Articles - Page 27

Bland Brands Beware: Optimizely’s New Identity Brings Human Creativity to its Agentic AI and AEO Ambitions

matt-garrepy

<hr /> When it comes to AI, every technology vendor is being compelled to go with the flow.Seriously, though, is it even a choice? Can you afford to sidestep the infusion of artificial intelligence into your platform? Can you kick the LLM down the digital field and “wait 'n see” how it all shakes out? Probably not – if you want to stay in parity with competitors. And therein lies the challenge: trying to decipher where the real value is.By all accounts, we’re already in the next wave of AI, well beyond the pioneering jaunt of generative, <a target="_blank" href="https://chat.openai.com/">ChatGPT</a>-infused innovation. According to most market watchers, the first phase of AI looked “pretty,” but this next one lacks the bullishness and irrational exuberance of its predecessor. The big tech and cloud players aside (lots of drama there), AI startups are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-next-phase-of-ai-is-looking-less-pretty-2024-3">struggling to generate revenue</a> in the freemium-enabled world of generative tools. The model field is also getting crowded, with darlings like Stability.ai <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/18/24133996/stability-ai-lay-off-emad-mostaque">announcing today</a> that it will lay off 10% of its workforce.OK, OK. Enough with the bad news. Behind it all, AI is still plenty miraculous, and we can’t discount its current and future impact across the stack – particularly in places where it can automate and scale functions that inject value into the equation.One such example could be <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/webflow">Webflow</a> with its acquisition of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.intellimize.com/">Intellimize</a> – an AI-driven website personalization and conversion rate optimization platform. Webflow, a website builder by category, just announced that this is a major step in its vision to expand beyond visual development and become the world’s first “Website Experience Platform.”We hear a lot these days about AI features (think text and image generation) being added to website builders and content management tools. So why is this one such a big deal? Because as relevant as content generation is, optimization is a place where AI can make a huge difference at scale – specifically within the pillars of personalization and experimentation. Brands have struggled in this area, and AI is finally delivering the resources needed to produce variants, test options, and improve performance.According to Webflow’s announcement, the company plans to integrate Intellimize’s feature set into its core experience over the coming months, and we can expect the tools and capabilities to be available later this year. <h3 id="empowering-the-entire-marketing-team">Empowering the entire marketing team</h3>Webflow is, without doubt, one of the most robust visual web design tools on the market. It enables users to build and launch responsive websites without writing any code. As an all-in-one platform, Webflow powers the complete lifecycle of a website, from idea to ready-to-use product. The UX is chock-full of detailed features and controls, allowing you to add and edit components on a web page visually in real time. If you're jonesing for a closer look, you can check out a <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/webflow-review-hybrid-website-builder-and-cms-bridges-the-design-code-chasm">previous review of the platform</a> that our team conducted. Unlike other site builders, Webflow doesn't parse visual design and code. What a user creates in its visual editor is powered by HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. In that sense, it’s “pure,” abiding by modern web standards without proprietary guardrails that limit its extensibility. Webflow appeals to marketing teams and web agencies across the spectrum, providing a no-code design toolbox that feels very much informed by desktop publishing tools like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html">Adobe Photoshop</a>. This familiarity is intentional, giving visual designers a UX that’s clean, intuitive, and packed with granular control for creating unique web experiences.  Of course, building a website is just the first step. As <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladmagdalin/">Vlad Magdalin</a> – Webflow’s Co-founder and CEO – explained in a recent blog post, enterprise teams were hitting the wall when it came to optimizing their sites.“As we’ve started to work with larger teams like Orangetheory Fitness, IDEO, and Dropbox, we realized that there are major problems with how web experiences are being created,” he explained. “Once a website is built, it’s extremely difficult for marketing teams to personalize it, to experiment to make it better, and to optimize it to meet the varying needs of their customers.”Vlad further expressed how modern tools for optimizing websites are often cumbersome to set up without significant engineering support. In many cases, they’re also too hard to use separately from where the source website content is designed and managed. “At Webflow, this is the next big problem we are solving,” Vlad stated. “Our goal is to give marketing teams and web agencies the ability not only to build incredible web experiences, but also seamlessly personalize those sites for different audiences, easily create experiments to test which versions perform better, and to optimize their buyer journey throughout their website to drive conversions and revenue.”This is where Intellimize drives everything home.<h3 id="unlocking-the-‘website-experience-platform’-with-ai-">Unlocking the ‘Website Experience Platform’ with AI </h3>Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Mateo, CA, Intellimize has been steadily climbing the silicon ladder. As of its Series B round in 2021, the company had raised <a target="_blank" href="https://getlatka.com/companies/intellimize">a stout $52 million</a>, with revenues still hovering under $8 million last year. Still early stage, but that was a 34% YOY increase – definitely a mark of forward momentum.With nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://getlatka.com/companies/webflow#:~:text=How%20much%20revenue%20does%20Webflow,generates%20%24128M%20in%20revenue.">$130 million in revenue</a> from its subscription-based business service, Webflow is reaching the right point on the growth arc to feel its M&amp;A oats. And like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-salesforce-blues-why-investors-are-singing-a-sad-song-about-a-deal-to-buy-informatica">Salesforce hunting for Informatica</a>, the focus on AI-specific acquisitions is a marked trend. Now endowed with the keys to optimization, Vlad sees the combination of Intellimize’s features as a pathway to a new vision – what he calls the “Website Experience Platform.” “With this vision, we’re taking the most important part of the digital experience – the website – and creating a seamlessly integrated and visual-first platform that allows marketing teams to break their dependence on code and innovate at speeds they could never reach before,” he described. “We believe that this will not only lead to empowered, revenue-driving marketing teams, but also to a better experience for everyone on the web.”As a platform, Intellimize brings key advantages to the table. First and foremost, it effectively unlocks a marketing team’s ability to personalize web experiences without the need for complex and cumbersome engineering support. On this point, both Webflow and Intellimize shared a common philosophical goal for unlocking a marketing’s team’s code-dependence by building visual-first tools – the kind they could use without needing constant help from a dev team.Since its founding, Intellimize has made a huge impact on customers like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.intellimize.com/customer-story/video-how-sumo-logic-accelerated-web-conversions-by-automatically-testing-1-billion-page-versions">Sumo Logic</a> (1B+ page versions, 53% lift in conversion rates), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.intellimize.com/customer-story/how-snowflakes-abm-team-used-intellimize-to-accelerate-landing-page-conversions-by-60">Snowflake</a> (60% increase in conversions, 49% lift in meetings booked), and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.intellimize.com/customer-story/how-drift-uses-intellimize-to-convert-more-traffic-into-revenue">Drift</a> (129% improvement in conversions, $2.8M incremental revenue).Those are great stats – and more importantly, clear evidence that Intellimize delivers value. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>For the last decade, Webflow has been backfilling the gap between pedestrian no-code website builders and hardcore development platforms. They’ve cultivated a vast community of designers, marketers, and agencies that often feel underwhelmed by <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wix">Wix</a> and disillusioned by complex code and compromises. These visual-motivated users always seem to be asking the same question: Why can’t I just design it the way I want?Indeed.With the rise of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/cut-paste-delete-why-adobes-canceled-merger-with-figma-is-good-for-innovation">Figma</a> and other popular prototyping tools, visual designers have recovered some control of the experience. Now, they can produce more uniquely sophisticated compositions and forget about the wall of code awaiting them. With Webflow, they can wrestle away the dependency on developers – at least for the most part – and maintain control from idea to launch. Webflow also sports its own <a target="_blank" href="https://webflow.com/cms">built-in CMS</a>, providing a more flexible solution for managing content as part of a single platform solution. At the same time, Webflow is appealing to developers by providing a pathway for creating apps. With a community of 3.5 million users, <a target="_blank" href="https://developers.webflow.com/">Webflow developers</a> can access the platform’s API to build products that support how users design websites. This includes forms and e-commerce apps that serve a wide range of use cases.  By all accounts, the Intellimize acquisition is an ideal match for Webflow, and may be the key to evolving its current visual builder into a next-gen Website Experience Platform. As Vlad framed in his announcement, Webflow’s mission is to “bring development superpowers to everyone.” With a new crop of optimization and personalization capabilities at the ready, they’re going full Kryptonian – and will be better equipped to compete with CMS and DXP solutions that offer optimization features. This was happening even before the Intellimize news. I’ve spoken to numerous digital agencies and SIs over the last year – at least two that are focused on <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a> – and many are adding Webflow to their mix. Why? Because the platform has become easier to work with, and the incentives have become more attractive (that’s almost a verbatim quote). The expansion of optimization capabilities also reflects a tacit focus on enterprise customers. As Vlad noted, Webflow uncovered the need for these capabilities while working work with larger teams at major brands like OrangeTheory and Dropbox. This suggests that Webflow is finding success with companies at a level where scalable, AI-powered personalization is central to their digital strategy. Still, AI is no panacea. In fact, it’s reducing the barrier to entry and creating more downstream innovation. At the top, <a target="_blank" href="https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/16282290976013-Using-Squarespace-AI">Squarespace</a> is offering generative content for a range of website elements, but smaller players like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.elegantthemes.com/ai">Divi</a> are providing a personal AI web design assistant for creating layouts, content, and images on the fly.And then, of course, there’s <a target="_blank" href="https://dorik.com/">Dorik</a> – a nascent platform that allows you to design, build, and edit websites using nothing but prompts. I’m talking about fully mobile-responsive sites that look pretty decent for something created via a GPT-like field. I’ve tried it, and while it still has a ways to go, it could be a significant challenge to established vendors in the next few years. Relative to AI, my guess is that we’ll continue to see accelerated innovation from Webflow over the coming months. But this acquisition is a smart play to kick that pace off, as it addresses a current pain point while delivering tangible value to its customers. To come full circle, adding AI features for the sake of AI can prove deleterious – especially now. Webflow is often viewed as a complex tool that requires significant training (it's true – they have <a target="_blank" href="https://university.webflow.com/">their own University</a>). This is ironic when you think about the goal of eliminating the complexity of code from the equation. But as someone who started in HTML and used Adobe products, I’ve always found Webflow's UI easy to traverse. In this sense, it has always known its market with a level of intimacy that translates into success. My advice: keep goin' with the flow… <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

