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Not All Heroes Wear Capes. Here's Why CMS Is Your 'Unsung Hero' in 2025

janus-boye

<hr /> I first heard the term “MCP” as a tech-obsessed, Commodore-64-toting 8-year-old. It landed during the epic video game movie Tron, where it was used as an off-hand contraction for the nefarious “Master Control Program."As the story's digital antagonist, the MCP exhibited the worst traits of artificial intelligence, projecting an unscrupulous, destructive, self-serving agenda. Kind of like that terrible neighbor who’s always on a power trip at your HOA meeting – but with lasers. Life is sometimes stranger than fiction, and this acronym has now materialized on the grid as a real-life TLA with an AI inference. Hopefully, the similarities to that other MCP end here, but I’m keeping my light cycle on standby.This newer permutation of MCP – <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction">Model Context Protocol</a> – is an open standard for governing how applications provide context to LLMs. Much like USB-C provides a standardized way to connect devices to different accessories, MCP does the same to connect AI models to different data sources and tools.Why is this important? Because MCP has become a critical piece of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/its-an-ai-agent-world-is-agent-experience-the-secret-weapon-for-controlling-the-chaos">the agentic pie</a>, enabling you to build agents and workflows on top of LLMs – which often need to integrate with various data sources and tools. MCP can provide access to pre-built integrations that ease the connection process, including lightweight programs and hosts like IDEs. All of this, as Tron might say, is about interoperability. And while the digital frontier is very much focused on the evolution of agents, we’re still wrestling with integration complexities in the here and now. This is where data models can be key assets, helping brands, system integrators, and vendors to present products, orders, inventory, and other commerce-related data. But building a data model from scratch is tough. And by definition, each from-scratch data model is unique. That’s why the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-composable-conference-2025-takes-shape-as-mach-alliance-announces-speakers-and-new-events">MACH Alliance</a> has introduced a new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/open-data-model-initiative">Open Data Model Initiative</a>, which aims to solve the lingering interoperability issues plaguing enterprises, SIs, and ISVs. The industry group – which is focused on future-proofing enterprise technology through open, connected, and composable digital experiences – just announced the launch of the program. It coincides with its annual live event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">“The Composable Conference,”</a> which is being held in Chicago this week.  Led by the Alliance’s Interoperability Task Force, the Initiative will provide a set of reusable data model recipes and reference structures. These components will be extensible across critical technology domains, such as commerce, product information management (PIM), and orchestration. These patterns aren’t a set of draconian standards. In fact, they’re designed to be lightweight, adaptable, and built for real-world applications. This addresses the strategic concerns of businesses as they seek out more composable, interoperable solutions to help them navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape."Interoperability has been a primary focus for the MACH Alliance," said <a href="Adam%20Peter%20Nielsen">Adam Peter Nielsen</a>, CTO of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.novicell.com/">Novicell</a> and MACH Alliance Interoperability Lead. “With a shared data model recipe, we can make tangible progress toward seamless integration and strategic agility across diverse technologies.”<h3 id="broadening-the-composable-roadmap-">Broadening the composable roadmap </h3>According to the Alliance, its Open Data Model will be made publicly available under an open-source license on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://github.com/">GitHub</a>, helping to ensure transparency, accessibility, and broad community engagement. But that’s only the first step. The plan is to maintain innovation and maturity through the MACH Alliance Interoperability Working Group, which will actively enhance and expand the model. The goal is to deliver a solution that’s ready for full member consumption by the end of Q2 2025.To accelerate go-to-market readiness, the MACH Alliance is working with several MACH Certified Vendors that have provided sample material. The list includes <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/conscia">Conscia</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://alokai.com/">Alokai</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/commercetools">commercetools</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bluestonepim.com/">Bluestone PIM</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/occtoo">Occtoo</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pipe17.com/">Pipe17</a> – which offered its open, comprehensive, canonical data model as a starting point. “We built our data model over five years,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/">Kelly Goetsch</a>, COO of Pipe 17 and former MACH Alliance president and chair. “It sits at the heart of our solution, has been rigorously tested in real-world use, continuously refined, and has always been open source from day one. We’re thrilled to contribute it to the MACH Alliance, further empowering the commerce ecosystem to innovate and scale faster.”Also leading the initiative are a set of MACH Certified System Integrators, including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.applydigital.com/">Apply Digital</a>, Novicell, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.valtech.com/en-us/">Valtech</a> – buoyed by the hyperscaling support of MACH Certified Enabler <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/aws">AWS</a>.