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Kontent.ai Article

Agentic CMS: Why Kontent.ai’s Vision for the Future of Content Management is Inspiring 

matt-garrepy

<hr /> 14 years. It’s a long time by any measure, but vastly more for humans living in a war-torn country under an oppressive dictator. Such were the struggles of the Syrian people under the brutal Assad regime, a tyranny that dates back over half a century. It was all horrific, but the last decade and a half were among the worst years as the country became an unforgiving battlefield.For <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nabeez/">Nabil Orfali</a>, those struggles hold a deeply personal meaning, like a wound in his heart. Syria is his homeland, the place where his journey as a technologist – and a digital dreamer – began.After graduating from Damascus University with a degree in computer science, Nabil spent the first three years of his career working in Syria. The dotcom boom was blossoming, and it was a time of great change as the internet connected the world. It was an exciting moment, and Nabil was at the center of it.“I helped bring web development to the whole country at that time,” he said, reflecting how Syrian businesses and agencies were investing in a new horizon of possibilities. In addition to other novel projects, Nabil built the first online payment system for the country’s first ISP, pioneering digital transactions and nurturing an entirely new industry flush with transformational opportunities. In 2001, Nabil left Syria, watching the chaos spread as then-president Bashar al-Assad grew more bellicose – monopolizing resources, violating human rights, and committing atrocities against his own people. This, among other illegal actions, led to crushing international sanctions that quelled any prospects of growth.In the years that followed, the people of Syria rose up in revolution, fighting a civil war to oust the divisive leader. As Nabil shared, the ensuing battle was replete with tragedy. Thousands died or were imprisoned. Families were broken and displaced. Millions sought safety across borders. It was nothing short of a humanitarian crisis. “Over the last 14 years, the Syrian people have been asking for freedom,” Nabil said. And while he was removed from the warfare and living in Canada, he did what he could to muster assistance from abroad. “My Syrian friends here and in the US were actively trying to help refugees with aid and supporting projects to help during that hard period.”One of the early projects that Nabil spearheaded was the creation of a workshop in Turkey, explicitly designed for Syrian women. The neighboring country had become a host for refugees, and this charitable vestibule provided a lifeline of self-sufficiency that taught practical crafts like crocheting, woodworking, and other trades. Equipped with these skills, Syrian women were able to build toys and produce children’s clothing to enrich their communities during the bitter winters. Local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also purchased the wares, providing opportunities for families to earn a living. The workshop ended up employing around 190 families and became a shining beacon of hope. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="-"> </h4><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“i’ve-been-in-technology-for-my-whole-career,-and-my-friends-as-well.-so-we-got-together,-around-ten-or-eleven-of-us,-from-across-the-globe.-places-like-the-uk,-germany,-the-us,-and-canada.-we-wanted-to-help-in-a-bigger-way.”">“I’ve been in technology for my whole career, and my friends as well. So we got together, around ten or eleven of us, from across the globe. Places like the UK, Germany, the US, and Canada. We wanted to help in a bigger way.”</h4> <hr /> In 2024, Syrian rebels launched a lightning offensive across the country, recapturing occupied cities like Aleppo – where some of the most violent fighting had happened. In the wake of liberation, the door opened to hope and jubilation. Some of the sanctions were lifted, and a fledgling new government went to work rebuilding the country.Many communities were in ruins after 14 years of conflict. As you can imagine, rebuilding will be a decades-long venture, with a core focus on repairing essential infrastructure like access to stable power and clean water. But the technology and communications infrastructure also require serious mending – and that’s where Nabil and his colleagues have been chiefly focused. “I’ve been in technology for my whole career, and my friends as well,” he said. “So we got together, around ten or eleven of us, from across the globe. Places like the UK, Germany, the US, and Canada. We wanted to help in a bigger way.”That led to the creation of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://14.digital/about-us/">14.Digital, </a>an NGO dedicated to revitalizing Syria's digital infrastructure through innovative and agile solutions. The members are uniquely skilled and qualified technology practitioners who are committed to rebuilding a nation that has endured decades of turmoil. The organization’s name is both an optimistic prompt and a stark tribute to Syria’s 14 years of revolution. It’s also a reminder of its deep sacrifices in the long journey to freedom – and, perhaps, the struggle that lies ahead.