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interview Article

Brightspot Illuminates the Future of CMS with Human-Controlled, AI-Powered Storytelling 

matt-garrepy

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CMS Kickoff 26

Find out at CMS Kickoff 26, January 13 - 14, St. Pete FL

What's the future of CMS in the AI era?

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<hr /> For WordPress, it’s been a long and brutal winter. I don’t need to regurgitate why. You’re probably aware of the feud. If not, you can <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/wp-engine-wins-an-injunction-against-automattic-is-the-wordpress-scorched-earth-campaign-over">read my overview</a> of the Automattic/WP Engine drama or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/can-we-heal-the-open-sores-in-open-source-for-wordpress-karim-marucchi-has-a-prescription">listen to my recent podcast</a> with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://marucchi.com/">Karim Marucchi</a> of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/crowdfavorite/">Crowd Favorite. </a>There are chills a-plenty.The core of this battle has been a persistent lack of control and transparency. With Matt Mullenweg’s hand on the kill switch, WordPress users around the globe have been deeply concerned about the stability of their sites and apps, with many now questioning the democratized promise of this open source project. As Karim noted in our recent chat, securing the software supply chain is absolutely crucial to ensuring the future of WordPress, which powers 43% of all sites on the Internet. In his own words, it’s simply too big to fail, and the market has been yearning for answers. Like all things in tech, change is the constant variable. And there’s been a powerful will in the WordPress community to solve this problem for everyone, from the enterprise down to the mom-and-pop business on Main Street.Today, we might be on the precipice of a solution. Announced this evening during a surprise on-stage appearance at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://altctrl.org/">Alt Ctrl Org</a> in Basel, the new <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://marucchi.com/introducing-the-fair-package-manager-for-wordpress/">FAIR Package Manager</a> was released to the public, which is now available at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://fair.pm">https://fair.pm</a>The project – reflecting months of diligent work by roughly 200 people across a blend of participating organizations – will provide a sustainable and transparent path for a secure supply chain for WordPress, including its plugins, themes, and update infrastructure. Along with the package comes a transparent governance model to help ensure a trusted distribution network, which will answer some of the biggest challenges in the current environment.I caught up with Karim and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdevalk/">Joost de Valk</a>, the luminary behind the ubiquitous <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yoast.com/">Yoast SEO plugin</a> and an advisor to many companies in the WordPress community, to discuss the news. The two have long been partners in helping to shape and guide the open source ecosystem, and have actively pursued solutions to the current conundrum. <h3 id="to-be-fair,-what-is-fair?">To be fair, what is FAIR?</h3>At a high level, FAIR is not just a software project – it’s a structural intervention, representing a new way to build open source software that prioritizes the community, respects governance, and aligns with current legislation and long-standing stakeholder needs.On a granular level, FAIR eliminates reliance on any single source for core updates, plugins, themes, and translations, thus enabling federation across the ecosystem from trusted sources. It marshals a fragmented topology by assembling plugins from any source – not just a centralized one – while creating a firm foundation for modern security practices.FAIR also elevates security at the supply chain level, providing improved cryptographic measures and enhanced browser compatibility checking. <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:79.59%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/06/image-1749242930911.png" /></figure>Announcement of the FAIR Package Manager at Alt Ctrl Org in Basel. The announcement was made at an apropos moment during the adjacent <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://europe.wordcamp.org/2025/">WordCamp EU event.</a> Representatives from the various groups involved in this project took the stage to splash the news, which is likely to make waves over the coming days and weeks. Attendees at Alt Ctrl Org have been invited to download, participate, and join in the movement as it looks to establish a directed fund at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linuxfoundation.org/">Linux Foundation</a> for supporting this project. Karim has been actively engaging with WordPress business owners in an effort to garner support. Over the last few months, he’s noted overwhelming interest from people who have heard the idea of what “could” be, well before the tangible project was released.“Wouldn’t it be nice if it did happen?” he mused, reinforcing the desire of people to sign up and support such an initiative if it materialized. “That's the beauty of these communities, right? If there's a real will of the people to want to make change, it happens.”<h3 id="solving-a-political-problem-with-code">Solving a political problem with code</h3>The palpable fear of an uncertain future has motivated this desire for change. That includes not only the businesses, but the builders and contributors working across the community and within the ranks of Automattic. As Joost noted, people have been scared about the future, treading water while the recent battle has waged. This solution is a sort of digital life ring, and it’s been fully tested and ready to deploy. He shared a bit about how it delivers without disrupting the existing systems.“From an architectural perspective, what’s cool about it is that we're solving a political problem with code,” he said. “It's a plugin, so it doesn't change WordPress itself. WordPress remains WordPress. We add a plugin on top of it, and we replace where it calls ‘home.’”Joost went on to explain how this approach is also solving for compliance challenges, enabling users to manage requests outside of WordPress.org to meet some of the challenges posed by the EU’s forthcoming <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.european-cyber-resilience-act.com/">Cyber Resilience Act</a> and mounting <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gdpr-info.eu/issues/">GDPR issues.</a> <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“from-an-architectural-perspective,-what’s-cool-about-it-is-that-we're-solving-a-political-problem-with-code.-it's-a-plugin,-so-it-doesn't-change-wordpress-itself.-wordpress-remains-wordpress.