"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/symposium_las_vegas_2014_bannerjpg.jpg" alt="Sitecore Symposium 2014" /></a>
<h2>Sitecore Symposium 2014: What's to See?</h2>
With 1,200 expected attendees, Sitecore's 2014 Symposium is aiming to provide each and every guest with information about breakthrough technologies, along with the chance to learn about how to make the most out of their customer experience management investments.
To achieve this, Sitecore have <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Events/SymposiumNA2014/Sessions.aspx" target="_blank">packed out their sessions with three tracks</a> – offering something for everyone:
<ul>
<li>The Business Track: Building lifetime customers. 
Attendees of this track will learn how to get the most value out of the Sitecore Experience Platform through how-to sessions from Sitecore business optimization experts and customers.</li>
<li>The Developer Track: Harnessing big data to own the experience. 
This track will give attendees the chance to lisen in on tips from Sitecore developers about how to implement solutions across the Sitecore Experience Platform. Also, attendees will have the opportunity to receive hands-on assistance with their projects.</li>
<li>The Product Track: Know every customer. Own every experience. 
During this track, attendees will learn how to use the Sitecore Experience Platform “right out of the box,” hear the most compelling customer success stories and be the first to learn about what’s coming next from Sitecore’s product team.</li>
</ul>
Furthermore, Sitecore has <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/About/Press-and-Media/Press-Releases/2014/08/Symposium-keynotes.aspx" target="_blank"> just announced a number of keynote speakers</a> scheduled for appearance at their Las Vegas symposium.
The keynote speakers will include the likes of Sitecore CEO Michael Seifert and David Meerman Scott, a world-renowned marketing and sales strategist.
To get a feel for how all three days of the even will pass, check out the <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Events/SymposiumNA2014/Agenda.aspx" target="_blank">Sitecore Symposium 2014 Las Vegas Agenda</a>.
<h2>We'll Be There</h2>
CMS Critic has been on the ground at a number of major events this year already. But we aren't finished yet.
Mike Johnston, the founder and Editor-in-Chief here at CMS Critic, will be attending Sitecore Symposium 2014 Las Vegas. You can follow his live coverage via the <a href="https://twitter.com/cmscritic" target="_blank">CMS Critic Twitter page</a>. Mike will also publish coverage via the blog, so make sure you check back both during and after the event.
For more information on Sitecore Symposium 2014 Las Vegas, <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Events/SymposiumNA2014/Home.aspx" target="_blank"> check out the event's website</a>. To register now, <a href="http://www.sitecore.net/Events/SymposiumNA2014/Registration.aspx" target="_blank"> click here</a>.
Also, be sure to explore more of <a href="/products/sitecore/" target="_blank">Sitecore via our CMS Directory</a>.