<h3 id="pairing-advanced-technology-with-global-values">Pairing advanced technology with global values</h3>I didn’t know the full extent of Nabil’s origin story. We see each other regularly at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">Boye &amp; Company CMS Experts events,</a> where he’s a constant beam of knowledge for our community. He has a deeply proven pedigree as a content management and DXP practitioner, with multiple Sitecore MVPs under his belt. What I did know about him was his successful track record as a builder and his penchant for restless creation. His company, Toronto-based <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.techguilds.com/">TechGuilds,</a> has been his sandbox for innovation, evolving to deliver quality solutions that encompass CRM, commerce, and other facets of digital experience. He's also the father of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kajoo">Kajoo</a>, an AI-powered DX builder that accelerates front-end development for composable platforms, including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sitecore">Sitecore’s XM Cloud,</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/optimizely">Optimizely,</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kontentai">Kontent.ai.</a> Like its name, Kajoo conjures a sense of wonder and whimsy, and watching it ingest a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/figma">Figma</a> prototype and convert it to clean, efficient code is nothing short of inspiring.Given Nabil’s flair for innovation – coupled with his innate drive and determination – it’s not surprising that he’s confronted the Syrian crisis with a bold sense of compassion. 14.Digital crystallizes that heart-led mission, and it’s already making an impact with projects on multiple fronts. There’s a big vision guiding everything, but as Nabil said, the post-war conditions are still being felt in the lack of general stability. As such, they have their work cut out for them.“The goal is to advance the digital maturity of the whole country,” he said. “They have very, very rudimentary resources. There are frequent electrical outages, with power coming only a few times a day. It’s improving, and people are getting creative with solar panels and batteries.”That resourcefulness is a credit to the Syrian people, who have lived under austerity for decades. This is why a key part of 14.Digital’s charter is to reinforce human rights and democratic values as it implements national and community-based projects. The organization is acting responsibly and transparently in its practices, and committing to generosity, collaboration, and respect across its operations. 14.Digital also champions equality, equity, and freedom of expression, striving for the open exchange of ideas and opinions. This is a stark contrast to decades of oppression. It's also a covenant of hope as Syrians look to build a resilient and thriving nation.  <h3 id="pioneering-a-sustainable-digital-infrastructure-to-power-the-future">Pioneering a sustainable digital infrastructure to power the future</h3>To enable local residents and communities to achieve greater independence, 14.Digital is working to address the challenges stemming from limited or underdeveloped infrastructure and, where possible, enhancing the technological footprint. Registered in both Syria and Canada, the organization’s team is comprised of skilled professionals from diverse backgrounds who are keenly focused on digital infrastructure development and community support.In terms of discrete services, 14.Digital provides a range of software design and development resources for creating and deploying custom solutions. This includes the architecting of secure, scalable digital and cloud infrastructure solutions to meet a variety of business goals. The team also provides physical and cybersecurity measures, network design, and even artificial intelligence services to deliver enhanced automation and efficiency. Training is another component of 14.Digital's mission. The civil war created a significant knowledge gap for Syria’s youth, with academic facilities shuttered and students left in limbo. Creating opportunities for Syrian-based technology and workers is a key area of focus, and one of the projects Nabil described was a partnership with Syrian university faculty to mentor students in computer science and conduct workshops on modern topics. “We're training in different digital areas, from web development to AI,” he explained. And it hasn’t stopped there. Nabil said that 14.Digital is also assisting with a host of cybersecurity initiatives, providing audits to government agency websites. After the fall of the previous regime, there's been a precipitous rise in hacking, leading to deeper audits and remediations. This has all proven difficult given that the country is working without solid data centers as part of its digital infrastructure.There’s also been a big push surrounding modernization across public agencies. One of the biggest projects Nabil and 14.Digital have proposed is to implement a secure core solution to power e-government services. “Civil records were largely paper-based, and a lot of them were damaged during the war,” he said. “If you don't have those records, you can’t provide healthcare properly, or conduct elections, or even confirm the identity of the citizen. So from that perspective, we proposed a project to provide digital identity to all government agencies for issuing IDs, driver's licenses, even passports down the road. But we’re going to build that core of digital identity in a very secure way.”Nabil said the project went through a period of deep study and research, which ultimately provided the budget to build multiple data centers with high redundancy in two different locations. It will be a massive undertaking, and likely take two or three years to complete, but they’ve already received millions in funding from outside donors. Nabil is optimistic that an approval will happen in the coming months, and they can break ground in the near term.