-we-add-a-plugin-on-top-of-it,-and-we-replace-where-it-calls-‘home.’”">“From an architectural perspective, what’s cool about it is that we're solving a political problem with code. It's a plugin, so it doesn't change WordPress itself. WordPress remains WordPress. We add a plugin on top of it, and we replace where it calls ‘home.’”</h4> Joost de Valk <hr /> “There are a lot of these fixes that could have just happened in WordPress core that we're applying to WordPress through our plugin,” he continued. “So we're augmenting WordPress, we're improving it without changing WordPress itself.”That should provide comfort to enterprises that have been seeking terra firma around larger governance and regulatory challenges at a global level. I asked Joost about the institutional guardrails. This solution is the result of people and organizations within the community versus larger entities. That brings up foundational and even philosophical questions about the project's extensibility and support, and whether we’re trading one source of consolidated control for another.“This is exactly why we're working with the Linux Foundation,” he said emphatically. “Because we didn't want to reinvent that wheel. That wheel has already been invented a couple of times over, and the Linux Foundation has been doing it well for a couple of decades. This is not Joost and Karim doing something – this is the community doing something together with us. We’re the first two spokespeople, but there are loads more. And it's not about any single person or any single company being in control of what we're doing.”Karim built on this, explaining how the Linux Foundation has done an exceptional job of creating a governance model by separating the funding from the technical decisions – and that has worked exceedingly well for many of their projects. This alignment has reinforced FAIR's solvency and ignited interest from the Linux Foundation to support it (you can <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-announces-the-fair-package-manager-project-for-open-source-content-management-system-stability">read their press release</a> about the announcement here).“Even the Linux Foundation was surprised at the personal activism of the WordPress community,” Karim said. “The amount of code that's been written in the last three months wouldn't have been written in any other open source community without funding, right? WordPress is unique in that way, so they worked with us, and we've made a couple of adjustments to their model to recognize the fact that we need to balance the needs of large distribution companies with the community needs, and really try to balance that – which has been amazing.”<h3 id="the-times-they-are-a-changin’">The times they are a-changin’</h3>As Joost relayed to me, this is a “tipping point” moment – not just for WordPress but for the market and industry at large. Open source and the desire for democratization are colliding with some of the institutional trends of the last two decades, and as those monoliths are being challenged, there’s rising optimism around what it can mean for users. “There are just so many reasons why this is a good moment,” he said. “I think in many ways, we've seen ‘SaaSification’ of a lot of stuff over the last decade. And funny enough, I'm European. We're getting back from that because everybody wants to host their stuff themselves again. We want to actually own this ourselves. And I think that WordPress is, of course, in the perfect position to serve those people and actually comply with all the laws that we have in Europe.”There’s also the reality that pricing will rapidly become a key factor in the marketplace. Tools like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/shopify">Shopify</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wix">Wix</a>, which are funded and expected to deliver growth, will likely raise their fees. So many businesses are dependent on their all-in-one infrastructures, and in commerce, the margins are getting thinner. As Joost suggests, open source might become a game changer once again as enterprises and small businesses look for ways to reclaim those revenues. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“the-thing-i'm-mostly-excited-about-is,-if-this-project-is-successful,-it-will-create-for-the-first-time-ever-in-the-history-of-the-internet,-a-content-management-system-that-is-not-reliant-on-any-one-commercial-company.”">“The thing I'm mostly excited about is, if this project is successful, it will create for the first time ever in the history of the internet, a content management system that is not reliant on any one commercial company.”</h4> Karim Marucchi <hr /> “It seems cheaper now, but they're going to raise their prices,” he said. “They are going to do that because they're all PE funded, and they all need to make money, and they need to make more money than they did last year, every year, right? And I think that combination is actually a good market for WordPress in many ways, and for every open source systems.”Karim also shared his enthusiasm for what’s ahead.“The thing I'm mostly excited about is, if this project is successful, it will create for the first time ever in the history of the internet, a content management system that is not reliant on any one commercial company,” he said, glowingly. “We will have a piece of software that is completely distributed and not reliant on any one entity. That is huge. I don't know how an AEM or a Sitecore, on-prem or in the cloud, is going to compete with a CMS that is that nimble, that configurable and composable, that you can actually say it's not open to the whims of any one company.”Without question, this is a big moment for both of these industry leaders – and the community they represent. Will the project be as successful as their ambitions? Only time will tell. We can anticipate a lot of traction as of right now, and like all software, bugs will likely emerge. But this could be the first major step in securing the software supply chain for WordPress and providing the necessary governance to make it sustainable. And maybe – just maybe – finding some peace and prosperity.   <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-wordpress?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on WordPress? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:33.07%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/05/contentcon25-logo-1747412490394.png" /><h4 id="contentstack-contentcon-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.contentstack.com/contentcon">Contentstack ContentCon 25</a></h4>June 3-5, 2025 – Chicago, USAThe future of digital is waiting for you! Contentstack presents ContentCon, the premier event for digital teams and industry leaders who are reimagining the future of digital experiences. Join us for two days of transformative presentations and workshops designed to help you put personalization and AI strategies into action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://contentcon2025.site.zuddl.com/">Register 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>