<h3 id="giving-merchants,-sis,-and-vendors-a-mach-multiplier">Giving merchants, SIs, and vendors a MACH multiplier</h3>The new Open Data Model is poised to provide significant benefits across the MACH ecosystem. From vendor-neutral patterns for seamless interoperability to reference structures for vertical markets like manufacturing, the initiative will provide a “springboard” for new projects or legacy – all with a dedicated focus on transparency.  First, merchants will have the ability to adopt this data model as their own – and effortlessly connect their existing homegrown systems with MACH-compliant solutions.Additionally, systems Integrators and agencies will be able to build repeatable solutions, enhance their overall efficiency, and speed up MACH implementations. This will accelerate their time to deliver value to merchants.As for MACH Alliance vendors, the initiative will provide immediate access to a robust foundational data model, dramatically reducing initial development effort and enhancing a more seamless data flow between partner solutions.<h3 id="what-about-ai-(and-that-mcp-stuff)?">What about AI (and that MCP stuff)?</h3>Of course, there’s the future runway to agentic AI that I mentioned, which is wholly dependent on data. As the Alliance posits, without a shared data model, enterprises will continue to face fragmented, siloed data environments that limit AI’s ability to make accurate decisions and deliver tangible business value.By establishing an open, vendor-neutral data model, the MACH Alliance is laying the groundwork for the use of agentic AI and supporting <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol">Anthropic’s MCP-powered agents. </a>This is helping to connect AI assistants to the systems where data lives, including content repositories, business tools, and development environments. Its goal is to help frontier models produce better, more relevant responses. "Enterprises demand solutions that work together,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobhowland/">Bob Howland</a>, Chairperson of the MACH Alliance. “By standardizing an Open Data Model, we dramatically simplify integrations. Vendors adopting the Open Data Model will find faster implementation cycles and significantly reduced complexity – enabling true interoperability that powers digital innovation."<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>Spoiler alert: At the end of Tron, the computer system is once again free, giving the personified programs the ability to move about and, presumably, connect with other programs to build cool things. There’s something beautiful about this idea of seamlessly interoperating. There’s no question that security and governance are top of mind in such paradigms, and we’re a long way from easy. Still, interoperability can be made easier – better, even – with the introduction of more predictable standards. From the beginning, the concept of “openness” has been core to the MACH Alliance, making it a solid foundation for providing a common, open source data model that’s been proven. Based on the Alliance’s plans, it sounds like this model will continue to benefit from ongoing innovation and be well-supported in the future.The flexibility and extensibility of this model are also key factors. By enabling off-the-shelf access to its merchant, SI, and ISV ecosystems, the Alliance is helping to ensure that the model is instantly adoptable and supported by its members. There’s also an open invitation for experts and practitioners to help shape the model for future use cases.The market is always yearning for standards, and with the rapid acceleration of AI – specifically with MCP-powered model agents – having more predictable and reliable pathways to integrate should reduce the friction for building the next wave of agentic applications. Even the most advanced models are limited by their isolation from data, walled in behind silos and legacy systems. This is why this investment in an open data model is an ambitious and positive step forward.Will this solve every integration problem on the light cycle grid? Not likely. But it's a start. It might also unlock more potential for additional industry applications, something the organization has struggled with as it endeavors to expand and export its relevance to other industries. To that end, the MACH Alliance is also undergoing its own evolution (including its messaging). The Open Data Model might be the first page of its next chapter as it seeks to enrich its foundational mission and further support the market. With composable continuing to make gains, many are asking what's ahead, and this initiative is a glimpse of its vision for an open, AI-enabled ecosystem. You can learn more about the Open Data Model initiative and even contribute to the project at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/open-data-model-initiative">https://machalliance.org/open-data-model-initiative</a> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:24.53%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/03/image-1742910054704.png" /><h4 id="the-composable-conference-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">The Composable Conference 2025</a></h4>April 22-24 – Chicago, USAExperience the future of composable and MACH principles in “The Windy City” and dive even deeper into the innovative world of MACH architecture and its benefits for your business. Building on the momentum of MACH THREE, this conference will provide your teams with the expert, impartial guidance needed to craft a winning transformation strategy and leverage the latest advancements in automation and Al to maximize efficiency and drive your organization forward. This event is ideal for executives, business leaders, technologists, and everyone in between who is looking to harness the power of composable. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">Secure your spot today.</a> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