<h3 id="healing-the-scars-with-hope">Healing the scars with hope</h3>In many ways, Syria is a diamond waiting to be polished. It has seen unspeakable horrors over the last 14 years, but its people have persevered. Now, they’re eager to restore its beauty – so it can shine brilliantly once more.Despite the regime's fall, the future of Syria remains uncertain. There are still fears of new conflicts between various non-state-affiliated groups, including ideologically driven factions. Millions are still in need of basic humanitarian assistance, and many remain outside the country as victims of displacement. But the enthusiasm for the future is palpable. And while there are many critical issues to solve, improving processes with digital technology could significantly accelerate the overall recovery. As Nabil shared, one of the biggest tragedies has been the loss of a generation of talent, and having access to stable power and internet services could enable students to gain ground through remote learning and improve their future prospects.“The thing they need most right now, in my opinion, is almost a rehabilitation of skill sets,” he explained. “Not just hard skills or technical skills, but also soft skills like language. A lot of these kids, they've been out of school for five years, ten years in some cases. It’s so sad. NGOs have created schools and there’s some tutoring available, but I would love to see us coming in from the digital and technology perspective to up level their skills to make their lives better. And in turn, they can make their country better.”As someone who has personally volunteered time, money, and technology resources to support the Special Olympics and other NPOs, I am moved and motivated by Nabil’s efforts. While many of us endeavor to give back in our own way, he is facing down a mammoth crisis. Most of us can’t even imagine what his country has been through or the trauma the war has left behind.In light of this, he remains incurably optimistic. This is a testament to his belief in technology's ability to make an impact, and illustrates the propensity for digital not to divide us – but connect us. “With all the difficulties that the Syrian people are still facing, you can see this amazing energy,” he said glowingly. “People are going to the streets, cleaning and repairing things, making the country look better. Doing anything they can within their means to help. All of a sudden, they feel that the country belongs to them. So you see all these little projects with groups of people just taking action. When I see that, I feel like I have a duty to help make their lives easier.”Wounds heal, but scars remain. They remind us of what's been lost. But they also tell a story about survival – and perhaps, with the help of others, they can symbolize a moment when everything changed. For the better. Bravo, 14.Digital. I hope the next 14 years will bring the peace and prosperity Syrians deserve. <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.61%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/storyblok-joyconf-2025-logo.jpg" /><h4 id="storyblok-joyconf-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Storyblok JoyConf 2025</a></h4>October 14-15, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands November 4, 2025 – New York, NY November 6, 2025 – Los Angeles, CAJoin us at JoyConf 2025, where the future of content meets the people shaping it. Built for developers, marketers, and digital innovators, this free conference goes way beyond product updates or yet another strategy playbook. It’s where you’ll get inspired, get real, and get connected – to ideas, to the community, and to what’s possible when you build joyfully. Whether you're building lightning-fast frontends or launching cross-channel campaigns, this is where content becomes connection and collaboration becomes second nature. Come for the talks. Stay for the community. Leave with joy. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://joyconf.storyblok.com/">Save your spot.</a> <img style="width:28.9%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/sitecore-symposium-2025.jpg" /><h4 id="sitecore-symposium-2025"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Sitecore Symposium 2025</a></h4>November 3-5, 2025 – Orlando, FLAt Sitecore Symposium, you’ll learn how to meet your customers where they are – across channels, moments, and touchpoints that didn’t exist a year ago. You’ll hear how the boldest brands in the world are transforming content into outcomes and creating experiences that are fast, relevant, and human. Join 1,500 marketers, digital leaders, and technologists in Orlando to see what’s possible when personalization scales, AI accelerates creativity, and trust becomes your competitive edge. This is the Third Wave of the Internet. And this is your moment to lead in it. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://symposium.sitecore.com/">Get your tickets today.</a> <img style="width:31.44%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/08/cms-kickoff-2026-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2026"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">CMS Kickoff 2026</a></h4>January 13-14, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FLMeet industry leaders at our fourth annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global CMS event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff26">so secure your tickets today.</a>