Webflow Buys Intellimize: Why It's An Intelligent Buy

Eco-Friendliness in the CMS World

lasse

<hr /> I got the Salesforce Blues… Even Slack can't pick me up… I got the Salesforce Blues… Is Informatica outta luck?Oh, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/salesforce">Salesforce</a>. Even legendary blues disciple <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson">Robert Johnson</a> couldn’t pen a sadder tune about these troubled waters. What did you ever do to deserve this reaction?Before we discuss any “deals with the devil” or take riders to Rosedale, let’s review what we know (and don’t know). Things started brewing last Friday when the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/salesforce-in-advanced-talks-to-buy-informatica-ba9ec09c?mod=tech_lead_pos3">Wall Street Journal</a> first reported that the CRM giant was in early talks to buy <a target="_blank" href="https://www.informatica.com/">Informatica</a>, a leader in the data management software space. For context: Informatica’s tools provide advanced data quality and integration capabilities, helping businesses enhance the value of their data for business, IT, marketing, and commerce applications. This includes stuff like APIs, cloud modernization, Customer 360 solutions, and a whole lot more.On Monday, when word hit the street, <a target="_blank" href="https://qz.com/salesforce-informatica-deal-11-billion-1851411069">Salesforce stock tumbled 7.3%</a>. Informatica, likewise, was off by 6.5%. Salesforce recovered a bit today, but the axe fell deep – and swiftly. But it's too early to draw conclusions. It's no secret that Salesforce has been expanding and diversifying its ecosystem. When I reflected last week on <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/is-google-adding-the-letters-crm-to-its-alphabet-soup-ask-hubspot">Google’s dalliance with buying HubSpot</a>, I also noted how Salesforce is entangled in the gravitational influence of the leading cloud providers – where <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/aws">AWS</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/microsoft-azure">Microsoft</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/google-cloud-platform">GCP</a> present a celestial three-body problem.Over the years, Salesforce has evolved CRM through its own sales lens, adding tools like marketing automation, commerce, CMS, analytics, and a whole host of technologies that make its cloud more attractive and “sticky” to enterprises. Central to it all is data, the currency of business, and an area that’s being threatened by the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forrester/2024/01/16/google-commits-to-third-party-cookies-deprecation-in-2024/?sh=a8d8e14245af">deprecation of cookies</a> and an evolving consumer privacy landscape. When it comes to an acquisition of this scale (at $38.48 a share, the Informatica price tag would be in the billions) there are a lot of underlying forces at play. But what presumably makes this worth all the “B’s” to Salesforce is the exploding value of AI. This is why the hunt for platforms like Informatica could be key to accelerating the injection of AI-powered capabilities into the mix. Both Salesforce and Informatica have been charging up their existing products with artificial intelligence for quite some time but really ramping up since the introduction of <a target="_blank" href="https://openai.com/">Open AI</a> and LLMs. Earlier this year, Salesforce released <a target="_blank" href="https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2024/02/27/einstein-copilot-news/">Einstein Copilot</a>, a generative conversational AI assistant for its CRM that delivers more trusted responses trained on your company’s data. Around this time last year, Informatica also released its AI-powered <a target="_blank" href="https://www.informatica.com/about-us/news/news-releases/2023/05/20230509-informatica-expands-its-intelligent-data-management-cloud-with-innovations-led-by-claire-gpt-industrys-first-generative-ai-powered-data-management-platform.html">Intelligent Data Management Cloud</a>, which included its novel <a target="_blank" href="https://www.informatica.com/about-us/claire.html">CLAIRE GPT</a> – providing the industry’s first generative AI solution within a data management platform. And so here we are, waiting to see if Salesforce starts Travis-picking with another big gamble. The talks are merely at the advanced stage, but they could represent a major move for both companies and send ripples across the CRM and cloud landscape.  <h3 id="so-why-are-investors-singin’-the-blues?-">So why are investors singin’ the blues? </h3>Play it again, Sam…It’s a song as old as time, because Salesforce has been around forever – and given its track record with its most recent acquisitions, it’s clear that the street is feeling a bit uneasy about another big-ticket purchase that doesn’t pay off in big dividends. Just to jog your memory: when Salesforce touted its breathtaking $28 billion acquisition of Slack in 2020, CEO Mark Benioff proclaimed it was a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/how-slacks-marriage-to-salesforce-crumbled">“match made in heaven.”</a> It didn’t take long for things to sour – from a visible rift between Benioff and Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield, to real skepticism that sales could be increased by bundling and integrating Slack with other products.To be clear, there are multiple Slack integrations with Salesforce, from basic connectors for admins to Service Cloud and Tableau. You can also build custom notifications, which is pretty handy. OK, so it works. But by all measures, it hasn’t been a windfall. And paying 26 times Slack’s future revenue was just one painful reality playing out over the last two years. The other was fighting the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/is-google-adding-the-letters-crm-to-its-alphabet-soup-ask-hubspot">growing “Cloud War” with Microsoft</a>, its former rival for Slack and persona non grata around Salesforce HQ. As competition betwixt Dynamics 365 and other downstream systems ensued, Salesforce was feeling pressure to innovate, scale, and make up ground for a colossal misstep. And things are getting precarious from an accountability perspective. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/salesforce-is-advanced-talks-buy-informatica-wsj-reports-2024-04-13/">According to Reuters</a>, Salesforce has been under the gun since early last year, when a pod of activist investors – including ValueAct Capital and Elliott Management – started raising flags around the company’s strategy. This included a quest for changes in management, but it might also be the fire that lit leadership into action around the company's next strategic venture.Buying Informatica at the proposed price will make this the biggest acquisition for Salesforce since the Slack debacle. Not to say that all previous purchases have missed the mark. <a target="_blank" href="https://qz.com/salesforce-informatica-deal-11-billion-1851411069">According to Quartz</a>, Salesforce has purchased over 70 companies since 2006. Some of those must have turned out to be winners, right? Right?Well, that’s exactly what investors are weighing. Even though 2023 was a year of austerity for the CRM king’s unabated “expansion by acquisition,” some major purchases prior to Slack are still rattling the market’s rib cage. In 2019, it went hog-wild with Tableau – spending <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-05/salesforce-crm-guts-tableau-after-spending-15-7-billion-in-2019-deal">$15.7 billion</a> for the analytics visualization platform. A year earlier, it dropped <a target="_blank" href="https://groovetechnology.com/blog/why-did-salesforce-acquire-mulesoft/">$6.5 billion</a> for Mulesoft – arguably the leading API development and integration platform. On the surface, these purchases seemed to serve ostensibly ambitious goals: Salesforce wanted to enrich customer data and expand its marketplace with API-powered interoperability. But just as with Slack, Salesforce gutted both platforms after the deals were closed, laying off sizeable portions of their respective teams. With Tableau, a major reorg last year signaled that the acquisition might not be living up to its expectations. Maybe not the best way to handle your multi-billion-dollar purchases. But that’s another song on the record. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>As the tale goes, Robert Johnson <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/robert-johnson#:~:text=Legend%20has%20it%20that%20Robert,the%20first%20ever%20rock%20star.">sold his soul</a> to the devil at a crossroads in Cleveland, Mississippi in exchange for a mastery of the guitar. Regardless of what you believe, his talent was unrivaled at the time – and he might have been the first rock star ever. Like the blues legend, Salesforce was unquestionably the first rock star of CRM. Sure, it was flanked by contemporary pioneers like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.goldmine.com/">Goldmine</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.maximizer.com/">Maximizer</a>, but it was Mark Benioff’s vision of “The End of Software” that really blew people’s minds and established a revolutionary foothold for the category. And it was rock 'n roll all the way to the top.It’s true what they say: some stars burn bright and fade into obscurity. That’s not the case here, but market-leading entities like Salesforce do lose their luster as innovators and disruptors when the accouterments of success begin to weigh things down. There’s no doubt that Salesforce has made some, shall we say, miscalculations when feeding its voracious M&amp;A appetite. That might seem obvious on the frontend relative to the inflated price tag for Slack. But the real misstep is the mismanagement of the potential. Reorgs and layoffs aside, it seems that no one had a real plan for what to do after it won the race.Still, Salesforce got to its Gleaming Tower on the Bay because it has continued to nurture its core business – and I’m certain it has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Case in point: aligning with AWS to build a beachhead against Microsoft via its Marketplace. The Informatica acquisition could also be more tacitly aligned with Salesforce, building on market longevity and proven enterprise relationships. Like Salesforce, Informatica’s no spring chicken – it was founded in 1993, six years before Benioff left Oracle to build his new kingdom.Also on the plus side: it looks like a good buy from a revenue and market share perspective. Informatica’s stock has been performing well since the launch of its AI features, up 43% this year. With 5,000 active customers and 6,000 employees, it could present a more profitable catch – as long as the multipliers hold steady.At the end of the day, the cloud plays big in any decision, for reasons already mentioned (vis-à-vis the "Cloud Wars”). The next big hurdle in cloud adoption and management is optimization, fueled by actionable data insights. If Salesforce can complement its core services with greater access to data innovation and cloud modernization services – coupled with even greater API integration and data quality capabilities – it might have a real winner on its hands.And of course, there’s AI. Informatica’s CLAIRE GPT leverages unified metadata intelligence to enhance data discovery up to 100x faster and unlock new levels of productivity. Automation is becoming increasingly important as brands amass huge amounts of data across billions of transactions and data integration jobs. This is work humans can’t do – and its CRM ecosystem could certainly benefit from. After a long drought of M&amp;A activity, 2024 is looking to be a year of potentially epic dealmaking. This move by Salesforce is a clear signal that sentiment is improving. That said, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan <a target="_blank" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jpmorgan-ceo-dimon-says-market-181040250.html">maintains caution</a> as the outlook is compounded by a confluence of outside factors – namely a Presidential election in the U.S. and continued global conflicts that could impact supply chains. In other words, we just don’t know. It’s hard to weigh in fully on speculation, but with so much percolating across the tech sector, it’s important to keep our eyes on what’s really happening. Salesforce is a critical part of almost every enterprise stack, and a key one for CMS and DXP platforms (heck, Salesforce has shown up as a DXP for Gartner). Improving data management could be a pro for customers on multiple levels. Of course, the Blues can be unpredictable – and sometimes, you don’t start singin' 'til the deal is done. Let’s hope the devil isn’t involved.   <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

The Salesforce Blues? Why investors are singing a sad song about a deal to buy Informatica 

Strapi Casts for Growth in the Headless Sea: A Conversation with CEO Pierre Burgy