Event Preview: Sitecore Symposium 2014 Las Vegas

I had a hard time finding good articles that guide you through this process so to help save anyone who may be looking to use the awesome Foundation Framework from Zurb and need to create a super simple <a href="http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=monkey_rewards&amp;aid=f192bbc03638ab99433d2efbd&amp;afl=1">MailChimp</a> signup or subscription form with it, I thought I'd share the process.
This process will work with almost any newsletter provider including Aweber but for the sake of this tutorial, I'm only going to show you how to do it with Mailchimp since that happens to be what I use for our sites.
To get started, determine where you are going to place your signup form within your website. As you know, with Foundation, using the grid system, it's very easy to scale content to fit into almost anywhere. For the purposes of this tutorial, you'll want enough space to allow the form fields to be wide enough. If you look at the bottom of this very article, you'll see an implementation of the exact form I'm going to teach you how to make.
First, log into your <a href="http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=monkey_rewards&amp;aid=f192bbc03638ab99433d2efbd&amp;afl=1">Mailchimp</a> account and go to your list. Click the dropdown beside  Stats and choose  Signup Forms 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mailchimp_sign_up_form901x0.png" alt="signup form foundation" />
Now you'll see this screen, click  Embedded Forms. 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mailchimp_sign_up_form_2.png" alt="foundation signup form" />
Now click on the tab labeled  Naked  and copy the code from the  Copy/Paste Onto Your Site section. It should look like this:
&lt;!– Begin MailChimp Signup Form –&gt; &lt;div id=”mc_embed_signup”&gt; &lt;form action=” //myawesomewebsite.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=a1b2c3d4ef5g67891hij1234&amp;id=a123b45cd6 ” method=”post” id=”mc-embedded-subscribe-form” name=”mc-embedded-subscribe-form” class=”validate” target=”_blank” novalidate&gt; &lt;h2&gt;Subscribe to our mailing list&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;div class=”indicates-required”&gt;&lt;span class=”asterisk”&gt;*&lt;/span&gt; indicates required&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=”mc-field-group”&gt; &lt;label for=”mce-EMAIL”&gt;Email Address &lt;span class=”asterisk”&gt;*&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/label&gt; &lt;input type=”email” value=”” name=”EMAIL” class=”required email” id=”mce-EMAIL”&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=”mc-field-group”&gt; &lt;label for=”mce-FNAME”&gt;First Name &lt;/label&gt; &lt;input type=”text” value=”” name=”FNAME” class=”” id=”mce-FNAME”&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=”mc-field-group”&gt; &lt;label for=”mce-LNAME”&gt;Last Name &lt;/label&gt; &lt;input type=”text” value=”” name=”LNAME” class=”” id=”mce-LNAME”&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div id=”mce-responses” class=”clear”&gt; &lt;div class=”response” id=”mce-error-response” style=”display:none”&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=”response” id=”mce-success-response” style=”display:none”&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;!– real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups–&gt; &lt;div style=”position: absolute; left: -5000px;”&gt;&lt;input type=”text” name=”b_d6c7b9e3bb5b63272adf08873_b544c97fe8″ tabindex=”-1″ value=””&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=”clear”&gt;&lt;input type=”submit” value=”Subscribe” name=”subscribe” id=”mc-embedded-subscribe” class=”button”&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/form&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;!–End mc_embed_signup–&gt;
The only piece of this code you'll need is the form action piece, which I've made bold in the above code. Copy this and put it into notepad or something similar.
Now to create your form, simply take the following code and insert your copied form action as shown below:
&lt;h5&gt;Get free exclusive content and contests in our weekly email!&lt;/h5&gt; &lt;div id=”mailchimp_form”&gt; &lt;div class=”row signup”&gt; &lt;div class=”small 12 columns end”&gt; &lt;form action=” //myawesomewebsite.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=a1b2c3d4ef5g67891hij1234&amp;id=a123b45cd6 ” method=”post” id=”mc-embedded-subscribe-form” name=”mc-embedded-subscribe-form” class=”validate” target=”_blank” novalidate&gt; &lt;div class=”row panel radius”&gt; &lt;div class=”medium-4 columns”&gt; &lt;label for=”mce-FNAME” class=”mce-labels”&gt;First Name&lt;/label&gt; &lt;input type=”text” value=”” name=”FNAME” class=”required radius” id=”mce-FNAME” placeholder=”First Name” required pattern=”[a-zA-Z]+”&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=”medium-5 columns”&gt; &lt;label for=”mce-EMAIL” class=”mce-labels”&gt;Email Address&lt;/label&gt; &lt;input type=”email” value=”” name=”EMAIL” class=”required email radius” id=”mce-EMAIL” placeholder=”Email” required&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=”medium-3 columns”&gt; &lt;label for=”mc-embedded-subscribe” class=”mce-labels”&gt;Subscribe&lt;/label&gt; &lt;input type=”submit” value=”Yes, please!” name=”subscribe” id=”mc-embedded-subscribe” class=”button tiny radius signup-btn”&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div id=”mce-responses” class=”clear”&gt; &lt;div class=”response” id=”mce-error-response” style=”display:none”&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class=”response” id=”mce-success-response” style=”display:none”&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=”position: absolute; left: -5000px;”&gt; &lt;input type=”text” name=”mailchimp-number” tabindex=”-1″ value=””&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;!– /row panel radius inputs –&gt; &lt;/form&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;!– / row signup –&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
Place this code snippet where you want the form to appear and you are done. Of course, feel free to style as needed. Here's what your form will look like:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/capture.png" />
I hope you found this tutorial useful, if you did, please share. Thanks for reading.