In the Scars of Syria, 14.Digital is Revitalizing Digital Infrastructure and Healing the Future

Kontent.ai Aims to Lead a 'New Era of Content Management,' Relaunches Brand and Website

<hr /> The digital transformation of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management systems (CMS)</a> is accelerating, with AI capabilities becoming a significant differentiator among providers. Some CMS vendors are enhancing their platforms with ChatGPT add-ons, while <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-pioneers-native-ai-in-headless-cms-interview-with-vojtech-boril">others are weaving AI more intricately</a> into their technology stacks. A select few are even making AI the heart of their offerings. This diversity in AI integration presents a spectrum of challenges, particularly in terms of securing and maintaining the privacy of customer data.<h3 id="what-is-at-stake">What is at stake</h3>CMS platforms are the custodians of a wide array of data, from the mundane to the mission-critical. This data can include everything from public-facing content to sensitive internal documents detailing future product launches and marketing campaigns. The impact of a data breach originating from a CMS vendor can be severe, with the potential for significant financial and reputational damage.Data breaches are not only disruptive but also expensive. The average <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach">cost of a data breach</a> can be staggering, with public reports often calculating it in millions on affected organizations. Furthermore, CMSs are frequently tasked with processing data that is protected by various regulations, such as Protected Health Information (by HIPAA in the US) and financial information (by GLBA in the US, DORA in Europe, etc.). Personal data processing is a given, necessitating adherence to privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA.Regulatory frameworks mandate a set of controls to safeguard this data, and AI implementations within CMSs must meet these same stringent requirements. If AI functionalities are implemented incorrectly, they can lead to the mishandling of sensitive data, compliance issues, and even data leaks across customer accounts.<h3 id="how-to-address-the-challenges">How to address the challenges</h3>Despite the relative novelty of generative AI, there are already established standards and best practices that leading CMS vendors are adopting. The architecture of the AI solution is paramount; a well-designed architecture will prevent data leaks between customers and ensure at least logical data separation. Utilizing well-tested AI models and implementing AI governance on the vendor's side are also crucial steps.Frameworks such as the EU AI Act, capAI methodology, and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework provide guidance for responsible AI risk management. While specific "AI security certifications" do not exist yet, adherence to recognized security and privacy best practices, such as ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018 certifications, GDPR compliance, SOC 2 Type 2 Report, and Cloud Security Alliance STAR registry, is indicative of a vendor's commitment to security.Transparency from vendors about their AI implementations and their approach to security and responsible AI development is essential, as is ensuring the privacy of data.<h3 id="what-kontent.ai-brings-to-the-table">What Kontent.ai brings to the table</h3><a target="_blank" href="https://kontent.ai/">Kontent.ai</a> is at the forefront of AI integration in the CMS market, being the first headless CMS vendor to natively incorporate AI capabilities. With a strong AI-powered feature set and a forward-looking AI roadmap, Kontent.ai leads the way in AI in content management.On the compliance side, the company's approach to AI governance is in line with the best practices of capAI and NIST AI RMF, and it ensures immediate compliance with the EU AI Act. Kontent.ai's security program is robust and certified by ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, and is audited regularly by Trust Services Criteria. To provide customers with assurance, Kontent.ai offers a suite of artifacts:<ul><li>SOC 2 Type 2 Report</li><li>Comprehensive OWASP penetration test reports</li><li>CSA STAR level 1</li><li>HECVAT</li><li>GDPR audit report</li></ul>These resources demonstrate Kontent.ai's commitment to security and governance, and the company requires its suppliers to adhere to the same high standards.For more information on Kontent.ai's commitment to trust and governance, visit <a target="_blank" href="https://kontent.ai/trust-and-governance/">https://kontent.ai/trust-and-governance/</a><h3 id="summary">Summary</h3>The integration of AI into CMS platforms is revolutionizing the way content is created, managed, and delivered. It's imperative to understand that AI implementations vary widely, and the security and privacy of customer data are paramount. Responsible and secure AI integration involves adhering to established best practices and regulatory standards, ensuring that AI offerings are not only innovative but also trustworthy.Kontent.ai exemplifies this approach by being the first headless CMS vendor to natively incorporate AI capabilities, adhering to best practices such as capAI and NIST AI RMF, and ensuring compliance with the EU AI Act. With a robust security program and a suite of assurance artifacts, Kontent.ai demonstrates its commitment to security and governance, setting a standard for responsible AI in CMS. As AI continues to shape the CMS landscape, it is crucial for vendors to prioritize the responsible use of AI to maintain the trust and confidence of their users.