All’s FAIR in Love and War: New FAIR Package Manager Aims to Bring Peace to the WordPress Ecosystem

The Sommelier of MACHtails: Sommsation’s Danielle Diliberti Uncorks Composability 

What's the MACH vibe in 2025? Here are 3 predictions (and more)

<hr /> “I don’t like being bored.”That was one of the first things <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-king-author/">Christine King</a> said to me during our recent chat. Take a quick gander at her resume and you’ll see it’s true. This powerhouse of a woman hasn’t stopped since 1973 – and that’s just the way she likes it. Before her breakthrough role as the first female CEO at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.onsemi.com/">AMI Semiconductor</a>, Christine spent over 25 years at the venerated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/us-en">IBM</a>, eventually becoming the VP of Semiconductor Solutions. How could you be bored when you own P&amp;L for a $6 billion business unit with 12,000 people to manage?As it turns out, that wasn’t quite enough. Christine wanted to try her hand in the captain’s chair, and did so in a spectacular way. After taking the helm at AMI, she made a series of shrewd business moves that resulted in significant growth, leading to a nearly $1 billion acquisition by <a target="_blank" href="https://eepower.com/news/on-semi-to-acquire-amis-holdings-in-all-stock-transaction-valued-at-approximately-915-million/">ON Semiconductor in 2008</a>. That was followed by another CEO gig at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/SMSC:US">Standard Microsystems</a> and an executive chairmanship at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marvell.com/">QLogic</a> (now part of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marvell.com/">Marvell</a>). Since then, she’s been filling her dance card with numerous board duties, restlessly searching for the next big challenge. That came in 2017, when she accepted her first software leadership role as Co-Chairman at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.henryschein.com/">Henry Schein</a>, a dental practice management platform. A bit out of her comfort zone, sure, but status quo for a trailblazer. Without question, these gigs established Christine as a preeminent CEO across the hardware and software fields. And within the tight cabal of the semiconductor industry, she’s the cream of the crop – what you might call “tech royalty.”But being bored also sent Christine to the farm. And I mean that literally: she became a dairy farmer.“I have to say that dairy farming is way harder than being a CEO,” she exclaimed delightedly. “The results are in the milk pail. You get measured every day for whatever you do, whether it's strategy or execution. It just makes you honest all day long.”And so Christine milked cows every morning for 12 years, taking up the chore before logging in at Big Blue. As she noted, it was a great learning experience, balancing out the intense rigors of being a technology leader.At CMS Critic, our core focus is on content management. But I’ve spent my career in tech, consulting with IBM, Microsoft, Verizon, and even semiconductor companies like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.micross.com/">Micross</a> (I'm deficient in dairy farming, but hay, the day is young).When Christine’s team approached me for an interview, I jumped at the opportunity. She’s now a content creator, promoting her new book, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.christineking.com/">Breaking Through The Silicon Ceiling</a> – which is due out June 28th. We talked about it at length (the video is below) and what convinced her to tell this story.  I thought this would be a fascinating complement to what we typically cover, but it's also downright inspiring. We can all do more to support the advancement of women in tech, and Christine is the template. The shining example of what’s possible. For me, sharing her story is part of the charter.     <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HZmKkySH6k&amp;t=306s"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9HZmKkySH6k?start=306" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> In her forthcoming tome, Christine chronicles her incredible journey. Like something out of a movie, she details how a 20-year-old single mom in the early 1970s climbed a shifting ladder out of a trailer park – and into an intimidating, male-dominated world of technology.Along with the plight of being a solo parent at a time when social stigmas were far more severe, the story is filled with unexpected twists and turns that will have your heart cheering. Throughout the book, Christine relays the lessons learned from a life spent fighting through emotional turmoil, eventually finding respect and equality as an engineer turned business leader. Her big message: the seeds of success are within you. And she’s evidence of that. <h3 id="breaking-through-the-silicon-ceiling">Breaking through the silicon ceiling</h3>To suggest that Christine’s story has a humble beginning would be to sell it short. As you’ll hear in our interview, she overcame significant obstacles before rising into her role as a chief executive of a semiconductor company.As she detailed the genesis, I was struck by how large the mountain must have