A New Game for Interoperability? Here’s Why the MACH Alliance’s Open Data Model is a Winner

matt-garrepy

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<hr /> There’s a composable breeze that's building in “The Windy City,” and it might just knock you over.The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.machalliance.org/">MACH Alliance</a> is landing its much-anticipated annual event (redubbed “The Composable Conference”) in Chicago this year, and it’s shaping up to be a powerhouse of brands, industry thought leaders, and stellar sessions.This year’s gathering will take place from April 22 – 24 at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://convene.com/locations/chicago/233-south-wacker-drive/">Convene meeting space in the iconic Willis Tower</a> – a premium building in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood designed at the intersection of natural and urban environments. It’s a perfect backdrop for the transformational themes being explored at this one-of-a-kind conference.The three-day agenda is plush with keynotes and collaborative sessions, featuring industry leaders and technology practitioners. The conference is made possible by the MACH Alliance’s headline partners including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/accenture-song-brings-its-composable-commerce-music-to-the-mach-alliance-heres-why-it-matters">Accenture Song</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/builderio-nets-20m-from-microsofts-venture-fund-what-it-means-for-the-future-of-headless-cms">Builder.io</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/commercetools">commercetools</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentstack">Contentstack</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.publicissapient.com/">Publicis Sapient</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/vercel-introduces-sdk-for-building-ai-apps-with-react-and-svelte">Vercel</a>.While this fourth installment ushers in a new chapter for the evolving MACH ecosystem – at a time when technology investments face major economic headwinds – the mission of the event remains clear: help attendees formulate their composable game plan. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">As a previous attendee</a>, I can say firsthand that the quality of these events is top-notch. The speakers are compelling and the event format provides fertile ground for learning and networking. For me, it’s a chance to hear from real companies that have succeeded – and struggled – to make the leap to MACH, and the wisdom they’ve accrued when embracing not only the architectural tenets, but the cultural and philosophical mindset of MACH.“The Composable Conference is the one annual opportunity for business and technology leaders to come together and share the trials and tribulations that enable digital transformations,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobhowland/">Bob Howland</a>, event co-host and chairperson of the MACH Alliance. “The connections and community fostered enable attendees to overlay the unique principles of MACH onto their own composable strategy, building an executable playbook alongside peers and pioneers.”Before we break down the speakers and event details, it’s worth noting that this is an exclusive event with limited space – so secure your space today. The MACH Alliance is also offering a $500 travel rebate to eligible delegates. Registration is<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25?utm_campaign=5851685-The%20Composable%20Conference&amp;utm_source=PressRelease"> now open</a>.<h3 id="dynamic-brands-take-center-stage">Dynamic brands take center stage</h3>The previous three MACH events have been heavy hitters in the content department, featuring presenters from marquee global enterprises like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/ikea-mars-ulta-beauty-and-influential-brands-to-be-featured-at-mach-three-conference">IKEA, MARS, Ulta Beauty</a>, and other highly influential brands.This year’s crop is no exception and ups the ante with a more diverse crop of industry players. This includes representatives from Parkland, Zoro, VF Corporation, Wynn Resorts, Prada Group, Wegmans, DXL, Bissell, Firehouse Subs, Diageo, and Altitude Sports. Additional speakers and brands will be announced in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.While speakers and presentations are conduits for knowledge, the Alliance is taking a more hands-on approach to the experience by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/newsroom/mach-alliance-elevates-annual-conference-to-help-companies-craft-their-composable-game-plan">actively involving attendees</a> at each stage of the composable journey. To deliver this more immersive vision, the conference will offer a three-track format that features workshops and insightful sessions with experts who have successfully implemented MACH. Based on the Alliance’s persistent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-publishes-first-annual-report-showcases-industry-impact-and-plans-for-2024">research and market analysis</a>, it’s clear that a MACH approach can help ensure agility, scalability, and vendor independence in an increasingly AI-driven world. Armed with a solid foundation of insights from dynamic leaders across multiple industries, attendees will be better equipped for the composable journey ahead. <h3 id="remachable-events-on-tap">ReMACHable events on tap</h3>The MACH Alliance is rolling out an enhanced event format for The Composable Conference 2025, with the core of the program dedicated to interactive workshops and roundtable sessions. As mentioned, these experiences will be led by top global brands – sharing firsthand composable insights and expertise while giving delegates the opportunity for direct learning and impactful discussions.This year, there’s an emphasis on incorporating the organization’s popular <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/ridemach">rideMACH</a> program, a robust eLearning platform that combines its educational vision and intentions with courseware and credentialing. rideMACH has exploded its enrollment in the last year, a clear sign that the market is eager to learn – and hungry for resources.At the conference, attendees can participate in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-taps-dylan-valade-of-abbott-to-drive-expanding-ridemach-education-program">“rideMACH Live,”</a> which will bring the Alliance’s online learning platform into a live classroom setting and offer several sessions for delegates to enhance their MACH mindset and technology skills.rideMACH courses are designed to empower all types of learners with the knowledge and skills needed to help organizations embrace open and transformative technologies. As part of the rideMACH program, you can join 1,000 professionals from 200 brands and 52 member companies who are accelerating their composable journeys through rideMACH’s professional development. You can learn more about the rideMACH program on the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/ridemach">MACH Alliance website</a>.<h3 id="celebrate-the-winners-of-the-mach-impact-awards">Celebrate the winners of the MACH Impact Awards</h3>As a three-time judge of the annual <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/clarks-kraft-heinz-take-top-honors-in-mach-impact-awards-at-mach-three">MACH Impact Awards</a>, I’ve read through a mountain of applications over the years – and I’m still getting blown away. Having watched the gradual evolution of pioneering architectural approaches into more standard practices, I can see how MACH has been adopted, understood, and successfully executed.That’s all good. But it’s also making these awards harder to judge – and this year’s entrants really brought the rain. I can’t wait to share the winners during the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/mach-impact-awards">2025 MACH Impact Awards Ceremony</a>, which will honor the most impactful global technology projects from these amazing applicants. In terms of updates, this year will feature a “Best Platform Transformation” category that recognizes the challenging path and incremental progress toward composability. <h3 id="advancing-the-mach-mission">Advancing the MACH mission</h3>Along with its advocation for best-of-breed open technology ecosystems, the MACH Alliance has long been a champion of the humans behind the composable movement. Along with its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-empowers-gender-equality-with-new-women-in-mach-deib-scoring-tool">“Women in MACH” program</a>, the Alliance continues to telegraph the importance of diversity, gender equality, social responsibility, and sustainability both within and beyond its community.At this year’s conference, there’s a new “People in MACH: Unlocking Composable Business Value Through Culture &amp; Inclusion” that will allow delegates to explore the tangible impact of DEI, allyship, and ethical technology on growth, profitability, and competitive advantage in composable enterprises.There will also be a close integration with the MACH Alliance’s new Community Platform, which was created for both end-user individuals and MACH-certified members to network, share content, and discuss ideas both at the event and long after the conference concludes.“The Composable Conference is where bold ideas meet practical execution,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-sommelier-of-machtails-sommsations-danielle-diliberti-uncorks-composability">Danielle Diliberti</a>, event co-host and CEO of Sommsation. “As businesses build for the future and reimagine customer experiences, this event creates space for honest conversations about the challenges, breakthroughs, and strategies shaping the future of composable approaches and MACH.”To learn more about The Composable Conference and register to attend, <a href="www.machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">click here.</a> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3>  <img style="width:24.53%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/03/image-1742910054704.png" /><h4 id="the-composable-conference-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">The Composable Conference 2025</a></h4>April 22-24 – Chicago, USAExperience the future of composable and MACH principles in “The Windy City” and dive even deeper into the innovative world of MACH architecture and its benefits for your business. Building on the momentum of MACH THREE, this conference will provide your teams with the expert, impartial guidance needed to craft a winning transformation strategy and leverage the latest advancements in automation and Al to maximize efficiency and drive your organization forward. This event is ideal for executives, business leaders, technologists, and everyone in between who is looking to harness the power of composable. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">Secure your spot today.</a> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

‘The Composable Conference 2025' Takes Shape as MACH Alliance Announces Speakers and New Events

Lights, Camera, AI Action: Key Takeaways from Wistia’s 2025 ‘State of Video’ Report 