Creating a Simple MailChimp Newsletter Signup Form for Foundation 5 Framework

<a href="https://www.edicy.com/" target="_blank">Edicy</a>, a popular website builder, is in the <a href="http://www.edicy.com/new" target="_blank">process of re-branding</a>. Soon, Edicy will be known as “Voog”.
Founded in 2008, Edicy powers over 500,000 websites across 150 different websites. Edicy offers both free and pro options that can fit the needs of most users.
Voog means “Flow” in Estonian, and is pronounced like “Vouge”  in English. The Edicy team are touting Voog as, “a modern publishing tool for creatives.”
<h2>Introducing Voog</h2>
According to the Edicy team, Voog is more feature-rich than Edicy.
Voog is being designed to give users more control over text formatting, more types of content blocks and more options to adjust the overall look and feel of their websites.
Plus, thanks to a full API, developers now have more room to play.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/shot-retina700x0.jpg" alt="Voog" /> 
The pricing for Voog will remain the same as the current Edicy prices, while the user experience is similar to that of Edicy. In other words, existing users merely have to adapt to Voog, not completely re-learn it.
Voog's interface is rolling out as of right now, so Edicy users can expect to see their sites updated over the coming weeks.
For more information on Edicy and Voog, <a href="http://www.edicy.com/" target="_blank">check out their website.</a>

Introducing Voog: the Heir of Edicy

For years, <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank">PrestaShop</a> has been well-known for its free and open-source eCommerce solution.
So well-known in fact, that the Miami based company has just been <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/" target="_blank">nominated in two categories for the 2014 CMS Awards</a>; Best eCommerce Solution for SMB and Best eCommerce Solution for Enterprise.
Not to mention, the platform currently boasts well over 4 million downloads to date.
Since the <a href="/hands-on-with-prestashop-1.6/" target="_blank">release of Prestashop 1.6</a>, the platform has been presenting itself in a new, more merchant-friendly light. For example, along with a slick new interface, the newly introduced <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/blog/en/prestashop-v-1-6-back-office-whats-new-and-improved/" target="_blank">Intelligent Merchant KPI</a> has given PrestaShop merchants a statistical edge in their ever-evolving battle for conversions.
Now, although these recent improvements are important, Prestashop has another dimension which is all too often missed by those from the outside looking in.
That dimension, is a thriving global community.
<a href="http://www.prestashop.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/download.jpg" alt="PrestaShop" /></a>
<h2>PrestaShop Worldwide</h2>
Thanks to the work of their excellent community management team, headed by Benjamin Utterback, PrestaShop has a lofty reputation in almost every world continent.
They have stores based in 163 countries, a global network of certified agencies and have recently expanded their empire by <a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/press-releases/2014/07/17/prestashop-announces-plans-to-expand-throughout-europe/" target="_blank">appointing a new community manager</a> to operate in Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands.
As a result of this global presence, there aren't many eCommerce platforms with user bases as diverse as PrestaShop's.
The Prestashop online forum for example has dedicated sections for a myriad of languages, including French, Spanish, Italian, German, Bahasa, Polish and Turkish. Plus, a host of mini-communities exist within the wider forum community, accomodating Japanese, Lithuanian, Arabic and Urdu speakers. Now that's diversity.
And yet, the PrestaShop forum isn't just a multi-ligual chat room. It is much, much more.
<h2>The Headquarters</h2>
PrestaShop's online forum acts as the headquarters for PrestaShop users everywhere.
With over 670,000 registered users and 1,700,000 posts, the forum is constantly alive with activity. Questions are being answered, solutions are being found and breakthroughs are being made.
As previously mentioned, the multi-lingual inclusively of the forum makes it a pretty welcoming place – no matter which part of the world you happen to be from. That kind of online hospitality is precisely why PresaShop's community has grown so organically and successfully.
The forum is designed to allow users to discuss general PrestaShop issues, customizations, search engine optimization, third-party modules, themes, and even job offers.
Putting practical usage aside though, when things get tough, it's nice to have such a large community to rely on. PrestaShop users have exactly that.
<h2>A Community Bearing Fruits</h2>
The PrestaShop community wasn't created by accident, nor was it cultivated without reason. It was grown to not only bring users together, but also to improve PrestaShop itself.
Alongside a dedicated <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/support" target="_blank">PrestaShop support system</a>, users can naturally refer the the highly experienced community to help solve problems, and that in itself is a highly valuable asset for both PrestaShop as a vendor, as well as for the everyday PrestaShop user.
Also, PrestaShop showcases the “Shop of the Week” on its homepage, giving PrestaShop users an added incentive to hone their stores and make the most of the tools available. Not to mention, a bit of friendly competition is healthy for any community.
The fruits of the PrestaShop community don't stop there though.
PrestaShop doesn't confine the voice of its users to the forum and website alone. They interact and listen to their community members – and then act on their advice.
In July 2014 for example, <a href="/prestashop-1.6.0.9-brings-about-long-list-of-tweaks-enhancements/" target="_blank">PrestaShop released version 1.6.0.9</a>, citing that 69 different users helped them make improvements. Not to mention, <a href="/prestashop-1.6-released/" target="_blank">PrestaShop 1.6</a>, which was a major release, was filled with tweaks and enhancements suggested by community members.
In fact, after repeated requests from the community, a number of previously premium features were integrated into the final release of PrestaShop 1.6, making them completely free. Now that's a community with a strong voice.
The PrestaShop community is one of the most powerful, cohesive and diverse weapons in PrestaShop's arsenal. It gives users a real voice, a sense of belonging and a free, helpful resource.
Personally, I can't wait to see what the PrestaShop community can achieve next.