Not Every AI is the Same: A Guide to Responsible and Secure AI in CMS

matej

<hr /> As headless CMS vendors look to compete in the brave new world of AI, leadership is becoming critical to driving innovation and growth – and providing strategic market direction. To meet its ambitious objectives, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kontentai">Kontent.ai</a> – whose stated mission is to help the world’s leading organizations deliver an unparalleled return on their content – recently announced that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markruddock/">Mark Ruddock</a> has joined the organization as CEO. Ruddock, an internationally experienced leader, plans to expand Kontent.ai’s global presence and accelerate its AI-powered product offering to meet the strategic content needs of the most recognizable brands.“I’m excited to be part of this team as the talent and innovation across this organization is astounding,” said Ruddock. "I look forward to unveiling the groundbreaking new technologies we have been working on.”<h3>A seasoned CEO with deep industry credibility</h3>With over 20 years of experience at the helm of technology and fintech startups, Ruddock has both founded and shaped multiple companies – and delivered success. Prior to Kontent.ai, he held numerous CEO and board positions in VC-backed, scale-stage companies across the world, and executed several exits in the SaaS, Mobile, and FinTech industries. His most recent Chief Executive tenure was at AFINEA Corporation in Toronto, but he also previously served as CEO at Nuula (acquired by Nav Technologies). In addition to his startup experience, he has also emerged as a later-stage leader, helping established companies scale at key stages of their lifecycle. Ruddock's experience spans multi-country online financial services, mission-critical enterprise software, and consumer-focused mobile applications across a number of go-to-market models. He is also an accomplished Board Member. <h3>Navigating the future of AI and headless CMS</h3>In July of 2023, Ruddock wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://markruddock.com/">on his blog</a> about Kontent.ai's foray into generative AI powered by ChatGPT, highlighting the introduction of its first-to-market native AI capabilities. By all indications, the company's investment in artificial intelligence put it on his watch list. “The rise of generative AI has fundamentally changed the content management industry and will power exciting new ways companies can generate a return on their content,” said Ruddock. “With Kontent.ai’s native AI foundation, we are poised to lead that transformation."In a <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-pioneers-native-ai-in-headless-cms-interview-with-vojtech-boril">previous interview with Vojtech Boril</a> about Kontent.ai's native integration, it was clear that the headless CMS was doubling down on high-utility features within the content and editorial workflow, investing in greater differentiation as other platforms raced to introduce their own AI capabilities. CMS Critic also broke down a <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-pioneers-native-ai-in-headless-cms-interview-with-vojtech-boril">a demo of the product</a> after its initial release. “Innovation and customer-centricity are at the heart of Kontent.ai, and Mark will continue to foster that at scale,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/petrpalas/">Petr Palas</a>, founder and board member, Kontent.ai. “We are thrilled to take this next step in our journey with his leadership and to help our customers solve the complexities of modern content management.”