<hr /> If you’ve ever watched the TV game show Family Feud (I’m dating myself with this reference, but it’s been through multiple reinventions over the years), then you know how heated the competition can get. Sure, it’s all in good fun. But I think a few members of the losing teams have been unceremoniously “left out” of their family wills – all for missing one stubborn survey question.Some of those questions were strange, to be sure. But surveys have long been a key tool for unlocking the hidden gems of our cultural sentiment. And in these hallowed halls of CX, relevant feedback is the prize every brand is after, giving them essential customer insight to enhance products and drive growth.But let’s be honest: A lot of traditional customer feedback methods are broken. Brands pump out survey after survey, soliciting responses that rarely show up. And when they do, the substance can be shallow at best. In an era where customers interact across countless digital touchpoints, why are we still relying on old-school tactics to understand them? Isn’t this something to feud about?This is where CX tools like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/callminer">CallMiner</a> have carved out a niche with AI-powered conversation intelligence. The company’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://callminer.com/products/eureka">Eureka Platform</a> helps connect the dots between interactions, insights, and action – providing deeper, more holistic customer intelligence to deliver better experiences. Eureka analyzes a wide range of omnichannel interactions (think phone, email, social, and more) with its advanced AI, and turns it all into organization-wide insights that power contact center experiences. This includes everything from real-time guidance to brand sentiment. It also covers features like call center speech analytics, where CallMiner has shown up as a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://learning.callminer.com/us/col/lc/forrester-wave-23">Leader on the Gartner MQ</a> for that category.Now, the company is adding another layer of “smart” to its family of tools. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://callminer.com/products/outreach">CallMiner Outreach</a> is a new feature built on advanced analytics and AI that enables businesses to connect with customers in more meaningful ways. That extra punch of power can help strengthen relationships, tap the voice of the customer, and uncover actionable insights that drive enterprise-wide benefits.CallMiner Outreach leverages its AI capabilities to deliver personalized, contextual surveys and customer engagement campaigns. With it, users can gain a deeper understanding of each interaction through CallMiner’s conversation intelligence – providing impactful CX insights to improve customer journeys, strengthen loyalty, and increase customer satisfaction. “Today’s survey vendors are stuck in the past, only thinking about the traditional way to execute surveys,” said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucekmcmahon/">Bruce McMahon</a>, CallMiner’s Chief Product Officer. “They are not considering whether those surveys are valuable to and personalized for customers, and if responses are providing meaningful business insights. CallMiner Outreach goes beyond simple surveys and traditional feedback methods by leveraging AI-driven insights from customer interactions to improve the quality, relevance, and efficiency of feedback collection and analysis.”<h3 id="is-there-a-customer-feedback-crisis?">Is there a customer feedback crisis?</h3>Maybe. The answer to that question hinges on how brands weigh the value of their solicited and unsolicited feedback and whether the juice is worth the squeeze. CallMiner has been studying this question with deep interest for quite some time, distilling and publishing their research annually.According to the company’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://learning.callminer.com/us/c/whitepaper-us-cx-landscape-24?pflpid=45098&amp;pfsid=TCP_QZd1YS&amp;pfsfc=false">2024 CX Landscape Report</a>, 64% of global organizations said that all – or in some cases, the majority – of the customer feedback they collect is solicited. They also uncovered that organizations are collecting an equal amount of unsolicited and solicited feedback: About 25% in 2024 versus 20% in 2023. How are they doing this? Survey says: Surveys. That’s right – CX leaders are still relying primarily on traditional survey tools to solicit feedback from customers. On one hand, that makes total sense, as many organizations have invested significantly in their survey infrastructure. However, according to CallMiner, the persistent reality of low response rates and a lack of meaningful insights isn’t translating into a worthwhile ROI.<h3 id="reaching-out-with-outreach">Reaching out with Outreach</h3>As part of CallMiner’s robust Eureka Platform, Outreach is the industry’s first AI-powered customer feedback tool that triggers outreach based on specific interaction characteristics. This is a novel approach, as it does not rely on general interaction alone. Rather, it combines insights from unsolicited interactions – like those in a contact center – with solicited feedback for more intelligent, targeted surveys and customer engagement initiatives.How does it work? Just as you might expect, given the scope of CallMiner’s other products. Outreach analyzes phone calls, social media, online reviews, emails, and other interactions, empowering CX and contact center leaders to personalize the outreach mechanisms. This can be expressed in the form of surveys, quick-response forms, marketing offers, and more – all aimed at addressing and resolving exact customer issues. Outreach’s real potential lies in its AI-powered insights, which provide unmatched customer connections. Its AI-powered surveys and campaigns can be tailored based on specific customer interactions and triggered by specific events. Closed-loop feedback also enables more personalized, insight-driven experiences that build trust and loyalty – as well as improve issue resolution and reduce churn.By unifying CX measurement across multiple channels, CallMiner Outreach gives you a complete, holistic view of your customer. This allows you to tap into sentiment from all your touchpoints and take action. You can also more fluidly connect what’s happening in your contact center with your broader CX initiatives.Along with the benefits of automating your outreach initiatives and analysis, it also activates your ability to make faster decisions with AI fueling your efficiency. Taken together, Outreach ensures relevance, timeliness, and improved customer outcomes.CallMiner’s CPO McMahon calls this “The future of CX.” “CallMiner has always enabled organizations to combine unsolicited and solicited feedback in a single platform to gain a comprehensive view of the customer,” McMahon said. “With CallMiner Outreach, we’re delivering the native capabilities needed to execute faster, more intelligent feedback campaigns directly within the CallMiner platform.”<h3 id="availability-and-pricing">Availability and pricing</h3>CallMiner Outreach is in early availability for both new and existing customers. You can register to watch a new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://callminer.com/c/callminer-outreach">product overview video</a> or request a demo from their website.In terms of pricing, CallMiner plays it close to the chest. This is enterprise contact center and CX analytics software, so it’s going to be calculated on a number of variables. According to its G2 page, there’s some flexibility based on a volume or seat-based paradigm. For more information or to contact a representative, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://callminer.com/">visit their website.</a> <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>With the evolution of Outreach, both CX and contact center leaders can now seamlessly integrate customer feedback with an industry-leading conversation intelligence platform.On the customer experience side of the ledger, Outreach delivers a holistic understanding of the customer’s behaviors – something we’re paying close attention to across other analytics and CDP platforms as well. It effectively streamlines feedback loops and improves key engagement metrics to impact retention and loyalty. This includes things like your net promoter score (NPS) and customer satisfaction (CSAT) rating.For contact centers, there are a multitude of benefits. Outreach enhances the connection between operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, improving key metrics such as average handle time and first contact resolution, as well as agent performance and productivity.Viewed through our CMS lens, customer feedback is an essential component in the omnichannel landscape. Contact centers are critical touchpoints, and facilitating feedback to maximize value is key – particularly if it might influence content and digital experiences on any level. CallMiner is right at home with CRM platforms like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/salesforce">Salesforce</a> and experience management tools that are essential layers in the digital stack. The company's leadership with AI-powered conversation intelligence could be a key evaluation point if you’re integrating contact center services as part of your overall strategy. It also plays nicely with other call tracking and analytics platforms like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/ringcentral">RingCentral</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/callrail">CallRail</a>. One more point: I like how CallMiner is driving thought leadership and innovation around <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/its-an-ai-agent-world-is-agent-experience-the-secret-weapon-for-controlling-the-chaos">agentic AI</a> in the call center, trailblazing solutions to streamline analytical tasks. Call centers are an area where AX is having a profound impact, and CallMiner is shaping <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://learning.callminer.com/us/col/lc/whitepaper-us-agenticai">a strong position</a> with its thinking in this area. Definitely something to consider in your evaluation process. Surveys are still a relevant part of the customer feedback family. But with tools like CallMiner Outreach, there might be a little less to feud about. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3>  <img style="width:24.53%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/03/image-1742910054704.png" /><h4 id="the-composable-conference-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">The Composable Conference 2025</a></h4>April 22-24 – Chicago, USAExperience the future of composable and MACH principles in “The Windy City” and dive even deeper into the innovative world of MACH architecture and its benefits for your business. Building on the momentum of MACH THREE, this conference will provide your teams with the expert, impartial guidance needed to craft a winning transformation strategy and leverage the latest advancements in automation and Al to maximize efficiency and drive your organization forward. This event is ideal for executives, business leaders, technologists, and everyone in between who is looking to harness the power of composable. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://machalliance.org/events/composable-conference-25">Secure your spot today.</a> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