A Closer Look at PrestaShop's Global Community

We've had a massive response to the People's Choice awards and the voting has been going crazy since we released the nominee list. Today, I thought I'd help spur on the activity by sharing the results so far.
Here is the percentage of votes being cast for each product:
<h3> Best Cloud CMS for SMB </h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/out/lightcms"> LightCMS </a> – 47%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.surrealcms.com/"> Surreal CMS </a>  – 29%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.acquia.com/products-services/acquia-cloud"> Acquia Cloud </a>  – 24%</li>
</ol>
 Best Cloud CMS for Enterprise 
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.acquia.com/products-services/acquia-cloud"> Acquia Cloud </a>  – 48%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.clickability.com/"> Clickability </a>   – 30%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.crownpeak.com/"> CrownPeak </a>  – 22%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best CMS for Corporate Intranets</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.liferay.com/"> Liferay </a>  – 49%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.entando.com/portal/"> Entando </a>  –  30%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ocportal.com/"> ocPortal </a>  –  21%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best eCommerce Solution for SMB</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/shopify/"> Shopify </a>  – 48%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en/"> Prestashop </a>  – 35%</li>
<li><a href="http://aspxcommerce.com/"> ASPx Commerce </a>  – 17%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best eCommerce Solution for Enterprise</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/shopify/"> Shopify </a>  – 40%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.prestashop.com/en"> Prestashop </a>  – 34%</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/out/bigcommerce"> BigCommerce </a>  – 25%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Free Forum Solution</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://vanillaforums.org/"> Vanilla Forums </a>  – 41%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.mybb.com/"> MyBB </a>  – 31%</li>
<li><a href="https://nodebb.org/"> NodeBB </a>  – 28%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Commercial Forum Solution</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://vanillaforums.com/"> Vanilla Forums </a>  – 41%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ninjapost.com/"> Ninja Post </a>  – 36%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.invisionpower.com/apps/board/"> IP.Board </a>  – 24%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Enterprise PHP CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://drupal.org/"> Drupal </a>  – 54%</li>
<li><a href="http://typo3.org/"> Typo 3 </a>  – 24%</li>
<li><a href="http://ez.no/Products/The-eZ-Publish-Platform"> eZ Publish </a>  – 21%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Enterprise Java CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.onehippo.com/en"> Hippo </a>  – 55%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.adobe.com/solutions/web-experience-management.html"> Adobe AEM </a>  – 29%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.jahia.com/products"> Jahia </a>  – 16%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Enterprise .NET CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.sitecore.net/"> Sitecore </a>  – 43%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.kentico.com/"> Kentico </a>  – 31%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sitefinity.com/"> Sitefinity </a>  – 26%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Enterprise CMS (Other Langs)</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://plone.org/"> Plone </a>  – 43%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.getmura.com/"> Mura CMS </a>  – 40%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.paperthin.com/"> Paperthin Commonspot </a>  – 18%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Free PHP CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.joomla.org/"> Joomla </a>  – 64%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.concrete5.org/"> Concrete5 </a>  – 22%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.processwire.com/"> ProcessWire </a>  – 15%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Free Java CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.magnolia-cms.com/"> Magnolia </a>  – 44%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.dotcms.com/"> dotCMS </a>  – 28%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.liferay.com/"> Liferay </a>  – 28%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Free .NET CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://umbraco.com/"> Umbraco </a>  – 47%</li>
<li><a href="http://sageframe.com/"> Sageframe </a>  – 30%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/"> DNN Platform </a>  – 23%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Free CMS (Other Langs)</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://plone.org/"> Plone </a>  – 51%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.getmura.com/"> Mura CMS </a>  – 49%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Open Source PHP CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.joomla.org/"> Joomla! </a>  – 65%</li>
<li><a href="http://modx.com/"> MODx </a>  – 18%</li>
<li><a href="http://ez.no/Products/The-eZ-Publish-Platform"> eZ Publish </a>  – 17%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Open Source Java CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.magnolia-cms.com/"> Magnolia </a>  – 40%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.liferay.com/"> Liferay </a>  – 36%</li>
<li><a href="http://dotcms.com/"> dotCMS </a>  – 23%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Open Source .NET CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://umbraco.com/"> Umbraco </a>  – 50%</li>
<li><a href="http://sageframe.com/"> Sageframe </a>  – 30%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/"> DNN Platform </a>  – 20%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Open Source CMS (Other Langs)</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://plone.org/"> Plone  </a>  – 51%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.getmura.com/"> Mura CMS  </a>  – 49%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Small to Midsize Business PHP CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.cmsmadesimple.org/"> CMS Made Simple </a>  – 46%</li>
<li><a href="http://buildwithcraft.com/"> Craft CMS </a>  – 28%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.impresspages.org/"> ImpressPages </a>  – 27%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Small to Midsize Business Java CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.liferay.com/"> Liferay </a>  – 67%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.percussion.com/"> Percussion CM1 </a>  – 33%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Small to Midsize Business .NET CMS</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.orchardproject.net/"> Orchard </a>  – 42%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.envisagecms.co.uk/"> Envisage CMS </a>  – 33%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.dnnsoftware.com/"> DNN Evoq Content </a>  – 25%</li>
</ol>
<h3>Best Small to Midsize Business CMS (Other Langs)</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.django-cms.org/en/"> Django CMS </a>  – 47%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.surrealcms.com/"> Surreal CMS </a>  – 33%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.movabletype.com/"> Movable Type </a>  – 20%</li>
</ul>
<h3>Best Website Builder</h3>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.wix.com/"> Wix </a>  – 38%</li>
<li><a href="http://www.squarespace.com"> Squarespace </a>  – 36%</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/weebly"> Weebly </a>  – 26%</li>
</ol>
There are some tight races going on for sure and some clear favorites as well. Of course, any of this can change and quickly so make sure you get your say heard and head on over to the voting form to get your votes cast.
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-critic-awards/">Vote Now</a>