<hr /> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-panella-b616911/">John Panella</a> knows a thing or two about customer experience. As Group Vice President at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.publicisgroupe.com/en/services/services-publicis-sapient-en">Publicis Sapient</a>, a top digital business transformation and consulting firm, he leads technology strategy for CX platforms – providing thought leadership, analyst relations, and all the intrepid skull work required to deliver successful projects for big brands around the globe.In his downtime (if there is such a thing), John has been lending his deep experience and insight to the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-publishes-first-annual-report-showcases-industry-impact-and-plans-for-2024">MACH Alliance</a>, serving as an Executive Board Member since 2022. His skills around customer experience have been key to decrypting the market's needs as they relate to tech – particularly as the shift towards MACH and composable accelerates. Perhaps it’s apropos that John is helping to lead and message <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/content-hub/expanding-mach-certification-scope-for-clear-buyer-guidance-in-a-complex-market">the big news today</a> from the MACH Alliance. The group, which has long advocated for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems, just announced that it will expand its well-established charter for certification to include independent offerings from within larger companies.In other words, big technology players – often comprising numerous products and services – will now be able to certify offerings within their ecosystem. Up until now, certification has only been available to standalone business entities, where the entire company must meet all tenets of MACH (Microservices, APIs, Cloud SaaS, Headless) criteria. It’s a bold shift in strategy, and one that is certain to draw strong opinions from both members and market watchers alike. That said, it’s also a logical move when we consider the fluid nature of the technology market and how sole-product companies are often acquired by larger entities. Those products might still meet MACH mandates, but until now, they had no way to maintain certification or retain the value of their investment in becoming certified. As stated in John’s opening salvo (via an article shared on LinkedIn), the MACH Alliance has always been guided by its mission to help buyers navigate a complex and noisy technology landscape – and find modern, best-in-class solutions to reach their business goals. To keep pace with an evolving landscape, the MACH certifications are also changing. If there’s one thing the MACH Alliance is flush with, it’s smart people. Consequently, no decision is made without credible data and thorough analysis. As John points out in his article, the organization spent the first three months of 2024 researching enterprise buyer requirements as part of a <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/content-hub/mach-alliance-s-commitment-to-clear-guidance-amidst-big-tech-acquisitions-and-developments">certification review</a> that was announced in December. At the heart of the endeavor was a comprehensive survey of over 100 enterprise technology buyers in the UK, US, and Germany. This may not seem like a compelling sample, but it is the enterprise layer of the market, and hence a smaller and more concentrated piece of the pie. The stated goal was to gauge the value placed on existing MACH certifications, identify limitations, and chart opportunities for evolving or expanding the programs.  “Respondents confirmed the need for clearer guidance in an increasingly intricate market, characterized by market consolidation, changing marketing trends, and modernization efforts by legacy and larger vendors” John explained in the article. “As MACH solidifies its position as the industry standard, we are committed to meeting that demand effectively.”Prospective members seeking assessment against these new criteria will be able to apply starting May 1st. That's just around the corner, so let's unpack more of the details – and why it matters. <h3 id="what-does-it-mean-to-recognize-independent-offerings-from-larger-companies?">What does it mean to recognize independent offerings from larger companies?</h3>The key words are independent offerings and larger companies. To further clarify: the central focus is redefining the criteria for company certification. Rather than solely focusing on standalone legal business entities, the MACH Alliance is changing its criteria to qualify substantial independent offerings within larger vendors.There’s an important distinction here. Beneath the vendor umbrella, the MACH solutions must be actively branded, offered, and sold separately. They also have to be accessible and participate in an ecosystem of software from other MACH Certified vendors, and function in a composable manner. According to the article, this shift will help the MACH Alliance provide even greater clarity across the MACH application and services landscape, giving buyers more choice. At the same time. MACH certification will provide a backbone of assurance that these independent offerings from larger solutions will ensure the longevity and adaptability of their technology stack.“By changing our criteria to accommodate for this, we stand by the importance of MACH principles while creating a clear path for Software Vendors, Enablers, and Systems Integrators with a committed, distinguishable MACH offering,” John stated.<h3 id="what’s-driving-this-change?">What’s driving this change?</h3>Of course, that’s the operative question. As you might expect, it’s a confluence of things.The survey results make it relatively clear that the evolving complexities buyers face are the key drivers. While the majority of respondents codified the importance of MACH certification, they expressed a growing need for guidance when navigating a mixed landscape of legacy systems, MACH-certified technologies, and emerging product innovations. According to the data, buyers emphasized the importance of MACH architectural principles and vendor interoperability, which are hallmarks of the Alliance’s MACH certification – and the sole industry standard for this assurance. As John’s article reveals, enterprise technology buyers would like the MACH Alliance to play a more active role in guiding the journey by providing greater know-how and awareness. One area where that’s been a pervasive challenge is distinguishing “MACH-washing” (when brands project MACH messaging but have not been certified) from MACH-compatible solutions. Buyers are also expressing a greater need for assistance when assessing new and innovative product technologies as they emerge. It’s not always clear that these solutions meet the MACH baseline, or if they will ultimately be compatible. Along with this, buyers are seeking a more comprehensive and realistic view of the total landscape from the Alliance, helping them proactively plan for the future.<h3 id="what-will-the-requirements-be-for-independent-offerings?">What will the requirements be for independent offerings?</h3>This is an important question, as the MACH Alliance has the rest of its member community to consider – all of whom have met the original standards as sole business entities. Now, they’ll be making room for other offerings that are the domain of larger industry players. Fairness and upholding the core tenets of MACH’s guiding principles are clearly top of mind. As John outlined in the article, the Alliance has thoughtfully structured its strategy around clarity and transparency, crystallizing a set of specific requirements for larger brands seeking certification for their offerings.First, an independent offering must possess its own distinct identity, one that’s clearly separate from other offerings within the parent company. Additionally, the larger vendor won’t be permitted to use the sub-brand’s relationship with the MACH Alliance in any of its marketing or other content. The independent offering will also need to be defined as a distinct product or service, clearly delineated from the parent company and able to demonstrate a unique value proposition and its MACH credentials. Another requirement is that an independent offering has its own dedicated leadership team. As John pointed out, this will help ensure a broader commitment to autonomy, from product development to P&amp;L to operations. From a sales perspective, independent offerings will also need to be marketed and sold outside the purvey of its parent company. This would be codified by the product or service maintaining its own external-facing presence and website.Finally – and this is the big one – an independent offering will still need to strictly adhere to MACH Principles to achieve certification. That means fully embracing the open, best-of-breed posture advocated by the MACH Alliance, and expressing compliance through credible customer use cases. It also includes demonstrating interoperability with other products, engaging in thought leadership, and forging strategic partnerships.So how is this all being weighted when assessing these new offerings? Here’s an example showing how the criteria will be applied leveraging past members, previously rejected applicants, and new applicants (note: this would be in addition to a 90% pass of existing MACH standards and criteria).<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:90.8%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/04/image.png" alt="" /></figure><h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>At CMS Critic, we’ve tracked the growth of the MACH Alliance since its early days. We’ve taken a keen interest because many of its members are headless CMS platforms, integrative tools, and SIs focused on building and architecting composable solutions. The Alliance's impact on this entire ecosystem cannot be overstated. Full transparency: I have been a member of the <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/board">MACH Alliance Executive Advisory Board</a> for almost two years, focusing on industry concerns in 2024. I believe in many of the tenets of composable and its general motion in the market, but I always strive to share unbiased feedback with the organization and with our readers. As I’ve already mentioned, this is a logical move. Many modern products and services owned by parent companies (probably) fit the bill, and enabling a path to certification would help clarify these choices for buyers. It’s also a strategy that reflects the market's sentiment, which continues to be one of confusion. As the pace of M&amp;A picks up this year (as predicted), we’re also likely to see more products and services fall into this category. Maintaining certification incentivizes parent companies to meet the obligations for certification to help maintain continuity and leverage the value of MACH for its customers – as well as new prospects.  Given the scope of requirements for these independent offerings, it might thin out the field considerably. Parent entities will need to be serious about restructuring established products to meet the criteria. The biggest appeal might be for newly acquired companies that can more easily retain their brand distinction and operational footprint without a significant pivot.Obviously, there are granular details to divine. What constitutes a leadership team? How will the brand dimensions be assessed? How isolated must the website and marketing materials be to meet the criteria? With its renewed focus on transparency – a commitment that Alliance president <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a> has frequently conjured – we can expect greater definition around the requirements and application process to follow. Finally, a note about fairness: when the MACH Alliance first emerged on the scene, it cultivated a reputation of exclusivity (you know, the whole “velvet rope” mantle). Composable was also seen by many as a hedge against the traditional market monoliths, leveling the competitive playing field for smaller platforms that fit the composable niche. When its application process became shrouded in criticism, the organization shifted toward inclusivity, and that meant reassessing how it could become even more open with its practices. Adding large vendors to the mix – by way of products beneath their umbrella – might seem antithetical on some level, but it’s further embracing its core philosophy and advancing the mission to support the buyer.  The MACH Alliance is openly welcoming feedback on these changes. You can get in touch via info@machalliance.org to ask questions and share your thoughts. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

MACH Alliance Expands Certification Scope to Include Offerings within Larger Vendors