Survey Says? CallMiner Rings the CX Bell with New AI-Powered Customer Feedback

Replay it again, Sam: Amplitude’s ‘Session Replay Everywhere’ rocks with analytics visualizations

<hr /> So… how do you feel about your CMS? Do you love it? Do you hate it?I know, I know. It's a complicated question. Most of us would probably say it's a little of both. There are loyalists out there, to be sure – hardcore fanatics who find little fault in their CMS stars. Others had a platform thrust upon them by their organization with no input whatsoever. They're usually not as chipper.Let's be brutally honest: Our list of grievances is probably longer than we think. Even the most enthusiastic users have big, fat, relevant gripes. And it's often less about the CMS as a whole and more about specific features (or lack thereof).Why is that the case? The answer, of course, is quite simple: We haven't been engaging content authors as co-conspirators in the design process. More often than not, they've been locked out of the room, with no seat at the product development table. That's reason enough to build some animus. Of course, this phenomenon isn't new. Software vendors have a long history of making choices that don't always land with users. You know what it feels like to have a UI radically change in an update, accompanied by a disclaimer that it's now “easier to use." Meanwhile, a key function you previously relied on has gone missing (I'm not naming names, Adobe) and you're left trying to cope with a new reality.There's an important word in all of this melee: Compromise. No one gets everything they want, whether you're an organization evaluating a CMS or a user with a wish list of cool stuff. So we put up. We adapt. As Thomas Sowell said, “There are no solutions, only trade-offs.”In this composable, hyper-connected era, choice is becoming more abundant – which can be a blessing and a curse. I recently <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/copy-and-paste-makes-waste-not-with-pantheons-content-publisher-for-google-docs">waxed about new solutions</a> that enable users to publish through their CMS directly from Word or Google Docs, allowing for greater collaboration or better alignment around internal systems. But what if CMS editing experiences were better tuned to authors' needs? Would they fully embrace those tools from the first keystroke? For what it's worth, I think CMSes have improved their capabilities, particularly as vendors invite more “guinea pigs” into their testing and optimization betas. But many of the same problems persist – and as such, we're still making a lot of those compromises.The fact is, if a content authoring experience doesn't appeal to a user, it can impact the quality of the content itself. As CMS community leader <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/janus-boye">Janus Boye</a> channeled from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/deane">Deane Barker's </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/blog/2019/12/11/happy-editors-make-better-content">book on content modeling,</a> happy editors make better content. That should underscore the need to let content – and its authors – help drive the ship when making CMSes.Thankfully, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gdunlap/">Greg Dunlap</a> has been thinking a lot about these questions and challenges, and he's written a book about it called Designing Content Authoring Experiences. In it, he pulls back the veil and gives us a refreshing look at what matters in this messy world of content authoring in a CMS. As Greg observed, structure is important. But life is messy – and sometimes, authors need that same kind of unstructured, uninhibited freedom to create great experiences that serve their audiences.The book is a quick read (150 pages) and filled with dynamite reflections and observations. It's designed for a wide range of professionals, from designers to content strategists to developers, but anyone who's using a CMS will find it insightful. In fact, the CMS community at large has been patiently anticipating its arrival; there was even a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gregdunlap/designing-content-authoring-experiences">Kickstarter</a> campaign to help fund its genesis.As Greg pointed out, he’s not prescribing a solution to all our woes. Instead, he's refocusing the lens on the author’s experience, which often gets lost in translation as businesses make big-ticket decisions about what tools they buy to drive content – tools intended to simplify things at both the user and organizational levels. But as Greg noted, making something easier can often come at the cost of good content. That's why this book is so important: It provides a level-headed refresher on what really matters.“I always start with the needs of the content, and work backwards to the authors,” he said. "Ask most content authors, and they might say ‘I just want WordPress,’ but that doesn’t meet the needs of the organization.”Exactly. Everyone can benefit from understanding where the opportunities and weaknesses exist.<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:56.55%"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/cmfvb9me" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/03/cms-critics-corner-podcast-greg-dunlap.jpg" alt="" /></a></figure>Greg recently joined me as the first guest on our all-new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/designing-content-authoring-experiences-with-greg-dunlap/id1801794414?i=1000699046599">“The Critic's Corner”</a> podcast (go check it out and follow us for future episodes). We had a fantastic conversation about his journey to CMS – which is seldom a straight line – and what inspired him to write this book.<h3 id="a-long,-strange-trip-to-cms">A long, strange trip to CMS</h3>Is there any other kind of trip to the world of content management? I won't go into the hero's exposition. You can hear it straight from Greg in the podcast. Here's a two-minute snapshot of our conversation, just to get your content juices flowing: <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/G8J1VqbkjBQ"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G8J1VqbkjBQ" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure>  Like many of us, Greg came to CMS from somewhere else. I've seen that background and skill set consistently show up in the resumes of many leaders in our space. As someone with an art history degree, I was taught to think like an information architect – leveraging tagging, meta descriptions, and other facets of structured data to help tell stories about paintings. Given that, the leap to CMS isn't so strange.Greg started in a similar place, earning his academic degree in photojournalism with minors in the art field. But he found himself drawn to computer science, entering the software field in the early ‘90s. During that period, he supported a colleague by building custom solutions to help businesses make changes to websites – things like custom UIs for editing content blocks