People's Choice CMS Awards - The Results So Far

Best Video Experience

Give your audience the best video experience

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Dropbox, the darling of the online storage industry (and my personal choice for online storage), has announced some significant changes to it's online storage service. Pro members ($9.99 / month for those of you who are unaware) are now being upgraded from 100 GB of storage to 1 Terabyte (1,000 GB) of storage for the same cost.Dropbox is also introducing some additional features such as:<h3>New and improved sharing controls</h3>The ability to collaborate easily  is one of the reasons people choose Dropbox Pro, but there's always been room for improvement and Dropbox has listened to their customers by implementing more control over sharing with the following new capabilities:<ul><li>Passwords for shared links create an additional layer of security so only people with the password can access your link.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.dropbox.com/help/5888">Expirations for shared links</a> safeguard your sensitive files by letting you set how long your links stay up.</li><li>View-only permissions for shared folders let you pick whether recipients can edit or just view files within your shared folder.</li></ul><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/password-protected-links963x0.png" /><h3>Lost your device? Now you can safeguard your Dropbox data.</h3><a target="_blank" href="https://www.dropbox.com/help/4227">Remote wipe</a> lets you delete your Dropbox files from a lost or stolen device without damaging your Dropbox data. This is handy for those occassions where you lose a laptop or device that has synced data via Dropbox and you want to ensure it's not compromised.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/remote-wipe963x0.png" />So, in addition to the awesome 10x the extra space upgrade that they are giving pro users, you now get these other awesome features as well. For those of you wondering where your additional space is, according to the email from Dropbox, it will update automatically to reflect the space increase in the next couple days. You don’t have to do a thing.Visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dropbox.com/pro">www.dropbox.com/pro</a> to sign up.

Dropbox Boosts Pro Plan to 1TB Storage

Call Tracking + AI 

Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

Explore a wide range of informative articles, insights, and industry updates. Stay informed and ahead of the curve with our diverse collection of news and posts covering the latest trends and developments in the industry. Page - 130