Is Google adding the letters 'CRM' to its Alphabet soup? Ask HubSpot

<hr /> Being open source is as much a technology posture as it is a philosophical mindset. For CMSs that are truly cut from the cloth, being open and transparent about practices, communities, and other aspects of business is part of the ethos. As we all grapple with the realities of climate change and the urgency for decarbonization, it's important to remember that the internet is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200305-why-your-internet-habits-are-not-as-clean-as-you-think">accounting for 3.7% of global emissions</a>. That's roughly the equivalent of all air traffic in the world. Yikes. How can we possibly land this plane? What's more alarming is that this figure is expected to double by 2025 as our thirst for data skyrockets.For all its faults, the Internet has been miraculous for mankind. No one is suggesting we do away with it (although I might know a few people on Facebook who claim we're better off without it, but still post these notions using, er, the internet). You're probably asking, “What can I do about it?” when we rely so heavily on digital tools to do our jobs and stay connected to the world. It might seem like a pipedream for any one person to make a dent in this problem, but even small adjustments to our habits can make a difference. For businesses with websites, the opportunity is even greater – especially if the tools and platforms they utilize provide efficient and sustainable solutions that directly address these issues. As an open-source content management system, <a target="_blank" href="https://umbraco.com/">Umbraco</a> has fully embraced this thinking and made wholesale commitments with its technology, culture, and vision to combat these challenges. Transparency is key to delivering on these commitments, and the company is reinforcing that with intention by publishing an annual report that assesses its impact on people and the planet. This week, it released its second edition.The <a target="_blank" href="https://umbraco.com/about-us/impact-report/">Umbraco Impact Report 2023</a> details how the company is working with its community, clients, and partners to improve sustainability, enhance diversity and inclusion, encourage AI stewardship, and support current and future developers.“We have always focused on making the Umbraco CMS intuitive for web editors and straightforward for developers to integrate, extend, and customize," said <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/umbraco-cms-acquired-by-software-investor-monterro-interview-with-ceo-kim-sneum-madsen">Kim Sneum-Madsen</a>, Umbraco CEO. "Because of this, Umbraco is now the largest open-source .Net CMS in the world, and we recognize our responsibility to help our community to make websites more energy-efficient and sustainable.”How much of an impact can Umbraco make? Consider that over the past two decades, more than a million websites have been built using its CMS. That's impressive, and a testament to the company's perseverance. It's also a large footprint of sites and users who can all benefit from more sustainable solutions. Over that same period, Umbraco’s global open-source community has also grown to more than 250,000 software contributors, with 1,500 digital agency partners building solutions on the platform (also big numbers). With that density of reach and adoption, Umbraco is uniquely positioned to lead positive change not only in the content management industry, but beyond it. So the real question is: can a CMS vendor help save the world? Maybe. It all starts with a commitment to being the change – and taking action. <h3 id="embracing-sustainability-">Embracing sustainability </h3>Carbon. It's the 500-tonne gorilla in the room, and the primary ingredient in the climate-warming stew (there are others to be sure). As people, governments, and businesses look for ways to reduce their carbon impact, an array of tools and strategies have emerged for measuring and accounting for the effects. The U.S. EPA's <a target="_blank" href="https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/">carbon footprint calculator</a> brings it home at a household level, but the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.websitecarbon.com/">Website Carbon Calculator</a> is a great baseline for revealing how your own website (or others) contributes to the conundrum.Umbraco began calculating its carbon footprint in 2022. Last year, it applied the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wri.org/research/greenhouse-gas-protocol-0">Greenhouse Gas Corporate Standard</a> to improve accuracy when calculating what is referred to as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/what-are-scope-1-2-3-carbon-emissions">Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions</a>. What does this mean? If you're not a carbon-counting expert, Scope 1 is basically any direct emissions that are owned or controlled by a company. Scope 2 and 3 are indirect emissions – in other words, a consequence of the activities of a company but occurring from sources that are not owned or controlled by it.According to its research, hosting <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/umbraco">Umbraco Cloud</a> and its <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/umbraco-launches-heartcore-the-most-intuitive-headless-content-management-system-cms-to-manage-large-volumes-of-content-across-any-smart-platform">headless Heartcore </a>product are the largest sources of carbon emissions. To address this, the company is working closely with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/microsoft-azure">Microsoft Azure</a> to ensure the most efficient and sustainable implementation and drive down the numbers. While the growth of the cloud might seem antithetical to the sustainability cause, the consolidation and shared use of hardware is actually helping to reduce energy usage and cut carbon output. As it turns out, the large cloud providers are leading the pack on the move to net zero emissions – with some attaining it in the next few years. Great strides have also been made in expanding the lifespan of servers to as much as 6 six years, further reducing waste.<a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/aws">Amazon</a>, AWS' parent, is already reaching key goals for its global decarbonization and water replenishment (turns out the internet is mighty thirsty). It has been spearheading an ambitious climate pledge, and in 2022, <a target="_blank" href="https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/products-services/the-cloud?energyType=true">over 90% of the electricity consumed</a> by Amazon was attributable to renewable energy sources. By working with cloud providers on delivery and hosting optimization, CMS platforms like Umbraco could accelerate their own plans to meet aggressive sustainability goals. This is definitely a step in the right direction. <h3 id="tapping-agency-partners-to-become-more-“carbon-conscious”">Tapping agency partners to become more “carbon conscious”</h3>While Umbraco's technology is the foundation, its users, contributors, and partners are essential to its success. With numerous system integrators and digital agencies building with its CMS, this was a perfect audience for enrolling greater support around its green initiatives. In March of last year, Umbraco formed a community Sustainability Team, comprised of technology and business leaders from six digital agencies. The goal was ambitious: create a collaborative movement to help educate clients and the community, develop tools, draft best practice guides, and share practical ways of creating low-carbon websites. According to Madsen, that's exactly what they've been doing – not just because it's the right thing to do, but because prospects are increasingly asking for carbon-conscious partners and solutions. “Our digital agency partners are increasingly seeing carbon-conscious web development included within client briefs as organizations prepare to comply with new legislation requiring disclosure of sustainable strategies across the value chain," he said. "We are committed to implementing sustainable products and business practices and supporting our partners, clients and community in their efforts to reduce CO2. We plan to deepen our engagement with <a target="_blank" href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">United Nations ESG goals</a> in 2024.”<h3 id="making-an-impact-with-people-at-work-and-across-the-planet">Making an impact with people at work and across the planet</h3>One of the first places companies can start addressing their carbon footprint is with employees. There are well-documented strategies for doing that, like adopting eco-friendly habits such as reducing paper usage, carpooling, or minimizing waste. Twelve months ago, Umbraco introduced its own Carbon Neutral Workforce initiative, which involves offsetting each employee’s carbon footprint with a target to reduce emissions by 10% per employee. Change is hard for people, and while 10% may not seem like much, multiply that by hundreds – and it becomes far more profound. In addition to its own workforce, Umbraco has been making sustainability strides around the world. Working with <a target="_blank" href="https://ecologi.com/">Ecologi</a> – an all-in-one climate platform and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bcorporation.net/">certified B Corp</a> – Umbraco also funded carbon avoidance projects in Indonesia and Eritrea.One fun story to top it off: during <a target="_blank" href="https://hacktoberfest.com/">Hacktoberfest 2023</a>, an annual open source event, Umbraco had a tree planted for every community CMS contribution. By the end, there were 13,281 seedlings added to the ground, offsetting 197 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.<h3 id="focusing-on-community-enrichment">Focusing on community enrichment</h3>Speaking of Hacktoberfest, Umbraco’s highly engaged, open source community is a vital asset to its growth and relevance. The company reported that its members continued to play an active role in code contributions throughout 2023, and were participants in addressing diversity, accessibility, and sustainability challenges. Seven new community-driven initiatives were sponsored last year following the launch of the Umbraco Champions Program, which enables members to submit ideas to benefit the community. Umbraco regularly meets with its open source community and publicly recognizes the top contributors with “Most Valuable Person (MVP)” status. To that end, 17 new MVPs were awarded in 2023 and 66 were renewed. During 2023, the number of Umbraco community events expanded to include new meetups in the U.S., India, Turkey, and Norway, in addition to the regular calendar of events in the UK and Denmark. In total, 1,750 members took part in 111 community events over the past year. A litmus test for CMS's growing interest was its annual <a target="_blank" href="https://codegarden.umbraco.com/">Umbraco Codegarden</a> business summit and developer conference in Odense, which attracted 1,700 attendees in person and online – a 17% increase from 2022’s attendance. <h3 id="setting-a-higher-bar-for-diversity-and-inclusion">Setting a higher bar for diversity and inclusion</h3>One of the beautiful things about open source software is that anyone can use and contribute to it. In many ways, it is a great equalizer – enabling everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, learning differences, or socio-economic status to bring their voice to a community of users. Open source also promotes inclusivity by empowering people who are under-represented in the IT industry.Umbraco has been encouraging this diversity within its company and community by participating in a number of initiatives. This includes Umbraco’s Coding Class, which educates local schoolchildren and encourages the next generation of coders by providing opportunities to present their ideas and gain feedback. Up-and-coming developers are also being sponsored to attend its Codegarden event, and Umbraco is offering free training and certification to computer science students at universities in the U.S., U.K., Sweden, and Denmark.From a social perspective, Umbraco is also hosting a series of Cloud Club meetups aimed at students and professionals to help deepen their understanding of IT. Umbraco is also sponsoring <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hackyourfuture.net/">Hack Your Future</a>, a not-for-profit organization that teaches refugees to code and make the leap into the tech world. On the employee side, Umbraco has been doubling down on diversity. Last year, the company welcomed 41 new staff members, including sixteen women. Its workforce now includes 27 nationalities – including a new team in Vietnam – with ages ranging from under 25 to over 60. It's worth noting that 22% of Umbraco’s C-suite are female. To help further address the IT industry’s gender gap, Umbraco has been running a female mentorship program at a local university. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>DEI positioning can often feel like marketing fluff. Without transparency and action, the commitment to doing good for people and planet can fall short – particularly if there are no clear goals or expectations. It's well and good to start a recycling program in your office, but most businesses can do more. And frankly, it's good business to do it. As more organizations specify ESG (Environmental, Sustainability, and Governance) and DEI requirements in their RFPs, companies with solid messaging and a clear track record of accomplishments will have an advantage in the minds of buyers. Think of it as brand building by bettering the world. Many people aren't aware of the significant impact the internet has on our environment. When you consider its parity with all global air traffic, it takes on an urgent and undeniable weight. It might sound dire, but the good news is that small changes in our habits can actually make a difference – if we take action. That's what Umbraco is doing, and not just for itself. By highlighting its efforts in an annual report, they are helping to set a standard for the CMS industry. As technologies that are contributing to the continued growth of the internet and its emissions, we have a responsibility to lead on this issue. And as an open source company, this further codifies Umbraco's commitment to be transparent about its efforts.I must give credit where credit is due: most leading enterprise CMS and DXP companies are publicly promoting their ESG and DEI commitments. <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/acquia">Acquia</a>, for example, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/esg">planted nearly 15,000 trees</a> and removed 1,260 tonnes of carbon as part of their program. <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/optimizely">Optimizely</a> offers pages and reports as well, although in a bit more matter-of-fact language. I researched quite a few, and was pleased to see that most brands are aspiring to do good on these initiatives.What's refreshing about Umbraco's news is that it detailed real action, particularly around its hiring practices and social programs. By providing actual numbers and not just goals, it separated the substance from the marketing. But this has always been intrinsic to its DNA. As a CMS that fully embraces openness, it's not a stretch to imagine that empathy and compassion are core to its heart.I mean, it has a headless solution called “Heartcore.” That might say everything you need to know about this company.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

Umbraco Publishes Annual Impact Report, Reinforcing Commitments to Sustainability and Community