independently.Around 2006, he found himself at the Seattle Times, working on their new media team. There, he was caught in a world transforming from print to digital, one where content management was a critical requirement but also a morass. With multiple systems and properties under the roof, Greg and his team were tasked to consolidate everything in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a>.From there, he also helped shepherd some groundbreaking projects at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.lullabot.com/">Lullabot</a>, a Drupal-focused agency. During his tenure, he worked on a major project for the State of Georgia, an experience that taught him a lot about content management governance, compliance, and the critical importance of authoring. That public sector knowledge has served him well in his latest gig at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bixal.com/">Bixal</a>, a digital shop that focuses on delivering government services with digital and human-centered solutions.Through it all, Greg has been making mental notes about what hasn't worked, probing around a number of central questions: Why have content authors been overlooked when building CMSes? Why haven't vendors been more tuned in? “The context of your users and the organizations they work for and the content they produce drives the authoring experience,” he said. “But when you’re a vendor, you’re building something that has no knowledge of any of these things.”During our conversation, he shared a story about missing the mark at the Seattle Times, where users were upset that a critical piece of functionality had been removed from the CMS.“After we launched, one of the people from the editorial department that actually enters content into the CMS, came to me and said, ‘Hey, in the old CMS, we had a function to do X, and it was really important to our day-to-day work, and now that’s gone. And the thing that I realized in that moment is that we had never built it, because nobody had ever talked to them about what they do. This whole website had been built with the designers and the executives and the IT people, and nobody had actually gone to talk to the people who use it every single day.”  That was a big lightbulb flash for Greg. “I can draw a straight line from that exact moment to writing this book.”<h3 id="a-new-chapter-for-content-authors">A new chapter for content authors</h3>In the podcast, we touched on a number of key themes in the book, from specific industry considerations to the very real struggles authors face around governance. The book provides practical examples of how to negotiate with designing forms (the bane of our existence), to the critical roles of support, training, and documentation.As Greg noted, every organization is different, and every client has its own unique problems to solve. Forcing square pegs into round holes is part of what’s been keeping him up at night in front of his keyboard.As CMS practitioners, we're fond of using the term “structured content.” And rightly so. But in the book, Greg reinforces the need for flexibility, and why it's so critical to the authoring experience.“I’ll see a lot of people talking about coming at it from a very Puritanical standpoint, like structure is king and everything is structured, and the content authors have to accept that everything is perfectly structured, and life just doesn’t work that way," he said. "If your authors are miserable using something, they’re not going to give the content the care that it needs.”As a long-time student of digital experience, Greg knows a lot about the intrinsic value of prototyping, and how failure is a win when it comes to success. The book highlights this, and we spent time exploring it on the podcast. We also dug into the topic of accessibility. Given his experience, Greg has amassed real wisdom on the topic, and we discussed our common experience coping with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/">WCAG</a> and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.section508.gov/">public sector's Section 508</a> – and how the experience can be improved on all sides of what we build. Greg tapped expert peers to help guide the accessibility chapter, which ended up being revelatory.“When I started the book, I didn’t know the authoring standard existed for the backend.” There's no mention of AI in the book, and as Greg said, that's intentional. For me, it was refreshing to focus on more practical applications in the authoring ecosystem. Nevertheless, he shared his perspective on the topic during our conversation. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/designing-content-authoring-experiences-with-greg-dunlap/id1801794414?i=1000699046599">Hear what he thinks.</a><h3 id="the-denouement">The denouement</h3>I absolutely loved this book. It was clear, concise, easy to read, and full of applicable nuggets. It made me wonder if we're asking the right questions, and how we can better embrace the plight of content authors while accepting the challenges vendors face when building great software. There's room for improvement on all sides of the equation, but authors should be part of the conversation at every step.During our chat, Greg made a sage observation about our industry's tech-imbued echo chamber. We tend to focus on high-brow topics that don't mean a “hill of beans” to a lot of users. Sure, it's important to have categories and use the right lexicon (I'm talking about you, ontology). But are we being inclusive with how we message the value of our tools? Are we listening to the real problems that users and customers are experiencing – and reflecting that in our product development?“Look at the discourse of the CMS online, and it’s always headless versus not headless, page builders and DXPs, personalization, advertising," Greg said. "That stuff doesn’t resonate with me because it’s not what our customers were struggling with, like getting people to enter alt text and write in plain text and really low-content maturity problems. I thought there was this great opportunity to talk about authoring experience from the perspective not of the AEMs of the world, but just of the simple stuff that anybody in any system could do to improve things for the groups that they’re working for. And that’s where I thought, ‘There could be a book here.’”Solving the simple stuff. Weep-worthy? Maybe. I'll leave that to you.For me, this feels like a new “Bible” for content authoring. I highly recommend grabbing your highlighter and keeping a physical copy in arm’s reach – just to remind you of what really matters. <h3 id="how-can-i-get-my-copy-of-the-book?">How can I get my copy of the book?</h3>Designing Content Authoring Experiences is available in paperback or digitally via EPUB format. Check out <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.authoringexperience.com/">www.authoringexperience.com</a> to explore the different online retailers or to order a print version directly from the publisher.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