Kontent.ai Welcomes Mark Ruddock as New Chief Executive Officer

cms-critic-staff

This week, <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fkontent.ai%2F&amp;esheet=52780079&amp;newsitemid=20220713005621&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Kontent.ai&amp;index=1&amp;md5=c56e95cdd90647703ac78689ada036c6">Kontent.ai</a> – a <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless CMS</a> – announced the expansion of its Most Valuable Professional (MVP) program, which recognizes the contributions of industry experts who have worked to support the Kontent.ai community.
The expansion features two new categories: Strategy MVP and Ambassador MVP. These join Kontent.ai's existing Technical MVP program, which has successfully operated for several years and elevated technical personas and developers in the company's community.
Along with the expansion, Kontent.ai announced seven new MVPs joining the new Strategy &amp; Ambassador programs. According to the company, these individuals will play a crucial role in shaping the future of Kontent.ai's platform and help drive innovation in the field. 
<h2>Strategy MVPs</h2>
The Strategy MVP category recognizes and celebrates valuable members of the Kontent.ai community who demonstrate a strong understanding of modern digital strategies. These individuals highlight how Kontent.ai can deliver successful outcomes for brands in an evolving technological landscape by sharing their technical knowledge and consultative expertise with the market. The new MVPs include:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgriffith/" target="_blank">Adam Griffith</a> (Luminary - Australia)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshaysura/" target="_blank">Akshay Sura</a>* (Konabos - United States)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmckeiver/" target="_blank">Brian McKeiver</a>* (Bizstream - United States)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katywhitedept/" target="_blank">Katy White</a> (DEPT® - United Kingdom)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/klaasjanmeijer/" target="_blank">Klaas-Jan Meijer</a> (ACTUM Digital - Netherlands)</li>
</ul>
*Transitioned from the Technical MVP Program
<h2>Ambassador MVPs</h2>
In addition, the newly formed Ambassador MVP category recognizes Kontent.ai customers that are considered experts in the deployment, management, and orchestration of Kontent.ai’s headless CMS. This category focuses on how the platform delivers superior content management experiences in a highly-competitive digital landscape. Ambassador MVPs are champions of Kontent.ai and advocate for what brands can achieve in their own complex digital and content management journeys. The new MVPs include:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-lamothe-87b78686/" target="_blank">Marc Lamothe</a> (American Bath Group - United States)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiremebecause/" target="_blank">D’Arcy Heath</a> (UNUM - United Kingdom)</li>
</ul>
It's worth noting that Akshay Sura and Marc Lamothe were part of the team that received a 2023 MACH Impact Award for the American Bath Group project – a composable solution that featured the Kontent.ai headless CMS. The project featured the migration of 10 websites with over 50,000 products in only 8 months.
The award was announced in June during the MACH Alliance's <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year/">MACH Two event</a> in Amsterdam. 
<h2>About Kontent.ai</h2>
Kontent.ai is a leading modular content platform that enables marketers and developers to plan, create, and deliver content at scale. Business teams collaborate daily in the intuitive authoring experience designed for governed content production and management, real-time reviewing and approvals, and modular content reuse. In parallel, developers leverage the total flexibility of the headless solution, best-of-breed technologies, and composable AI to deliver digital experiences via API to any channel. With hubs in New York, London, Amsterdam, Brno, and Sydney, Kontent.ai helps companies like Zurich Insurance, Algolia, Vogue, AC Milan, and Oxford University unlock the full potential of their content and connect with customers worldwide.