<hr /> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gurdeepd?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAAATCdgBB_nMyWFHB28gQn7wit5H1YN8aiw">Gurdeep Dhillon</a> has some thoughts on “professional references.”Just after announcing his new gig as Chief Marketing Officer at <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a> – a composable digital experience platform – he penned a brief but heartfelt post on LinkedIn, thanking friends and colleagues who vouched for his street creds in pursuit of this position.“What a wonderful thing it is to have people in your professional life that have become more than just colleagues,” he said, marveling at how a bench of business associates had evolved into friendships and advocates. People who have your back (and vice-versa). As Gurdeep noted, it’s important for future employers to have access to these sources to make informed decisions. Testaments to quality of work are table stakes, but hearing about the character of a candidate is gold. This is where the value of deeper connections and the oft-neglected practice of developing good relationships can’t be overstated.Even at a cursory glance, it’s safe to say that Gurdeep is a people person. That should serve him well in a role that’s all about scaling software users (people, n'est-ce pas?) by strengthening brand awareness, preference, and loyalty. With two decades of enterprise software experience under his belt, Gurdeep is reaching for the stars at Contentstack, buoyed by previous roles at some of the world’s most recognized technology companies like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentful-composable-content-platform-for-sap-commerce-cloud-now-an-sap-endorsed-app">SAP</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/adobe-to-acquire-marketo">Marketo</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/cut-paste-delete-why-adobes-canceled-merger-with-figma-is-good-for-innovation">Adobe</a>. Heavy hitters to be sure.Gurdeep will report to Contentstack’s founder and CEO, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-raises-57-5-million-in-series-b-round-qa-with-ceo-neha-sampat">Neha Sampat</a>, who has shepherded the headless-CMS-turned-DXP to incredible heights – raising a total of $169 million (thus far). From an evolutionary perspective, the company has recently been added to the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/thoughts-on-the-forrester-dxp-wave-2023-dont-judge-an-analyst-report-by-its-infographic">Forrester Wave for DXPs</a>, further cementing its expansion as a composable platform with a multitude of offerings. "Gurdeep is a great fit for our Contentstack tribe, both in expertise and values alignment," she said. “He understands the industry, and what it takes to capitalize on opportunity, and lead category creation. He knows digital experiences are the new competitive frontline for brands. Best yet, he is well regarded for his leadership style and ability to bring teams together to do the best work of their lives.”I had an opportunity to relay a few questions to the new Marketer-in-Chief as he takes the reins. Contentstack has certainly blazed trails over the last few years, but market conditions have shifted, along with the topology of the DX landscape. The game is evolving, and we're all strapping in – waiting for the next drop of the coaster. Gurdeep had some great insight on what’s ahead, the still-emerging value of composable, and how the role of the CMO is transforming. I also have some reflections on what this move means for Contentstack and the market at large. <h3 id="a-proven-legacy-of-leadership">A proven legacy of leadership</h3>Gurdeep’s work history reads like a “who’s who” of tech mammoths (the aforementioned Adobe, among others). But he’s also made his impact felt with brands that are key players in their respective industries but necessarily household names. Case in point: during his most recent CMO tenure at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.zuora.com/">Zuora</a> – a monetization software suite spanning pricing and packaging, billing, payments, and more – Gurdeep helped usher the company into the next phase of "The Subscription Economy" (more on that in a bit). He’s also lending an advisory shoulder to platforms like AudiencePlus and Goldcast, which gives him a more well-rounded view of the tech and business landscape. Like most of us, Gurdeep hasn’t gotten to the top of his game alone, and has consistently built and nurtured high-performing teams to deliver success. In his three-year tenure in <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe's Digital Experience</a> business as a leader of both the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-commerce">Marketo and Magento</a> marketing organizations, he gained expertise – and empathy – for marketing and commerce leaders who are responsible for driving efficient growth. With a resume of this magnitude, Gurdeep could have the pick of the litter in a landscape of opportunities. I asked what attracted him to Contentstack, and how those attributes might play into his strategy for positioning the brand in a market of one.“For me, it was seeing the breadth and depth of iconic brands that are achieving the art of the possible through their adoption of Contentstack’s Composable DXP,” he explained. “It’s clear to me that Contentstack stands alone in terms of our position as the only Composable Platform player in this space. The spectrums that matter are monolithic versus composable and product versus platform. Contentstack wins on both.”<h3 id="cutting-through-the-composable-clutter">Cutting through the composable clutter</h3>As Gurdeep takes the marketing helm at a leading “composable DXP,” I wanted his perspective on the hotly-debated term. Over the last six months, I’ve tracked growing confusion across the landscape from buyers evaluating the field, but particularly from those who are trying to decipher the coded messaging. Where’s the differentiation when everyone claims to be composable?As platforms “race to the middle” – something I’ve spoken about frequently and discussed with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/deane">Deane Barker at the CMS Kickoff</a> – vendors on both sides (composable headless and "traditional" composed DXPs) are evolving to meet the needs of customers. For Contentstack, how can marketing help lead the charge? “I’ve been thinking a lot lately about a Brand Relevancy Crisis that both B2B and B2C companies are facing,” Gurdeep said. “There’s a big onus on marketing teams to ensure they are delivering exceptional content and experiences to their audiences. You need a composable DXP to do that right.”<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“our-customers-have-the-flexibility-and-freedom-to-build-their-stack-their-way.-that’s-the-power-of-composable.”">“Our customers have the flexibility and freedom to build their stack their way. That’s the power of composable.”</h4><hr />There’s no question that companies are under pressure to perform, especially in a digital economy where it’s crowded and noisy – and loyalty can prove elusive. Likewise, marketing teams are feeling equitable pressure to deliver results, and Gurdeep believes a composable DXP like Contentstack is the answer. “I think there’s still a ton of education that needs to be done, showing people what the future could look like and highlighting the changemakers that are leading the way. I see an opportunity to do this better.”<h3 id="following-the-mach-momentum">Following the MACH momentum</h3>Full disclosure: as a member of the <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/board">MACH Alliance Executive Advisory Board</a>, I'm keeping a constant pulse on the composable movement. I believe in the tenets of open systems and love the idea of swappable standards. So while we're all helping to better define composability from an industry perspective, I endeavor to provide a balanced and unbiased of how these trends are impacting the market. Given Contentstack’s undeniable role in shaping the trajectory of the best-of-breed member ecosystem and its advocacy of open technology standards, I was curious how Gurdeep viewed the Alliance’s role as an objective outsider with monolithic roots. “As a founding member of the MACH alliance, Contentstack set out to educate the market on a better way to build digital experiences alongside other pioneers in this space,” he said. “With the growth of this Alliance over the past four years, we’ve gone from early adopters to early majority successfully, and now it’s all about how to make it easier to do business with composable vendors and partners.”And it’s true: Contentstack has been on the evolutionary horizon with MACH, taking a more active role to address key challenges. When I spoke to Neha Sempat in Amsterdam last June at the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">MACH Two event</a>, she talked about the importance of its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentstack.com/go-composable/charter">Composable Charter</a>, a manifesto of guiding principles for enterprises on the composable journey – which was signed by a gaggle of platforms. We also discussed the creation of a first-ever accountability platform to help ensure composable stacks are properly maintained when multiple technologies can present multiple points of failure. I've heard many horror stories about out-of-control hosting bills and other issues that have emerged from composable stacks. Who's in charge when the “stuff” hits the fan?Like many of the members of the MACH Alliance, Contentstack is also reliant on enterprise and agency partners to build composable solutions. I asked Gurdeep how he values the channel from a scalability perspective.“I see tremendous opportunities with SIs and Digital Agencies that specialize in composable,” he surmised. “Many are building accelerators that allow brands to adopt composable in a way that addresses change management and a lightning-fast time to value. These are game changers, especially for larger enterprises that need to start somewhere and expand from there.”<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>Composable is still the soup du jour on the DX tech menu. As noted in the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/on-your-mach-get-set-grow-new-research-reveals-expanding-support-roi-for-mach">recently published research from the MACH Alliance</a>, the drift towards both the architectural and philosophical tenets of this burgeoning movement is clear, with big growth being forecast in the US. At the same time, it continues to be confusing morass as platforms try to reposition around the lexicon without alienating the market gods.Contentstack has been carrying the mantle of “composable DXP” for quite some time, and doing it adeptly. Last year <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-launch-aims-to-simplify-front-end-hosting-interview-with-dean-haddock-senior-product-manager">when I spoke to Dean Haddock</a>, a senior product manager for the company’s Launch offering, it was already deep into the messaging. By December, Contentstack was a fixture on the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/thoughts-on-the-forrester-dxp-wave-2023-dont-judge-an-analyst-report-by-its-infographic">Forrester Wave for DXPs</a> – a testament to its brand-rattling at the analyst level. Of course, being rolled in with traditional DXPs raised a lot of questions (and maybe a modicum of ire) about the definition of a “digital experience platform” in the composable era. At the same time, some downstream platforms experimented with shedding their headless skin, while monoliths embraced nomenclatures like “composable hybrid headless DXP” as a mantra. It’s all adding to that morass, and precisely why top-down marketing is so critical to reinforcing the right messages and cutting through the confusion for the buyer.The hiring of a new C-Level is also a throat-clearing moment, and Contentstack is sending a sharp signal to the market about its ambitions. By selecting someone with high-octane Adobe DNA, it’s leveling up to compete on the DXP grid with greater gusto. Simultaneously, things are in flux across the landscape: <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/big-shift-at-sitecore-dave-oflanagan-takes-the-helm-as-interim-ceo">Sitecore just made a change at the CEO level</a> at a time when the company’s chief investment backer is contemplating a sale. M&amp;A activities look poised to rebound (although it’s still a wait-and-see situation). Seismic shifts in leadership are sometimes a sign that bigger moves are already in the pipeline, so we'll see how the Contentstack story evolves in 2024.<h3 id="finally,-let's-talk-about-cmos…">Finally, let's talk about CMOs…</h3>Yup. They’re in the hot seat – perhaps more so than any other manager in the C-suite. They’re experiencing tighter tenures than ever before, although some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/cmo-tenure-length-spencer-stuart/649279/">move on to bigger and better things</a>. But in a world where long games are getting shorter and shorter, CMOs live and die by the revenue sword. I’m not trying to be macabre or conjure Game of Thrones, but there are certain analogies about battlefields and dragons that certainly fit this job description.I asked Gurdeep what he thought about the role of the CMO given the recent decision by <a target="_blank" href="https://digiday.com/marketing/why-starbucks-elimination-of-its-global-cmo-indicates-an-evolution-of-the-role-not-a-canary-in-the-coal-mine/">Starbucks to eliminate the position</a> from its hierarchy, choosing instead to rely on decentralized leaders in different geographical regions. I don’t think it’s a harbinger of the CMO’s demise, but how is the job changing at a time when marketing is so essential to powering growth?“I think the role of the CMO is evolving in a few key ways,” he replied. “Now more than ever, the CMO is being held accountable to defining efficient growth strategies. This includes leaning into new technologies that help drive scale, especially generative AI. In B2B especially, CMOs are focusing more and more on customer-centricity – helping drive advocacy, retention, and ultimately expansion of the existing customer base. This is absolutely critical in an economic downturn when winning new logos is difficult for most vendors. Last but not least, CMOs are fighting the Brand Relevancy Crisis - trying to overcome the fact that there’s saturation across channels and it’s never been harder to rise above the noise, compounded by a cookie-less world and the explosion of AI-generated content.”It’s telling that Contentstack would invest in someone with ingrained knowledge and reverence for “The Subscription Economy,” as Gurdeep referenced. It speaks to the company’s view of where things are headed: more SaaS, less friction. Elegant tools that are powered by AI and free of code. And stuff that’s truly composable and, er… integrates seamlessly (I hate even writing that phrase, but you get the dream). At the end of the day, a Chief Marketing Officer is more than the sum of their parts. It’s not enough to know how to wield the technology and read between the analytics. This job requires empathy, and the most successful CMOs can tune into the customer’s frequency with passion and intention and guide the right resources to convert that interest into action. They also need to love what they do. Seriously. You can't go into a creative leadership role like this without a corpus callosum that modulates the right modicum of creativity with an appetite for data. Given how much today's CMOs have to know, I asked Gurdeep what keeps him excited and engaged about marketing – so he can tune in accordingly. “I love changing people’s minds,” he said. “When you show somebody what their world could look like if they step through the door to the other side, it’s an incredible feeling. And in my opinion, the best way to do that authentically is with helpful, relevant content and experiences, built with empathy for your audience. I call it Audience Marketing and it’s absolutely shaped by my roots in content. You can’t lose if you’ve created a genuine connection with your audience over time, because when they are ready to address their challenges with a technology decision, they will almost assuredly come to you.”Well said. And precisely why he has amazing professional references.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