Read it and weep: Greg Dunlap's new book on content authoring experiences is a treasure

<hr /> When it comes to UX, we tend to wizzywag around the value of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/WYSIWYG-what-you-see-is-what-you-get">WYSIWYG</a>.It's true. Even though WYSIWYGs are a foundational part of so many software experiences, we take them for granted. Maybe it’s because they feel a little commoditized, offering similar features and functionality. But is that true? Some WYSIWYG experiences are elegant and robust. Others? Not so much. And when it's the latter, you probably take notice.The concept of “What You See Is What You Get” draws its origins back to Douglas Engelbert’s 1968 presentation, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_of_All_Demos">“The Mother of all Demos.”</a> Xerox PARC picked up on the signals (well before Apple pilfered their UI), and a few years later, began developing the first WYSIWYG editor. It would take decades before they became a staple in word processors and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management systems.</a>Rich text editors have been an essential feature of CMSes since the beginning, providing portals for content. Some are designed to look and feel familiar, as if you’re working in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Others are more visually equipped, enabling you to preview what your “stuff” looks like to a reader once it’s published. Having a clear and intuitive rich text editor makes a CMS easier to use. A good WYSIWYG delivers a simple canvas to content creators, enabling them to do their job with ease while having access to code in the right places. But that’s if the editor is good.This is where <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ckeditor.com/">CKEditor</a> has been focusing its superpowers. The modern, feature-rich JavaScript editor is infinitely customizable, enabling developers and organizations to build exactly what they need. It’s long been a staple of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a> and other CMSes across modules, plugins, and other tools that help shape content for publishing on websites and across screens.Of course, it’s not just CMSes. CKEditor is nearly ubiquitous, used in apps and experiences by leading global brands like Salesforce, Disney, IBM, and countless others across industries. It’s been downloaded a staggering 50 million times and is in use by 100,000+ customers, making it one of the most popular resources of its kind. CK Editor’s flexibility is one key to its continued success. It offers native integrations with some of the most popular libraries, enabling builders to move quickly – whether they’re using React, Angular, Bootstrap, or other ultra-modern frameworks. The company behind it all, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cksource.com/">CKSource</a>, knows a thing or two about the editor game. Headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, they’ve been at it for a long time, springing out of the original CKEditor – which was first released in 2003 under the moniker “FCKEditor.” One might assume that’s a blue reference, but it’s actually the initials of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ckeditor.com/blog/authors/frederico-knabben/">Frederico Caldeira Knabben</a>, the founder of the original project. At the time, he considered the whole exploit a “passionate hobby.” 50 million downloads later, he’s notched his place in UX history.Over the past two decades, CKSource has achieved a multitude of milestones, and its products are employed by hundreds of thousands of users around the globe. From CKEditor’s open source beginnings to its current foothold in products across the spectrum, the company became a target for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.tiugotech.com/">Tiugo Technologies</a> – part of the PSG equity portfolio – which <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ckeditor.com/blog/cksource-is-acquired-by-psg-a-growth-equity-firm/">acquired it in 2021</a> for an undisclosed amount. The story gets more interesting. Tiugo has been consolidating a small cabal of developer-centric apps under its umbrella, building an ecosystem of content creation and collaboration tools. This includes <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/buttercms">ButterCMS</a>, a headless content management system, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/tinymce-brings-advanced-ai-to-cms-text-editing-interview-with-fredrik-danielsson-elise-bentley">TinyMCE</a> – an alternative WYSIWYG editor with numerous CMS customers. While both tools perform similarly, there are some key differences. All of TinyMCE’s editor content is HTML-based, meaning it’s rendered in the editor the exact same way it is in the browser. It was also early to the GenAI phenom, adding GPT-powered content generation to its platform in 2023. I did a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/tinymce-brings-advanced-ai-to-cms-text-editing-interview-with-fredrik-danielsson-elise-bentley">deep dive on the feature</a> at the time it was launched. CKEditor stores its data using a different methodology and structure. It also offers over 1,000 API methods, a modern composable architecture, and a host of collaborative features, making it robust and customizable for complex use cases. It also provides an AI assistant add-on and access to its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor5/latest/features/file-management/ckbox.html">CKBox</a> file manager for assets.Both products have pros and cons, and choice is important in the market. Regardless, the primary goal is to make the developer and end-user experience easier, richer, and more productive. Again, these tools might go overlooked in the pantheon of product composition. But given their critical importance in the day-to-day workflow for dev and content professionals, it’s no wonder WYSIWYG editors are continuing to innovate – and CKEditor just pushed the boundaries again.<h3 id="bringing-drop-in-image-uploading-to-the-editing-ui">Bringing drop-in image uploading to the editing UI</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ckeditor.com/blog/ckeditor-44-2-0-release-highlights/">CKEditor 5</a> – the tool’s most recent version, launched in 2017 – recently pushed a set of new features as part of its first major release of the year. The package includes enhanced source code editing, the ability to add emojis, a “track changes” preview capability, and a host of other improvements. Among the updates is a hip new feature called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ckeditor.com/blog/ckeditor-44-2-0-release-highlights/">Image Optimizer</a> – a fully functional drop-in image upload solution that enables storing, transforming, optimizing, and delivering images at scale. Image Optimizer “optimizes” your image performance, reducing the size and simplifying content creation for image-rich websites. This supports the needs of both developers and end users by easing the workflow and accelerating time to market.<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:80.46%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/03/image-1741443464990.png" alt="A screenshot of a computer