loomed. And yet, despite her many challenges, she dared to climb. “I didn't have any money, and I didn't have an education,” she remarked. “I had a high school [diploma], but that was it. And so my journey began in that trailer park, then going to college first, of course, to be a teacher – which is what women did in those days. Then I [went] into electrical engineering and got my degree, and that led me to my first job at IBM. And then I spent 40 years pretty much being the only female in the room.”Even with the odds stacked against her, Christine persevered and thrived in dual roles as a technologist and a business leader. In the interview, we talk about how much she enjoys both sides of the ledger and how she unlocks the value of people – without whom there would be no business. I asked Christine what motivated her to become an author and turn her life's story into a book. “I really felt that I learned so many lessons along the way, including those I learned in dairy farming,” she said. “You don't necessarily have to have an Ivy League education, or privilege or connections. You can be successful at what you do, even if it's being the first female CEO of a semiconductor company. I wanted to share that story and those lessons.”The book explores the myriad of setbacks along Christine’s path to the CEO’s seat. In her own words, she frames the adversity as “getting kicked in the gut quite a few times,” but she hung on – and wants everyone to know there's a way to get it done.In our conversation, we also delve into the many challenges faced by women like herself, and what it took to scale the walled garden around high-level leadership roles – and how there’s still work to be done. “There was certainly a ‘boys club,’ if you will,” Christine explained. “Although there were opportunities, it got harder and harder as you went up the ladder. And I would say even in the 2000s, when I started participating in public boards, it was quite a while [before] women were even part of the community and becoming directors. It certainly has been a journey, but sometimes, it's still a rough road. So I think we still have a ways to go.”<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>I won’t wax philosophically here. Instead, I’ll urge you to watch the interview and hear this amazing woman talk about her journey. It’s less than 30 minutes, but the story is a lifetime of gold. I usually draw big conclusions at this point in the prose, but Christine really nails it in our interview. She could easily retire from the whole shootin’ match, but she stays in the game because her passion is immeasurable. Henry Schein is now her fourth leadership rodeo; maybe she's still getting warmed up?Never one to rest, Christine has now put pen to paper and written a book, intimately sharing the struggles of growing up poor and battling limiting beliefs – all with the intention of helping others. As a technologist and business leader, she is unrivaled. As a messenger, she is revelatory. And as a human, she is the motherlode of potential and possibility. And yes, she is an iconic female CEO, but above all, she's an amazing person. One more note: in our conversation, I shared some of the incredible work being done by the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-expands-certification-scope-to-include-offerings-within-larger-vendors">MACH Alliance</a> – the industry organization advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems – and its fervent commitment to DEI. For several years, they have championed what it calls the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-women-in-mach-mentorship-program">Women in MACH</a> movement, elevating awareness and promoting women in tech and STEM fields. Despite the progress we’ve made, the gaps persist. As I told Christine, we saw a lack of female representation on stage 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 event in Amsterdam</a>. Given the clear efforts made to celebrate and promote diversity, this was disappointing – and a reminder that tech is still very much an industry dominated by men.Should we be surprised? We have pundits and talking heads who continue to challenge equitable pay for women (just one dimension of the inequity). On average, they still earn 16% less than their male counterparts. In recent weeks, we saw the dichotomy of <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caitlin_Clark">Caitlin Clark</a>, the college basketball phenom who single-handedly generated millions of dollars for the state of Idaho, but is being <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/caitlin-clark-gender-pay-gap-womens-sports/">paid a salary of $76,000</a> to play in the WNBA – far less than star rookies in the NBA.We’re making progress, yes. But as my guest observed, we still have more work to do. Christine’s book, Breaking Through The Silicon Ceiling, will be released on June 28th, but you can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Through-Silicon-Ceiling-Semiconductor/dp/1803415053/ref=sr_1_1?crid=DTFMT2UJCF82&amp;keywords=breaking+through+the+silicon+ceiling&amp;qid=1698151298&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=breaking+through+the+sili%2Cstripbooks%2C447&amp;sr=1-1">pre-order it now on Amazon</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.