Contentstack just hired an ex-Adobe exec as CMO. Here’s why it matters

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<hr /> At its core, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/ci-hub">CI HUB</a> is enabling users to work smarter – and more efficiently – without hopping between windows. The Potsdam-based company gained early success by focusing on connectors within creative platforms, offering an easy-to-use integration that's made it something of a “must-have" with tools like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe Creative Cloud</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365">Microsoft Office365</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/google-cloud-platform">Google Workspace</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/cut-paste-delete-why-adobes-canceled-merger-with-figma-is-good-for-innovation">Figma</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sketch">Sketch</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a>. It also connects to stock providers and cloud storage services.But CI HUB is endeavoring to be even more meaningful, acting as a single source of access to centralized data and assets in a marketing ecosystem. This broadens the landscape for its digital aggregation capabilities across CMS, DAM, PIM, MAM, and MDM platforms. That's a lot of acronyms, to be sure – but it demonstrates the potential reach across a myriad of content repositories.Just how handy is CI HUB? Enough to warrant a seed round from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scalecapital.com/">Scale Capital</a>, a Danish early-stage technology investor with a focus on helping companies accelerate growth in the US market. CI HUB's press release indicated that the investment was a “significant seven-figure amount” compiled from new and existing investors – representing a major step in the company's journey towards revolutionizing the way corporates and creatives access digital assets and data.  "We are delighted to welcome Scale Capital as a financial and strategic partner, alongside our existing investors, as we embark on the next phase of our journey," said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasmichalski/">Andreas Michalski</a>, founder and CEO of CI HUB GmbH. "This collective support validates the strength of our vision and technology and provides us with the resources and expertise to drive innovation and deliver even greater value to our customers."  The announcement coincides with CI HUB's attendance at the <a target="_blank" href="https://summit.adobe.com/na/">Adobe Summit 2024</a> in Las Vegas, which lasts from March 25 - 28. CI HUB is attending the event as a sponsor, highlighting the importance of the Adobe partnership to its continued growth.<h3 id="building-inroads-to-cms,-dam,-and-other-content-platforms">Building inroads to CMS, DAM, and other content platforms</h3>CI HUB specializes in developing innovative solutions that seamlessly connect leading <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management systems (CMS)</a> and digital asset management (DAM) platforms. Their suite of products makes it simple to access, manage, and distribute digital assets across various channels and platforms, streamlining workflows for businesses of all sizes. This has clear advantages for content management and digital experience platforms, which typically offer some level of digital asset management – and in some cases like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/acquia">Acquia</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/optimizely">Optimizely</a>, very robust DAM solutions. CI HUB views these channels as accelerators for growth. “We see the role of CMS, DXP, DAM, and other content platform partners as being strong pillars of growth for us going forward,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickwstein/">Nick Stein</a>, CMO at CI HUB. “Of course, this is mutually beneficial for both CI HUB and our partners. Integrating our software not only improves the user experience of these platforms, but in the case of DAMs, it widens the potential user base within their client organizations.”CI HUB is used by clients such as Ford, Zurich, T-Mobile, FedEx, and hundreds more as an integral part of their creative workflows.    <h3 id="investing-in-the-future-of-content-integration">Investing in the future of content integration</h3>With Scale Capital's investment, CI HUB is poised to accelerate its growth trajectory and expand its market reach globally. This is laser-focused on the U.S., where the company is already seeing significant traction – and a bulk of its existing business currently resides. In addition to Scale Capital, CI HUB's existing investors including HTGF, Brandenburg Kapital, the Berlin Angel Fund, and Urban AM have extended their financial engagement. The capital infusion will help CI HUB to further enhance its product offering, scale its operations, and strengthen its position as a leader in the content integration space.  Along with broader innovation, the investment will also be concentrated on the growth of the company's CI HUB Drive, or “DAM for Desktop” functionality. With this tool, the DAM is virtually mounted and displayed as an external server or external hard disk in the MacOS Finder or in Windows Explorer – making it incredibly seamless, like Dropbox. "We are very excited to partner with the CI HUB team to fuel their growth and market expansion," said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joachimschelde/">Joachim Schelde</a>, Senior Associate at Scale Capital. "Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of content integration, enabling businesses to unlock new efficiencies and opportunities in digital content management."  <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>Connectors have become critical parts of the integration landscape, enabling new tools and platforms to be quickly activated and leveraged for a range of use cases. With less friction, users have more control over the tools they wish to curate, allowing for a more customized and composed stack of solutions. Content Integration is a key area in the DX mix, addressing the challenges that exist with siloed data and assets. By accelerating the connections to content in various repositories, creators and teams are able to enhance their access to a broad range of resources to help support their brand initiatives. However, with the rampant scale and complexity of different sources, users are having to take multiple steps to find, select, and utilize content assets from different sources – like DAMs.CI HUB reflects a continued motion towards optimization, providing an elegant solution that augments the value of content management, digital experience, and digital asset management platforms. It represents a new breed of connector that streamlines the flow and improves productivity around an ever-growing cache of content resources. Given the number of assets and legacy systems that enterprises are wrestling with, these types of solutions are helping build bridges across the last miles of user experience.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

CI Hub Announces Major Investment, Plans to Scale Content Integration Solutions

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<hr /> For the past seven years, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kentico">Kentico</a> – a composable hybrid headless platform – has been at the forefront of recognizing and honoring exceptional achievements in digital innovation and user-centric design with its signature ‘Site of the Year’ Awards.The company just published the list of winners from its 2023 program, and it's once again impressive. We did a deep dive analysis of last year's winners, which you can <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kentico-site-of-the-year-competition-proves-custom-web-design-is-alive-and-thriving">check out here.</a> As the company noted in its press release, the examples reflect the pinnacle of creativity, dedication, and technological prowess in delivering extraordinary online experiences – as well as the continued relevance of good web design and digital experience in the modern era.  “As a member of the evaluation committee, I am thrilled by both the quantity and, more importantly, the exceptional quality of submissions we received for Site of the Year 2023," said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-tucek/">Debbie Tucek</a>, Director of Product at Kentico. "The diversity and ingenuity showcased in these projects truly highlight the incredible possibilities achievable with Kentico.”To qualify for the Site of the Year 2023 contest, websites or apps must have been a first-time contender (unless significantly redesigned), launched during 2023, and built on Kentico Xperience 13 or Xperience by Kentico. <h3 id="meticulous-evaluation-standards-for-excellence-">Meticulous evaluation standards for excellence </h3>With over 100 submissions received, Kentico's evaluation committee meticulously evaluated each entry against a comprehensive set of criteria: <ul><li>Achievement of business goals: The extent to which the website or app contributed to the attainment of the organization's objectives, such as increased conversions, sales, or brand awareness. </li><li>UX (User Experience): The overall quality of the user experience, including ease of navigation, intuitiveness, and responsiveness across various devices and platforms. </li><li>Interactivity: The degree to which the website or app engages users through interactive elements, such as animations, forms, quizzes, or personalized content. </li><li>Graphic design: The visual appeal, aesthetics, and coherence of the design elements, including layout, typography, color scheme, and imagery. </li><li>Innovation: The originality and creativity demonstrated in the implementation of unique features, functionalities, or approaches that set the project apart from competitors. </li><li>Content: The relevance, quality, and effectiveness of the content in communicating the organization's message, engaging users, and driving desired actions. </li><li>Use of Kentico capabilities: The effective utilization of Kentico's features, tools, and functionalities to optimize the website or app's performance, scalability, and customization capabilities. </li></ul>Following a rigorous evaluation process, the committee identified the most exemplary entries that demonstrated exceptional proficiency across these criteria.  <h3 id="‘site-of-year’-award-winners-for-2023-">‘Site of Year’ Award winners for 2023 </h3>According to Kentico, these projects have not only met but exceeded its stringent criteria – showcasing innovation, successful business outcomes, user-centric experiences, interactive design, graphic excellence, inventive content, and a masterful utilization of Kentico's capabilities.  B2B Category<ul><li>BlueModus emerged victorious with its website transformation utilizing Xperience by Kentico, delivering seamless migration and advanced SEO tools (implemented by BlueModus).</li><li>Honorable mentions go to Advanced Energy (implemented by EETech) and BDO Digital (implemented by BizStream). </li></ul>Commerce Category<ul><li>Nowy Styl's Kentico-powered site, implemented by Infinity Group, offers streamlined processes and enhanced engagement for stakeholders. </li><li>Honorable mentions include Crowley Energy, Buxton Oil, Ayer &amp; Goss (implemented by Fuseideas and NITTIN), and Fenerbahçe SuperApp (implemented by PortalGrup). </li></ul>Consumer Goods Category<ul><li>Škoda Elektromobilita takes the spotlight with its immersive Kentico website captivating potential customers with its electromobility showcase (implemented by BiQ Bluesoft). </li><li>Honorable mentions include Niveko (implemented by PUXdesign) and Alcohol Detection Systems (implemented by BlueModus). </li></ul>Education &amp; Careers Category<ul><li>Blanchard's Kentico site revamp enhances user experience, boosts traffic, and refines content strategy (implemented by Americaneagle.com).</li><li>Honorable mentions go to Driestar Onderwijsadvies (implemented by Aviva Solutions) and Yapı Kredi Yarınlara Kartopu (implemented by PortalGrup). </li></ul>Entertainment, Hospitality &amp; Tourism Category <ul><li>Mainz 05's website launch on Xperience by Kentico optimizes user experience and internal workflows (implemented by kuehlhaus and BiQ Bluesoft). </li><li>Honorable mentions include Good Eats (implemented by Ridgeway) and ACF Fiorentina (implemented by EXETERA srl l Thinking Digital). </li></ul>Financial Services Category <ul><li>HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union's Kentico-powered site delivers personalized experiences and seamless site management (implemented by ZAG Interactive). </li><li>Honorable mentions include NinjaTrader (implemented by Americaneagle.com) and Forvis (implemented by SilverTech). </li></ul>Government &amp; Municipal Category<ul><li>City of Swan's Kentico site enhances user experience and introduces self-service options for residents (implemented by ALYKA Pty Ltd). </li><li>Honorable mentions include Texas Association of Counties (implemented by BlueModus) and Ohio Lottery (implemented by Marcus Thomas, LLC). </li></ul><h3 id="blanchard-takes-the-coveted-community-choice-award">Blanchard takes the coveted Community Choice Award</h3>Among the exceptional entries in the 2023 ‘Site of the Year’ Awards, Blanchard took home the coveted Community Choice Award, chosen from the successful Industry winners via public vote. Built by Americaneagle.com, Blanchard's stunning new website stood out for its remarkable achievements in digital innovation and user-centric design. Blanchard's decision to leverage Kentico's intuitive interface, robust CMS functionalities, adaptability, scalability, integration capabilities, and multilingual support proved instrumental in realizing its vision for the project. The primary objectives included enhancing user experience, revitalizing branding, boosting conversion rates, refining content strategy, and optimizing performance.  The results speak volumes for the success of the project. The revamped site showcases improved user experience, heightened traffic, enhanced brand perception, mobile responsiveness, refined content strategy, and streamlined navigation. Blanchard's commitment to excellence and Americaneagle.com's expertise in execution has truly set a new standard in the industry.  All the winners of ‘Site of the Year’ 2023 represent the pinnacle of digital innovation and user-centric design, embodying Kentico's commitment to empowering businesses and organizations to deliver exceptional online experiences.   <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