AI-generated content may be incorrect." /></figure>Source: CKEditor website How does it work? First, Image Optimizer is delivered as a plugin that handles its image optimization capabilities via CDN. Automating the compression and responsive image generation helps reduce latency with load times while battling the cost of higher bandwidth. In addition to automatically resizing and streamlining formats, Image Optimizer can improve website speed, SEO rankings, and even help to ensure compliance with SOC2 and GDPR. For content creators, there are some killer integrated editing tools with adaptive settings that handle optimization for less technical users. This includes resizing, cropping, and tuning parameters such as brightness, exposure, and contrast. You can also apply pre-built filters.  <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/03/image-1741443465643.png" alt="A screenshot of a computer

AI-generated content may be incorrect." />Source: CKEditor website Behind the scenes, Image Optimizer’s secure, non-destructive editing preserves your original files, ensuring both flexibility and control. Additionally, it supports uploads from devices, URLs, social networks, and cloud storage sources, enhancing overall flexibility and productivity.<h3 id="powered-by-uploadcare">Powered by Uploadcare</h3>Part of the secret sauce for Image Optimizer is how it leverages the CDN layer to perform its magic. This provides a fast, lightweight solution for executing and delivering a modified image while retaining the original at its source.  To harness this feature, Image Optimizer leverages <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://uploadcare.com/">Uploadcare,</a> another tool in the Tiugo Technologies portfolio. I recently wrote about the company’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/uploadcare-video-cdn-adds-seamless-uploading-and-streaming-as-a-native-cms-capability">innovative video CDN</a> capabilities, and how seamless uploading and streaming can now be added as a native CMS capability. "In today's tech-driven world, speed and efficiency are everything," said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiktor-walc/">Wiktor Walc</a>, Chief Technology Officer at CKEditor. "Image Optimizer, powered by Uploadcare, equips content creators and developers with a seamless solution to enhance performance, streamline workflows and deliver visually stunning content – all while saving time and resources."CDNs are an indispensable part of the expanding composable, API-first landscape. They significantly improve performance by distributing online content across a multitude of servers positioned across global geographies, allowing users to access data from the closest server. This translates into faster load times, reduced latency, and better overall UX. While CDNs can also be used to manage high traffic spikes, they also distribute traffic loads across their independent networks, providing additional security features against nasty DDoS attacks. CDNs have long been tied to content management systems, and as such, Uploadcare has worked closely with CMS and DXP platforms to leverage SDKs and develop extensions for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentful">Contentful</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/decap-cms">Decap CMS</a>. Uploadcare even calls <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/webflow">Webflow</a> a customer.Uploadcare is uniquely aligned with CKEditor’s capacity to further enhance the CMS UX. By streamlining image upload and optimization, users can experience significant benefits. "Optimized images are crucial for performance and user experience," said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/debatur/">Igor Debatur</a>, CEO of Uploadcare. “Our partnership with CKEditor brings enterprise-grade image processing directly into their editing workflow, allowing users to create and upload high-quality visuals effortlessly.”<h3 id="what’s-next?">What’s next?</h3>Image Optimizer is currently an add-on available with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ckeditor.com/pricing/">CKEditor’s Custom plan</a> and will also be available with self-service plans later this year. You can contact CKEditor for more information, plans, and pricing details. <h3 id="the-verdict">The Verdict</h3>CKEditor will not be wizzywagged. After two decades, it continues to prove its undeniable value within the software experience stack. Developers and content creators rely on it to be performant every day, and it delivers on that promise.Adding new and innovative features can certainly benefit the CMS UX, and the addition of its new Image Optimizer is a winning solution. It seems adaptable to a diverse range of needs, expanding creative freedom while enhancing operational efficiency.On a granular level, the automated resizing will remove headaches for content practitioners, while organizations benefit from improved website performance around speed and even SEO. Additionally, the lightweight image enhancement tools within the editor deliver greater control and productivity. All positive outcomes.To be sure, there are custom solutions in other platforms that provide image compression and editing at different layers in the workflow. Even CKEditor’s CKBox file manager provides some basic editing capabilities, allowing you to crop, resize, rotate, and flip images. But adding more expansive optimization features directly to the WYSIWYG editor is a smart evolution of a tool that exists at the publishing edge. While the solution is non-destructive to the original source – and that’s a good thing – there could be some lingering questions about maintaining governance with manipulated images. As such, it might lend itself to very specific use cases. This is where CKEditor's flexibility and customizability are key assets for establishing control. Like any new feature, you should understand your team’s relationship to the functionality and establish best practices and appropriate guardrails. One last point on the solution’s genesis: It seems that Tiugo Technologies is dogfooding its investments in CKEditor and Uploadcare to yield sweeter fruit. In this sense, it’s assembling a composable ecosystem for developers – one that now includes a headless CMS, a dynamic CDN, and rich editing tools. It will be interesting to see which direction the company evolves its portfolio to complete its vision. BTW: If you’re interested in learning more about the history of WYSIWYG and CMS, let me recommend <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.tiny.cloud/blog/history-of-cms-wysiwyg/">this article by Di Mace</a> of Tiny. It’s incredibly deep and well-researched, chronicling the timeline along key chapters in the computing revolution. Meanwhile, go check out this new feature from the “wiz” of WYSIWYG.    <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:30.46%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/11/cms-summit-25.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-summit-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">CMS Summit 25</a></h4>May 13-14, 2025 – Frankfurt, GermanyDon't miss the first European edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community! CMS Summit 25 will bring together top-notch speakers, our renowned learning format, and engaging social events. Hear from leading practitioners like Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Oetker, and more – and join customers, agencies, and CMS vendors as we discuss current trends and what's ahead for the content and digital experience fields. Connect and network at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference focused on CMS. Space is limited for this exclusive event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmssummit25">so book your seats today.</a> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

Still the ‘Wiz’ of WYSIWYG: CKEditor keeps innovating with new Image Optimizer to improve CMS UX

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