From Trailer Park to First Female CEO of a Semiconductor Company: A Conversation with Christine King

<hr /><h4 id="snapshot">Snapshot</h4><ul><li>Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress have formed the new Open Website Alliance</li><li>The organization coalesced after the group penned an open letter to the EU regarding the Cybersecurity Resilience Act</li><li>This marks the first leadership-led coordination to establish a shared structure around common values</li><li>Goals focus on supporting the advancement of FOSS and leading with a “choose open source first” message</li><li>Future plans include greater collaboration and the development of open source standards and best practices</li></ul> The term alliance receives a fair amount of love in technology circles. It makes perfect sense: software companies and organizations have long relied on partnerships to build awareness and grow channel relationships, and having friends can make it easier to scale. One might call such agreements “pacts” or “treaties,” especially if the partnership is between two competitors – or my favorite permutation, cuspetitors. But alliance evokes something distinctly positive. A spirit of assembling strengths, building consensus, elevating numbers, and rallying around a common vision or goal.Of course, as a well-documented Star Wars fan (read any of my previous pieces, I guarantee there's a nod in most), I can’t help but associate alliance with the idea of rebelling against something, of bringing unlikely bedfellows together to stand against an existential threat… like an Empire. Sometimes, it's a bit of David versus Goliath – Luke versus Vader – and there’s an implied scrappiness to that. One that’s indelible to the ethos of the cause.In the case of the new Open Website Alliance, an interesting confluence of ideologies is at play. The newly formed cabal betwixt the world’s leading open source CMSs – <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/joomla">Joomla</a>, <a href="TYPO3">TYPO3</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a> – is very clear in its charter to advance open source interests. But there’s more, and it has to do with the very real challenges that exist for these platforms in an uncertain future of regulatory governance.To get an inside view of the freshly-minted alliance, I spoke to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathias-bolt-lesniak/">Mathias Bolt Lesniak</a> – an open source evangelist at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.toujou.com/">toujou</a>, a SaaS website building platform with TYPO3 services based in Norway. Mathias also has TYPO3 in his DNA; he is a previous consultant for the organization, a key part of the TYPO3 association, and a leading voice for the Open Website Alliance. I’d say a trusty blaster is good in any fight. But Star Wars references aside, an alliance is a solid place to start when building a movement. And if any part of the CMS market is focused on “freeing the system,” it’s the open source community. <h3 id="building-on-a-coordinated-response-to-the-eu’s-cyber-resilience-act">Building on a coordinated response to the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act</h3>Perhaps it’s apropos that <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/project/press/press-releases/open-website-alliance/english">TYPO3’s press release</a> announcing the Open Website Alliance was issued from Switzerland. The idea of “neutral ground” further reinforces the compact that connects these otherwise competitive CMSs – which collectively power 50% of all online websites today.As the press release points out, the Open Website Alliance was founded to promote choice across the open source software marketplace and facilitate collaboration between free and open source (FOSS) web content management projects – thus furthering the core values of openness, trust, and quality. But where did this air of collaboration begin? As Mathias pointed out, the Alliance owes its genesis to a coordinated response from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.drupal.org/association">Drupal Association</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.opensourcematters.org/">Open Source Matters (Joomla)</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/project/association">TYPO3 Association</a>, and the <a target="_blank" href="https://wordpress.org/">WordPress Project</a>. The organizations pooled their collective resources to pen an <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/project/press/press-releases/open-letter-to-eu-legislators/english">open letter to the European Union</a> regarding its concerns about the EU’s proposed <a target="_blank" href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/cyber-resilience-act">Cyber Resilience Act</a>. “The Open Website Alliance started out with this letter to the EU,” Mathias said. “We weren't an alliance six months ago, but that was really when Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress got together at a leadership level to do something together. Because we shared a concern – and we had shared values. Of course, there's been collaborations between our communities previously, but this was really the first time that we met on a leadership level – board members and executives, meeting together on one call.<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“i-think-if-you-want-an-open-web,-you-also-want-to-work-differently-with-your-partners-or-friends-in-open-source.”">“I think if you want an open web, you also want to work differently with your partners or friends in open source.”</h4><hr />At question was the Act’s ban on what it classified as ”unfinished software” and a bevy of muddled definitions surrounding “commercial activity.” In the original text, there's an implicit obligation for software to address all known exploitable vulnerabilities, and maintain a secure default configuration. The latter is particularly problematic, as there’s no way of knowing where and how open source software will be used in projects.  With FOSS products unaccounted for in the original language, open source systems could be liable for safety and security in an untenable manner. These regulations – while viewed as important for maintaining security standards – could potentially hamper European innovation and, as TYPO3 pointed out, drive activity toward U.S. tech giants.“With the Cyber Resilience Act, we discovered there was a real danger for operating as a nonprofit, free and open source content management system – and within the EU, that might actually become very, very hard,” Mathias reflected. “And what hadn't been mentioned yet were two things: first, content management systems within the EU actually represent a little more than half of all websites. Many small to medium-sized businesses use our systems – also larger ones – but that means it would have a great financial impact. The other thing that we saw was that being free and open source means we have certain values, things that we believe in, like openness and free speech. These values very much aligned with the core values of the European Union, so we thought it was an important message to give. It isn't just about business, it's also about the values behind what we do.”The open letter to the EU was issued in July of 2023. In early December, the language of the Cyber Resilience Act was agreed upon, paving the way for its adoption this year – and obligations being phased in through late 2025 and into 2027. As the Act continues to unfold, the Open Website Alliance aims to stand in solidarity against any measures that might impact their collective viability – and together, help shape solutions for all open source communities. <h3 id="collaborating-at-a-leadership-level">Collaborating at a leadership level</h3>In addition to the general community participation, the Alliance is guiding its breadth of members on a leadership level. This means the respective organizations can more easily coordinate on strategy and actions, creating a unified platform that powers new and existing cross-community collaboration projects.Leadership of the organization is also based on collaboration. While by-laws and other institutional practices have not yet fully gestated, the presidency will rotate among the members, and all decisions will be consensus-based. That said, it is by no means an established authority with centralized control or governance. Given that, I asked Mathias how he might describe its makeup and structure. “The Open Website Alliance is a very simple construction,” he relayed. “It doesn't have a formal legal body, so it’s more of a collaboration space – a community of communities, as we say. So it’s up to each member to do what the Alliance encourages.” While still nascent, Mathias did share that some of the operational components of the Alliance are already taking form. As someone who has been involved with numerous associations like this – including the well-established <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-publishes-first-annual-report-showcases-industry-impact-and-plans-for-2024">MACH Alliance</a>, which shares common traits with this new organization – I’ve seen how the right operational bedrock is key to building success.