Kentico Announces Winners of 2023 'Site of the Year' Awards

<hr /> Digital accessibility continues to be an elusive problem. It really shouldn't be, but it is.In the physical realm, governments around the globe have made solid gains in regulating environments and accommodating individuals with disabilities. Buildings have ramps, signs include Braille, and public transportation is equipped for all riders. But digital experiences have struggled for a myriad of reasons, the least of which is a lack of similarly enforceable governance. While the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.w3.org/">W3C</a> provides a strong measure of industry standardization via its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/">WCAG guidelines</a>, not everyone follows them. Sometimes, that results in contentious lawsuits like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boia.org/blog/the-robles-v.-dominos-settlement-and-why-it-matters">Robles v. Domino’s Pizza</a>. In the end, the pie chain lost the battle, and the optics were even worse for its business. In the U.S. public sector, there are more rigid compliance requirements like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.section508.gov/">Section 508</a>, where punitive damages have been awarded when cities or government agencies don't provide accessible experience. Unfortunately, that's just a portion of the entire addressable market, particularly when it comes to things like digital video. Until recently, adding captions and transcripts to videos was labor-intensive and even cost-prohibitive. But the rise of artificial intelligence tools has changed the game – making it easier and, in many cases, a free part of many video platforms and experiences. How has this impacted businesses? <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wistia">Wistia</a> knows.Today, the video marketing platform unveiled its <a target="_blank" href="https://wistia.com/learn/marketing/video-marketing-statistics">“State of Video: Video Marketing Statistics for 2024”</a> report, compiling real user data on the Wistia platform and feedback from an in-depth customer survey. Wistia analyzed over 90 million videos and over 100,000 businesses on their platform between January 1st and December 31st, 2023, to build the report.While conducted annually, this year's analysis stands out as a bellwether for AI, revealing that the use of artificial intelligence to enhance video accessibility dramatically increased in 2023. The report also includes data that underscores the value of video for businesses, and that despite economic uncertainty over the past year, it remains a top priority in marketing strategies.At the end of the day, accessibility is all about inclusion. It's necessary for users, but it's also good business for brands. Wista's report puts the numbers into sharp relief, showing the positive impact of AI to automate a critical task and deliver better experiences. <h3 id="ai-is-making-video-more-inclusive-and-far-reaching-">AI is making video more inclusive and far-reaching </h3>With video usage and consumption growing, companies are focusing on increasing the accessibility of video content. AI has been a main driver in making videos more accessible with 59% more videos seeing a higher accessibility score in 2023 than in 2022. In terms of factors that enhance video accessibility in 2023, video captions saw the most significant growth, with over 254% more businesses having closed captions on their videos than in 2022. In fact, more than half of companies using AI tools say they are most useful for auto-generating captions or transcripts. The use of captions goes beyond increasing accessibility scores. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/quicktok/online/Power_Creative_Elements/pc/en">TikTok</a>, the presence of captions leads to a 95% jump in brand affinity, a 58% bump in recall, a 31% improvement in likability, and a 25% uplift in uniqueness, making video content more far-reaching and enhancing the overall audience experience.“It’s clear brands are experimenting with AI in video creation and optimization,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsavage/">Chris Savage</a>, CEO and co-founder of Wistia. “Given consumers in 2023 watched more videos than ever before, video inclusiveness has emerged as a top priority for brands. Unlocking the power of AI to create greater inclusivity in digital experiences stands at the forefront of the video production industry. We expect this to continue to evolve and shape how we create video content and how people engage with digital experiences.”<h3 id="users-recognize-the-value-of-video-despite-roadblocks">Users recognize the value of video despite roadblocks</h3>According to the report, 80% of businesses said they want more video content, and 60% of businesses want to invest more money to make it. Despite economic uncertainty and limited resources throughout 2023, organizations still recognize the value of video, with only 4% reporting they’ll likely have fewer resources for video in 2024.With nearly 100% of businesses saying that video is an important part of their marketing strategy, challenges still remain to create videos. The top are time and bandwidth, with 61% of businesses saying that’s their biggest hurdle, followed by 44% of companies saying team size, resources, and technical capability. Most video creators are using simple tools accessible to anyone with a laptop, with 57% of businesses using screen and webcam recorders.<h3 id="shorter-videos-aren’t-necessarily-more-engaging-">Shorter videos aren’t necessarily more engaging </h3>Though engagement tends to drop significantly when video length goes over five minutes, Wistia's data showed that the engagement rate for videos between one and five minutes is almost the same, no matter the length. This gives brands the freedom to experiment with longer videos. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn have expanded time limits for videos beyond two minutes, providing opportunities to create longer videos while keeping engagement rates high.The Wistia report also revealed that consumers prefer instructional over promotional video content. Instructional content under five minutes had 2X the engagement of promotional content of the same length. According to TikTok, videos that show products in use see a +25% uplift in recall, +23% in ad likeability, +65% in brand affinity, and +18% in consideration. Even as instructional videos get longer, they maintain a higher level of engagement on average. As brands consider types of video content to produce or strategies for engaging with influencers, explainer videos lead to higher engagement compared to promotional brand videos. <h3 id="want-more-stats?">Want more stats?</h3>Wistia goes deep with the details in this year's report. To peruse its statistics and get a better understanding of how accessibility fits into the picture, you can download the free report from <a target="_blank" href="https://wistia.com/learn/marketing/video-marketing-statistics">the company's website</a>.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

Wistia Releases 2024 State of Video Report, Shows Surge in AI for Enhancing Video Accessibility

<hr /> Sailing might not seem fast. A yawl or a sloop can’t hold a candle to a speedboat with twin outboard engines or a raging hydrofoil. But if you’ve ever seen the America’s Cup or a competitive regatta, you can’t deny that a supped-up catamaran – with the right crew – can move at dizzying speeds.   When I spoke to <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/michael-lukaszczyk">Michael Lukaszczyk</a> last week about the launch of the <a target="_blank" href="https://hygraph.com/blog/hygraph-studio-beta">new Hygraph Studio beta</a>, the topic of sailing came up. It’s a subject I know something about: my father is a certified Coast Guard captain, and I grew up chipping barnacles off hulls in New England summers. Sure, I was a grunt on a mooring line, cleaning the head and emptying the ballast. But I learned other skills as well, like how to tie knots and tighten jibs in my dad’s salty shadow. One important lesson still sticks with me, and it’s never been more relevant to technology than now: The wind is always changing – and you won’t get anywhere if you fight it.  As a headless CMS in a highly competitive field, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/hygraph">Hygraph</a> has been reading the wind and tacking in the right places. With this week’s release of Hygraph Studio, the company is listening to its users and doubling down on improving performance on a multitude of levels. The beta, which went live yesterday, is expected to be a first taste of the new experience, with a general release coming later this year. But it’s more than a new paint job on a fiberglass finish. “Hygraph Studio is a complete re-architecture and upgrade of our user interface optimized for maximum global performance,” Michael said. “We've been putting a lot of effort into making the whole thing as fast as possible globally, regardless of where you are on the planet or where your content is stored.”OK, so is it really faster? If you’re comparing Hygraph Classic to Hygraph Studio, you might just think there are a couple of outboard engines strapped to it. But like sailing, it’s more about the precision tuning that’s translating into higher performance. This comes down to a combination of UX enhancements, a new content asset management engine, and more. I got the nautical read from Michael about the Hygraph Studio release and what’s in store following the launch of the beta. We also discussed the UI improvements and the benefits of having a core asset management solution and how this is impacting performance on the open water. At the end of the day, it’s all about delivering higher content velocity, a recurring theme that has come up in our previous discussions. These upgrades aren’t just about a re-architecture that delivers speed, but the additional features and functionality that make it all a smoother ride.<h3 id="pulling-up-anchors-to-achieve-global-performance--">Pulling up anchors to achieve global performance  </h3>Like any beta, there are anticipated fixes and a roadmap for releases to come. But even with this first glimpse, there’s confidence at Hygraph that the acceleration will be felt in a profound way. For Michael, this is essential to the content management experience and all of its users. “Things being very snappy is really an important ingredient for content velocity, and it should not get in the way,” he remarked. “In content management, that's a little bit of our philosophy. Every second that's in the way of you actually making a change or an update is a waste.”Playing into the equation for speed are new global performance aspirations for Hygraph Studio. Up until now, Hygraph users have relied on API calls to the management database in Frankfurt, Germany – regardless of where their Hygraph project might be stored. Now, with the introduction of a new multi-regional deployment management service, proximity is no longer a drag. According to Hygraph’s data, the regional solution not only delivers faster load times, but also a 10x reduced latency for management operations globally. Michael said this is a big improvement for global customers, providing a more distributed solution that delivers maximum geographic performance for Hygraph’s growing customer base. “Australia is actually a very strong market and we're opening up new opportunities and more performance there,” he said. “We have quite an active user base in Japan, and they also now enjoy this new global performance.”<h3 id="smoother-sailing-with-an-improved-content-api">Smoother sailing with an improved content API</h3>With Hygraph’s content API, there’s also another big release under the hood that delivers much finer granularity on cache invalidation. As Michael noted, Hygraph’s customers already have strong API performance at the CDN level – but he sees even more improvement on the way.“Our customers have a cache hit ratio of roughly 90%,” he explained. “So 90% of their API calls hit a CDN, and they get the response of the headless API data. And that’s with document-level caching – which is much more fine-grained. We hope to get to the level of 95%.”It may sound like an incremental step from 90% to 95%, but as Michael noted, if you have millions or billions of API calls, there's a huge performance gain for the end customer.Clearly, there’s been a lot of infrastructure work under the hood (or tightening of the sails). But there’s also been a smart expansion of global resources that align with the company’s goals for growth, particularly in nascent or rapidly growing markets. <h3 id="enhancing-the-instruments:-delivering-better-ui/ux-">Enhancing the instruments: delivering better UI/UX </h3>Another key part of the Hygraph Studio beta and forthcoming GA are enhancements to the user interface. These will unfold in the weeks that follow the initial launch, but Michael indicated that there are many – some large, some small – and all designed with the user in mind.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:78.38%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/03/new-intuitive-schema-view.png" alt="" /></figure> “There are macro UX improvements, but also micro UX improvements,” he said. “[For example] there's a new Command Menu, where you can hit Command+K to completely navigate throughout the application, and developers love this. In developer tooling, there's a new Field Outline in the content form, so when you're editing content in the form, you get a whole navigation outline.”And these are just a few of the upgrades you can expect from Hygraph Studio, which are tacitly designed to help users work faster and more efficiently. I had a chance to review some of the highlights firsthand, which include enhancements to content forms for faster, smoother navigation and modeling with nested components. There are also revised content tables for content-rich data.From an aesthetic perspective, there are also a few UI “facelifts” that improve on an already clean, minimalistic template. This includes upgrades to the Schema view that enhance the addition of models and fields. But the changes go beyond good looks and are keenly designed to reduce the number of clicks – accelerating each step of the modeling process.  Another notable addition: lazy loading of components, which delivers a faster load time when opening a content entry or nested components. It’s a simple thing, but one that can shave seconds of frustration when maneuvering through choppy waters.   <h3 id="improving-the-editorial-experience-and-adding-live-preview-">Improving the editorial experience and adding live preview </h3>I asked Michael what really drove the direction of the UI/UX enhancements, and what level of user will see the most benefits. Obviously, there are developers and editors on the ship, all trying to sail in a coordinated way – and historically, Hygraph has been more focused on the developer side of the crew.“So one key motivation for Hygraph Studio was improving the editorial experience significantly, because we come from a very developer-centric founder team and DNA,” he said. “We [have] always lived and breathed on the API side of things, but we’re now getting better with content creators. This has been a little bit of a weak spot from coming from such a developer-centric understanding of things, but of course, in content management, you always have those two parties. And we want to make both happy, so we're putting more and more resources into the editorial experience.”From that perspective, one of the most notable changes in the UI is with the content form, where you have an entirely new Field Outline for navigating content entries. As Michael described, it’s like using Figma or Adobe Photoshop, where you have your image layers assembled on the side. In Hygraph Studio, you can now see meta information gathered in a similar way along the left side of the editorial interface. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:85.58%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/03/hygraph-field-outline.jpg" alt="" /></figure>In the headless regatta, the race for the cup is getting tighter than ever. But Hygraph continues to differentiate around its focus on data, product development, and federated content. Still, user expectations are necessitating certain features – particularly when it comes to the visual layer. We’ve seen the growth of composable solutions and digital experience composition as a panacea for this missing link, but many platforms are now building their own tools. During our discussion, Michael revealed that live preview is on the near-term roadmap (although not part of the Hygraph Studio GA). However, he was quick to point out why an opinionated page builder is not the answer they’ve been after. “The one big feature on the horizon that is wished by many is the live preview,” he said. “It's a side-by-side editing [experience] where on the left you have a headless CMS interface, on the right you see the result directly. It's not a what you see is what you get editing experience. A good live preview provides a very quick feedback loop of what you're doing in the CMS and how your end results look. We don't have an opinionated page builder that’s reliant on elements that are dependent on the system, because we want to support product development for brands like Peloton or Netflix – and you don’t need pages in those use cases.”It makes perfect sense and might be exactly the right compromise for Hygraph’s target audience. As a composable platform, the new live preview feature could also complement third-party page builders that are powered by Hygraph, further elevating the value for the user.<h3 id="putting-more-wind-in-the-sails-with-core-asset-management-">Putting more wind in the sails with core asset management </h3>If the other features in Hygraph Studio are spinnakers and genoas (these are types of sails for all ye landlubbers), then the hoisting of the new Hygraph Asset Management system might be the main sail. I asked Michael why it was an important move to build a home-grown solution and how it might impact the performance and reliability for users. “We ripped out the existing asset management [system] which was provided by a third party partner, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.filestack.com/">Filestack</a>, and built an in-house implementation of asset management,” he explained, “which, in some cases, leads to performance improvements of 10x managing and operating assets. But it’s also [beneficial] when you clone projects or work within production, staging, or development environments.”On this subject of environments, Michael gave a simple and relatable example for CMS users: let’s say you want to implement a new feature and create content definitions with new schema, but you don't want to break your production environment in the process. In this case, you would use environments like “draft” or “staging” – similar to GitHub branches – to replicate, build, and develop within. Now, cloning such environments is much faster thanks to a core asset manager. “Before, we had to re-upload all the assets from one environment to the other using our third-party solution. So if you had a lot of assets – gigabytes or even terabytes – it could take minutes or even hours to build the environment. Now, it takes only seconds, because we have the asset management engine under the hood in our own realm. So it's more like ‘copy-paste’ within the system.”<h3 id="what’s-the-next-port-of-call-on-the-headless-seas?">What’s the next port-of-call on the headless seas?</h3>I think that’s weighing on the mind of every CMS “captain” who’s plotting a course for 2024. The winds they are a-changin’ – and for headless CMS vendors, there’s been a <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-dxp-kerfuffle-finding-the-big-chords-in-the-2024-gartner-magic-quadrant">clear shift towards a more DXP-like composition</a>, one where resources like asset management are becoming a part of the core (so sayeth some of the analysts). This is challenging the perception of what a “DXP” is in a composable landscape, particularly as traditional DXP vendors are offering headless and decoupled solutions as well.That’s why listening to the wind has never been more important, and Hygraph is clearly doing that by listening to its customers. While the introduction of core asset management is key to a more complete vision, the addition of live preview will further expand its value while remaining steadfast in its focus on data-driven product development applications. This clarity around its competitive differentiation is key. “For CMS vendors like the Storybloks out there, it cannot get visual enough,” he explained. “This is really catering to very static use cases that are building the experience that end users see, but this is very limited in the use cases that you can model. There's a big market for that, but a lot of competition because you can pay a lot for an enterprise headless CMS with a page builder or you go very low end on the pricing and use a Webflow or Wix – and that CMS is perfectly fine for those use cases.”One other way Hygraph is tacking with wind is by amplifying the focus on the editorial experience. As Michael noted, the company has been primarily developer-centric; this has been a perceived weak spot in its holistic strategy. Hygraph Studio aims to improve this with its myriad of UX enhancements and forthcoming capabilities. A good move, and one that demonstrates a strong commitment to the customer experience.For the buyer, it’s also getting harder to know where to drop anchor amid the shifting conditions. This is where knowledge and awareness are essential, particularly around specific use cases where headless CMS delivers a great value proposition.As Michael noted, “We're on the mission to educate the architects out there on the journey to building something big.”Aye, captain.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global 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, so secure your tickets today.