<h3 id="expanding-to-include-other-open-source-cmss">Expanding to include other open source CMSs</h3>I asked Mathias about the roadmap beyond the quintet of founders. While the four open source software communities represent a significant part of the market, many other technologies have embraced FOSS. As part of its charter, he said that the Open Website Alliance is also encouraging other FOSS CMS platforms to apply for membership.“We have seen interest from other free and open source projects or content management systems that would like to join the Alliance,” Mathias reported. “So it's open for anyone who has an <a target="_blank" href="https://opensource.org/">OSI (Open Source Initiative)</a> and a verifiable free and open source license. But in addition to that, the charter also specifies that members have to agree to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.drupal.org/association/open-web-manifesto">Open Web Manifesto</a>, which I know that Drupal and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/buytaert/">Dries Buytaert</a> (CTO and founder of Drupal and Acquia) have been promoting previously.”It's true: the vision of a free and modular web has long been part of the open source zeitgeist, due in no small part to the contributions of Dries Buytaert and the Drupal community. As Mathias said, the Alliance has taken the core Drupal manifesto and generalized it – a bit – to render it less specific to a single platform, and more reflective of the Alliance makeup.“I think if you want an open web, you also want to work differently with your partners or friends in the open source.”<h3 id="standing-together-for-open-source">Standing together for open source</h3>The <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/fileadmin/t3o_common_storage/documents/press_releases/2024-02_Open_Website_Alliance/Open_Website_Alliance_Charter.pdf">purpose statement</a> the Alliance has developed provides the most basic tenets of its goals. It states, “members commit to jointly encourage prospective website owners and developers to always choose open source software over proprietary systems, and to educate why this decision is the first and most important one in a website project. Through this advocacy, we are expanding opportunities for all open source CMS projects.”As previously noted, the collaboration also seeks to benefit the public perception of open source projects – that they lean on the reliability of open source software, and are supported by the “quality and safety of open source communities.” This community aspect is key, as it speaks to the potential for members to share and discuss best practices in an open source vein. But there’s more. Accounting for the distributed and collaborative nature of open-source software – even beyond content management – the Alliance strives to support the growing reality of upstream dependencies. I asked Mathias to elaborate on this, and he focused on the evolving need for standards.“We see upstream dependencies that are increasingly dependent on much of the same technology, but in different ways,” he said. “That will be interesting as soon as we get in Alliance members that don't use PHP, but I think it's also at an idea level. If you look at what the European Union is doing today, they are putting requirements on people who work with open source, just as they do with closed source – and that means we have to develop standards. We have to develop common ways so that we're not all standing by ourselves when there's suddenly a [new] requirement for data interchange, which is a part of the new data regulation."By being proactive, Mathias believes the open source communities of interest can now plan more effectively and coordinate how they work. Through consensus, they can agree on suitable standards to help govern things like security and maintenance, which involve increasingly more upstream dependencies. “It means that we have to care just as much about each other as we care about the systems that we use.”<h3 id="what’s-next?">What’s next?</h3>As someone who has built and managed projects in both Drupal and WordPress, I’m deeply familiar with the advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of their inherent differences – or how proprietary systems might challenge them – I’ve always viewed their “open sourceness” as an innate strength. Perhaps the most valuable asset for each is its fiercely loyal community, which represents the real power and potential for the Open Source Alliance to realize change at an industry and regulatory level. When I make the obvious comparison to other industry alliances, I can’t help but think of lofty goals woven around voluminous mission statements. But open source is a different beast, beating its own drum and operating at times like a distributed hive mind. The users and contributors are vast and diverse, and the wheels of change often grind more slowly in these corners. At the same time, they're also tacitly independent – part of its democratic appeal, in truth – and that could stymie the adoption of rules and practices.I asked Mathias a logical question: what’s ahead? What do the next 12 months look like? His answer was refreshing – because it was simple and honest:“We don't have that written down,” he said, “but there are things we are talking about at a leadership level. Having an Alliance means that it's much easier for us to say, well, we want to do something together to improve how we standardize security, and then that can be disseminated from a leadership level down into the community. Another is a very simple thing, and that is attending each other's conferences. I've been attending a few other CMS conferences, and there is so much we can learn just from how our communities are organized. So community best practices are a very important thing to improve quality. We have good quality, but we can always improve on that.”For Mathias, education is also a big part of the equation. From his perspective, shifting the narrative is paramount, and leading with an “open source first” mentality is key to helping businesses, agencies, and users make better decisions. “I had the idea that what we need to do is educate the bits,” he said. “Tell people first what open source is instead of haggling about which system is best versus proprietary. So we agreed to collaborate on promoting open source as sort of a ‘white label’ thing that incorporates a lot of benefits that are common [to] all our systems, and that's where choosing open source first came in. We encourage decision-makers who are looking for content management systems to make that choice first. And once they're there, they have a lot more choice.”Mathias reinforced that collaboration underscores everything, and how the founding systems and communities are going beyond sharing best practices and working to understand each other better. “We think it's a benefit for all open source that we know each other, and that we can help every client choose the best open source CMS or find the best agency that has the experience that they need.”Alliances often present themselves as business opportunities. But sometimes, they emerge at a moment of great change or crisis, when hope is running low and great threats stand in the way of progress. When considering the more altruistic motives of open source – of the free and open web – it’s clear that this new alliance is focused on more than just the financial implications of impending regulation. In this case, open source is more like an open force for good – and one to be reckoned with.  <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.

Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress Join Forces in New Open Website Alliance

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<h4>Snapshot:</h4><ul><li>Laura Goldberg is CMO at Constant Contact, a leading digital marketing platform.</li><li>The company is innovating to make email and integrations easier for SMBs.</li><li>Security and data privacy continue to be a core tenant of its brand promise. </li><li>Constant Contact recently added an AI Content Generator to its popular features.</li><li>On the roadmap, enhancing automation and segmentation are a key focus.</li></ul><hr /> You’ve got mail!If you’re old enough to remember that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGOgSPVBmIE">iconic soundbite</a>, you might recall the nascent exuberance of receiving “electronic mail.” Of course, that’s back when it was still (somewhat) new, a shiny beacon of possibilities and a game-changer for communication.Even if the idea of email feels the same today, a lot has changed over the last few decades. On the upside, we’ve deprecated those arduous CompuServe addresses. Firing off a message no longer requires a modem; it can all be done from a smartphone. And lest we forget, email has also become a ubiquitous component in every digital marketer's toolkit, from personalized campaigns to newsletters.On the downside, our inboxes have been Biblically flooded. Spam has reached epic proportions, and phishing attacks have become a weak link in the security chain (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/phishing-statistics/">according to Forbes</a>, there were 500 million of them last year). Add shifting policies and regulatory governance, and it becomes a challenging morass. These realities might complicate the roadmap for email. But <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/constant-contact">Constant Contact</a> sees more opportunities than challenges. Since first rolling onto the scene in 1995, the Massachusetts-born tech maven has kept a constant eye on the future. From humble beginnings in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.constantcontact.com/about">cramped attic</a> to a globally recognized brand, the online marketing platform has become an institution, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses looking to harness the power of email.What’s perhaps most impressive about Constant Contact is its raw staying power. It is a paragon for longevity in an otherwise volatile tech industry, a testament to its trust and reliability. And while the company was sold to Endurance International in 2015 <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant_Contact">for $1.1 billion</a>, it has continued operating under its ubiquitous brand and stayed true to its roots – always leading with email.At the same time, the company has grown beyond its foundational focus to encompass a broader ecosystem of services. This includes a bevy of digital marketing tools like landing page and A/B testing features, lead gen and CRM capabilities, SMS and social media marketing apps, and more. I recently spoke with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-goldberg-b3913/">Laura Goldberg</a>, Constant Contact’s Chief Marketing Officer, about the irreplaceable role of email as part of an integrated marketing stack, and how her company’s focus on delivering simple yet powerful tools to SMBs is unshakeable.  Laura also shared how their new AI features are enabling users to do more with their digital and email marketing – and how Contact Contact’s approach is not about the tech, but the people and businesses it empowers. <h3>A legacy of focus on SMBs</h3>A seasoned marketer, Laura has spent the last decade working almost exclusively with SMBs, particularly at companies committed to servicing that market tier. As Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/kabbage-american-express/">Kabbage</a> – an SMB-focused financial platform under the AMEX umbrella – she helped small businesses simplify cash flow management with a portfolio of digital solutions. What Laura loves most about this segment is guiding small businesses through key challenges and helping them achieve success. This centers around demystifying complexity, so a business owner can focus on what really matters. That passion continues to drive her work at Constant Contact.“Whether it's marketing, setting up an LLC, or needing a line of credit, it's not why they got into the world of small business,” she explained. “So how do we build a product or service that can help someone who may not be an expert in a field to be really effective?”In the case of digital marketing, this has never been more apropos. Most people know how to use basic email. But scaling that into campaigns and integrated programs? That can be far more complicated for less tech-savvy entrepreneurs.  <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center">"Whether it's marketing, setting up an LLC, or needing a line of credit, it's not why they got into the world of small business. So how do we build a product or service that can help someone who may not be an expert in a field to be really effective?”</h4><hr /> This is where Constant Contact shines: enabling small businesses to harness the potential of digital marketing with ease. Email is certainly a big part of it, but the company’s expanded ecosystem of services helps SMBs reach customers in new and exciting ways.“Constant Contact is a digital marketing platform,” she said. “We lead with email, but that's sort of the ‘entry’ point if you will, and we can we really work to combine your marketing across all channels – email, social marketing, SMS – where you can engage in building relationships with your customers.”While the focus on SMBs is crystal clear, I asked Laura about the enterprise side of the ledger. After all, many large businesses use Constant Contact as the email layer of a composable stack. In some cases, they might have “grown up” with the technology and never left – but in most cases, it’s a testament to the ease of use and effectiveness of the platform.“We absolutely have some bigger customers that are enterprise-level or mid-market,” she explained. “But we’re solely focused on [providing] SMBs a marketing platform that’s easy to use and grow with. If you're a solopreneur, or just starting out, it should be simple to send emails and texts, post on social media, and even integrate your <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/shopify">Shopify</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/woocommerce">WooCommerce</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/bigcommerce">BigCommerce</a> – all in one place. As you get more sophisticated, we have packages that allow you to do more, like segmenting your audiences and setting up custom automations to track revenue from your emails.”<h3>Making integrations easier </h3>Going deeper around the commerce layer, I asked Laura how easy it is to connect shopping carts from third-party platforms with Constant Contact’s email capabilities. Turns out there’s a lot more functionality under the hood, including some personalization features that are simple yet slick. “It's pretty easy to integrate shopping carts,” she explained. “Customers from your e-commerce platform are populated into your email list, along with their history. So, if you only buy red sweaters, then I know I should only market red sweaters to you, or let you know when we have a sale on red sweaters. It lets you take that data.”And it is, in fact, really easy to make it all work. With over 6,000 integrations, Constant Contact offers a mega-library of connectors to a world of applications – many of which can be added with just a few clicks. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:78.18%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/image-1699389693858.png" alt="A screenshot of a computer