Hygraph Studio Sets Sail with Increased Content Velocity and New Asset Management Capabilities

<hr /> When you deconstruct the word “research,” it literally connotes that one is searching – again. For the past three years, that’s precisely what the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-publishes-first-annual-report-showcases-industry-impact-and-plans-for-2024">MACH Alliance</a> has been doing: “re” searching its communities of influence to establish the patterns and trends that define the direction of MACH.Each year, the group of independent tech companies advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems has published the results of a global survey it conducts, focusing on IT decision-makers and the role of MACH and composable. Over time, the trend lines have become clearer. This week, the Alliance presented its fourth edition of the annual study, and the findings underscore two key realities: MACH is growing – and it’s delivering a tangible ROI for companies that are adopting it. According to the MACH Alliance, the new survey reveals a heightened level of leadership support for MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud native SaaS, Headless). The report states that 91% of IT decision-makers say MACH and composable technology will be instrumental to their success in the next five years – and 85% see “clear evidence” that they are achieving ROI in their MACH investments.In the heated race to modernize and expand, brands have poured the gas on their digital investments over the last few years, due in part to the elevated force of a pandemic. Now, as the report notes, economic volatility and uncertainty have become factors – but MACH adoption continues to see stable growth despite the drag of market conditions. "MACH technologies are critical to ensuring resilience and agility for businesses navigating swift market changes now and in the future," said <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a>, President of the MACH Alliance. "Sustained adoption is remarkable in an economic climate that at large has put substantial IT projects on hold. The outcomes of this year's survey confirm a steady pivot towards scalable, composable systems that cater to evolving end-user requirements, and those companies are seeing tangible payoffs from their investments in MACH.”’It's worth noting the methodology of the survey, which was completed by 551 IT decision-makers of director level and above. 37% we C-Suite executives. The sample included respondents from the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France, and represented enterprises with at least 5,000 employees.<h3 id="u.s.-pulls-ahead-of-europe-in-pace-of-adoption">U.S. pulls ahead of Europe in pace of adoption</h3>At last year’s <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">MACH Two Conference in Amsterdam</a>, I spoke at length with members of the MACH Alliance leadership team. At the time, it was well-established that Europe was still ahead of North America in terms of MACH adoption. But even then, many saw the U.S. and its total addressable market as a sleeping giant.Fast forward to now, and Goliath is stirring. While the pace of MACH adoption is broadly demonstrating stable adoption, the pace in the United States has slightly surpassed that of Europe. From 2023 to 2024, respondents stated that they had increased the percentage of MACH across their IT infrastructure from 85% to 88% in the U.S., compared to 85% to 86% in Europe. From an industry perspective, it’s clear that retail is the big winner, showing the highest investment in MACH. Retail and commerce have long been the stronghold for MACH applications, with large brands illustrating the benefits through several use cases at last year’s MACH Two Conference. It’s worth noting that both professional and financial services categories were right behind retail in the adoption rankings, evidence that the benefits of MACH are being experienced beyond the core of retail and commerce. <h3 id="leadership-leads-the-way-to-growth">Leadership leads the way to growth</h3>As with all new technologies, consensus is key to adoption. The shift to composable has been met with varying degrees of friction given the cost and complexity for many enterprises – particularly those reliant on legacy systems with siloed data.   But that might be starting to change. According to the MACH Alliance survey, there’s been a notable reduction of internal resistance to adopting MACH architectures. Based on feedback from respondents, there’s been a sizable decline from 33% in 2023 to 26% in 2024. Meanwhile, leadership resistance is eroding. Today, only 18% of respondents cite the lack of board or leadership support as a barrier, as compared to 28% in 2023. What’s driving this shift? As the MACH Alliance report surmises, it could be attributed in part to the realization of sizeable ROI from MACH investments. Additionally, more IT leaders view MACH as a key differentiator and a competitive advantage for improving customer experience and innovating faster. A growing proportion also see MACH as a way to improve their competitive posture, with almost half of all respondents making this observation versus just 39% in 2023.The survey also revealed a number of additional benefits of MACH adoption, with respondents claiming their processes have become more streamlined while increasing revenue. They also pinpointed soft benefits such as increased “volume of achievement,” customer satisfaction, and employee productivity.<h3 id="navigating-the-obstacles-">Navigating the obstacles </h3>The MACH Alliance has taken its fair share of lumps over the last few years. Market watchers have often been critical of its austere criteria for membership, and a persistent lack of transparency has drawn ire. That said, the organization has been fervently committed to responding to feedback – and has deftly managed these challenges as it continues to advocate for composable architectures and practices. One of the biggest obstacles to MACH adoption continues to be education. This is not limited to the core fundamentals of MACH architectures but to the trade-offs between upfront costs and realizing the future benefits of a MACH investment. According to the survey, respondents also voiced concerns about end user and customer resistance to change, as well as reliance on vendors to ensure continuous business operations. These represent key barriers to adoption. To address these issues, the MACH Alliance is rolling out an education program in Q2 of 2024 to help companies face these challenges head-on and mitigate the risk. <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>The MACH Alliance is more than a cabal of like-minded technologies. From the beginning, it has been committed to building awareness and driving visibility for the MACH movement – and doing so by investing in education and market research.  The data in this survey helps validate the continued motion toward composable and MACH solutions. With four years of data – albeit across relatively modest samples – the trend lines are solidifying. This further reinforces what <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/">Kelly Goetsch</a>, former president of the MACH Alliance, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">observed at the MACH Two Conference</a>: “MACH now feels like the default.”Why is this important? Because it serves as a barometer for broad change. Clearly, more businesses are paying attention, studying the potential benefits, and weighing the risks and rewards that come with the composable journey. For those already on the path, the results are paying off. This is where the numbers help tell the story. In my year-end wrap with Casper Rasmussen, we discussed his predictions for 2024, which included the concepts of “continuous everything” and composable M&amp;A (<a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/whats-ahead-for-mach-in-2024-read-these-3-predictions">you can read about them here</a>). Both are gaining visibility, but the one I’ve reflected on most as it relates to this research is the notion of MACH expanding to new industries. In this year’s research, retail continues to have the strongest magnetic pull toward MACH. But the emergence of professional and financial services as close contenders underscores demonstrable growth in novel areas. Casper sees MACH evolving beyond retail and CPG in a big way, particularly in sectors that are not driven by commerce or transactional activities – including automotive.Research is vital to every organization, and we can’t always do it alone. We rely on proven authorities to help augment our understanding of the patterns and trends, and we put our trust in established bodies with a clear commitment to advancing the industry as a whole. Composable may not be the right choice for every business, but education can help leaders better understand what’s at stake and make the best decisions. Instead of resisting, we should be researching. And this is where the MACH Alliance continues to deliver value to its members – and the market.

On Your MACH, Get Set, Grow: New Research Reveals Expanding Support, ROI for MACH

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