Description automatically generated" /></figure> In the case of Shopify, simple online documentation provides step-by-step instructions for getting it all flowing in no time flat.One of the biggest benefits of Constant Contact is the access to metrics and analytics. This has long been a core feature of the platform, providing users with details like delivery and open rates. But with a commerce integration like Shopify, you go beyond abandoned carts and see what an email produces in revenue and sales. As far as integrations go, commerce is just the tip of the iceberg. With a deep bench of best-of-breed tools at your disposal, there are even more opportunities for automation. “We have integrations with platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/canva-button-gives-cms-users-integrated-graphic-design-tools-for-visual-content">Canva</a>,” Laura said. “So, if you have all your brand assets and design elements there, you can easily bring them into your emails or social posts. We’ve also integrated with <a target="_blank" href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>, if you’re a video-heavy brand and want to feature that kind of content. And on the B2B side, we even have integrations with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/hubspot'">HubSpot</a> and other sales CRMs as well.”<h3>Security and privacy are job zero</h3>Short of sounding too macabre, the <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/third-party-cookie-phase-out">death of third-party cookies</a> is wreaking havoc on marketers. Add in <a target="_blank" href="https://gdpr-info.eu/">GDPR</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Consumer_Privacy_Act">CCPA</a>, and other regulatory redlines, and businesses are under significant pressure to ensure data security and privacy. And with so much sinister email lurking around inboxes, trust is on the tip of everyone's tongue. I asked Laura how this critical relationship with trust has shaped Constant Contact’s posture in the market, and how they’re addressing bigger ticket security challenges – so small businesses don’t have to sweat it. “I'm so happy you asked me this, because nobody ever asks me this,” she said. “It’s who we are. Yes, we have the best delivery rates in the business to the inbox, but we also have the best ways to filter spam. We keep our IPs pristine. We make sure that your emails and communications get to the right inbox. It’s one of the primary pillars of our brand, what we stand for and really care about – and we do everything we can so the customer doesn't have to think about that.”Despite its best efforts, Laura reinforced that there are always limits, and both Google and Yahoo are constantly changing the rules that govern customer data. This is where Constant Contact’s commitment to the customer relationship – to trust – really comes in.“We work with our customers to ensure they're compliant and that their emails continue to be delivered,” Laura reinforced. “It’s what we do. And if we need you to do something [on your end], we're going to walk you through it. We're going to make it as easy as possible. And we're going to make sure it's impactful to your business.”<h3>AI is an ingredient, not a feature</h3>As I relayed to Laura, I feel a bit more like an AI Critic these days. The impact of artificial intelligence on the digital experience economy is undeniable, and Constant Contact – like its peers – has been working diligently to harness its potential.Of course, generative AI has obvious applications for an email platform. After all, it’s digital marketers and content creators writing subject lines and body copy. But when you think about the average small business user, the power of AI can take on a whole new dimension of value, even if they’re unfamiliar or intimidated by tools like <a target="_blank" href="https://openai.com/">ChatGPT</a>.  When I finally broached everyone’s soup du jour of 2023, it was apropos to hear Laura serve up Constant Contact’s AI strategy in a perfect dish. “We try not to market it so much,” she relayed. “AI is an ingredient, not a feature. Right? It's the how, not the what. Yes, it's AI that's powering this feature or that feature, but let's talk about the feature itself and how it benefits the customer, and try and keep the lingo to the side.” As Laura described, Constant Contact is using AI in a lot of places. While the latest innovations have included tools like a content generator, she was quick to point out that this isn't the company’s first “AI rodeo.”“We have an internal spam filter that’s 100% built with AI and machine learning," she said. "We've been using AI in our own tools that the customer may never see, but it’s making them more successful.”Laura pointed out that while everyone across the digital marketing category is offering some manner of content generation, Constant Contact is leveraging a “treasure trove” of history to pull from, allowing them to determine what's most effective. This gives users more relevant ideas and suggestions for overcoming writer’s block and creating more compelling email and marketing content.  <h3>Using Constant Contact's AI Content Generator</h3>When it comes to AI features in <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">CMS</a>, DXP, and digital marketing platforms, I’ve experienced almost everything at this point – from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.canva.com/magic-write/">Canva’s Magic Write</a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-pioneers-native-ai-in-headless-cms-interview-with-vojtech-boril">Kontent.ai’s native gen AI features</a>. Without question, Constant Contact's is one of the simplest. First and foremost, the interface is incredibly clean and lightweight. No frills, and definitely no complexity. While that might seem less robust, it's designed to be intuitive to the small business user – and as such, only prompts for basic announcements in a single input field. During a self-propelled demo, I added my own text blurb about an Italian restaurant running a special (it was lunchtime, what can I say?) and in seconds, it rendered some clever email text. It was short, and needed a bit of tweaking, but I was able to manually edit at the next step. I also tried the fully formatted email template as an option, and sure enough, I was served a basic structure ready to be customized with logos and other attributes. Once approved, I was able to add it to my email workflow and schedule my campaign. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.64%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/image.png" /></figure> “I think there's real power in solving that blank piece of paper problem,” she said. “Imagine a small business owner, and maybe their first job isn’t marketing. They might stare at a blank email with no direction. We just had a great quote from a customer who runs a farm stand, and they said, ‘Oh my god, you guys tell me 45 different ways to say come to my farm stand on Saturday.’ I laughed, but you know, that help is huge.”Laura shared a bit more about the roadmap and where AI is being focused now and in the future. A big part of the strategy is to continue enhancing Constant Contact’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.constantcontact.com/features/ai-marketing">automation</a> and segmentation, particularly around connection points with other ecosystems like social media. “Maybe you buy an ad on Facebook,” she explained, “and you want to send a text two minutes before and see exactly what recommended actions are the next step based on your history of what's been successful and driven the most response and revenue.”Those are smart applications for AI, all supporting the delivery of the right message at the right time to the right customer through the right channel.<h3>Constantly seeking innovation</h3>I asked Laura what’s next for Constant Contact, specifically as the digital landscape becomes more complex. It’s worth noting that the company realigned its product offerings in the middle of 2023 – which she described as a really big move.  “There's a lot of exciting things coming down the pipe,” she said. “We have new features and functionality, and it's all focused on helping our customers grow, whatever that means for them. And it’s making tools like email easier to use, and then really building on that marketing platform to get them to the next level, helping them get closer to their customers and market more effectively.”To help deliver on that mission, the company has made several strategic acquisitions to help complete its market vision. This includes <a target="_blank" href="https://sharpspring.com/">SharpSpring</a>, a provider of sales automation and CRM software. The added channel of capabilities has helped Constant Contact capture greater market share and enhance its stack of product offerings. As far as advancing its global footprint and enriching brand awareness, the company also purchased <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vision6.com/">Vision6</a> – an Australian-based email and SMS marketing platform – providing a gateway to that market. There’s no question that AI is influencing the roadmap for this long-standing brand. But as Laura described, these new technologies are simply how Constant Contact delivers success for SMBs. The why and the what is all about translating the value for the customer.“You can't turn on the news or watch a TV show without hearing about AI,” she said. “Our customers are curious, but we can't just say, ‘hey, use our AI feature’ because they don't know what that means. Small businesses are people, so we’re putting AI in context for them.”These days, we could all use a dose of AI context. Thankfully, Constant Contact is getting the right message to our collective inbox.

Constant Contact Delivers Beyond Email, Adds AI and Automation Features to Power SMB Success

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