Kontent.ai Expands its MVP Program with Two New Categories

Weglot - The easiest way to translate a website

The easiest way to translate a website

#18164c

If <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vojtechboril/" target="_blank">Vojtech Boril</a> has a crystal ball in his possession, it’s time to come clean.
Maybe it was sheer luck that his company, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-introduces-industrys-first-headless-cms-with-native-ai-capabilities/">Kontent.ai</a>, would embrace the “AI” domain in 2022. Or was their official <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/taking-kentico-kontentai-next-generation-digital-petr-palas/">spinoff from Kentico</a> some mystical prognostication of things to come?
I wasn’t sure, but Vojtech settled the question for me.
“Bringing AI into the CMS world has been part of our vision for a long time,” he said. “Our company name – which we chose a year ago – is good proof that this launch is not just a quick reaction to the new ChatGPT trends.”
Tarot cards and tea leaves aside, this is an exciting time for Vojtech and Kontent.ai. Since introducing <a href="https://openai.com/" target="_blank">OpenAI’s</a> large language model late last year, many content management vendors have entered the AI race. In several cases, they leverage ChatGPT as a basic plugin or integration.
But last week, Kontent.ai announced the early availability of the first native AI capabilities to a headless CMS.
Native, you say? How so? I had a thousand questions – none of which <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/from-chatbots-to-contentops-how-ai-is-coming-to-your-cms-whether-you-like-it-or-not/">ChatGPT</a> could answer.
Thankfully, <a href="https://kontent.ai/events-and-webinars/first-look-at-native-ai-capabilities-in-kontent-ai/" target="_blank">during a recent webinar</a>, Kontent.ai offered an informative first look at these AI features. This filled in many blanks, but I still connected with Vojtech to ask why he thinks these new capabilities are game-changers. As the Vice President of Growth &amp; Marketing, he combines content and platform POVs into one brain. He's also an avid runner with some intimidating pace times – so he's accustomed to staying ahead of the pack. 
<h2>A first look at native AI capabilities</h2>
One would assume that a content management vendor would produce quality content to promote its products and services. That’s not always the case, but Kontent.ai has consistently delivered the goods. Last week’s webinar on its native AI was no exception and provided a solid overview of the new features.
The session – hosted by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hrubytomas/" target="_blank">Tomas Hruby</a>, Lead Product Manager, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-torpy-82087b4a/" target="_blank">Jordan Torpy</a>, Product Marketing Manager – opened on the new “Gold Rush” into the AI market, and how ChatGPT has ignited every CMS vendor to jump on the bandwagon. Both commented on seeing many different approaches across the digital experience market, which has undoubtedly informed their innovation.
According to Tomas, ChatGPT seems easy to repurpose, but in reality isn’t that simple. Large language models become challenging to master for prompt creation and obtaining accurate results. He called these skills more of an “art,” contrary to the promise of automation.
In the webinar, the duo focused on three key challenges with current AI solutions: understanding context, composing AI, and integration. Jordan provided an example of how large language models struggle to incorporate brand guidelines, tone of voice, and other factors exclusive to a given company. This training is time-consuming and difficult to orchestrate for content creation.
One of the big concerns for enterprises is around the unknowns of integration. For example, does the customer or vendor maintain the AI capabilities? Is it a plugin built by an open source community? They also discussed the increased API surface area that may be vulnerable to attacks – and that many enterprises are reluctant to share proprietary content with public models.
In each case, it’s clear there are gaps with current AI solutions – and Kontent.ai’s native capabilities promise to bridge those gaps to usability.
<h2>The vision for AI in a headless CMS</h2>
Given the challenges that AI presents when integrating into a CMS, what was the vision guiding Kontent.ai’s native capabilities? Tomas and Jordan boiled it down to a couple of key pillars during the webinar.
First, Kontent.ai is a fully integrated experience designed for what they call “fluent content creation.” As a native set of platform features, the AI respects internal formatting across your work, making it all more conformant. Content creators will also find the AI tools highly intuitive from a UI perspective, and available where they would expect them to be.
The second pillar is delivering accurate suggestions. This is a big one, as most large language models provide questionable results. Much of this concerns prompt design, or the ability to feed the AI with the proper context. With Kontent.ai, the native capabilities are built with context in mind, so it respects your company’s brand guidelines or tone of voice, and doesn’t “hallucinate” as it often does with open learning models.
Kontent.ai also provides what Tomas calls a “hidden sophistication” driven by complex pipelines designed to streamline tasks like converting notes into formatted content.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/kontent-image-3-1024x620.jpg" alt="Composite of Kontent.ai native AI user experience with multiple windows of functionality" />
<h2>What really sets native AI apart?</h2>
First and foremost: Kontent.ai’s native capabilities are not a plugin. This is a marked difference from other platform strategies that leverage basic connectors to ChatGPT. Tomas states this distinction will allow users to work more efficiently and effectively as part of a CMS toolkit.
Another big difference is that the solution is fully GDPR compliant. This is achieved in large part by the <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us">Azure</a> backbone. Kontent.ai has a strong Microsoft relationship and is leveraging its AI services stack via ChatGPT 4 and a new service called <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/semantic-kernel/overview/">Semantic Kernel</a> – an open source SDK for building custom AI apps and orchestrating complex pipelines.
Finally, Kontent.ai delivers peace of mind around privacy and control. Enterprise users can be assured that their sensitive content and data is secure and not publicly available to any OpenAI learning pipelines. The native AI capabilities are aware of content and context only within your system, and it’s not even used to train future LLM iterations.
I asked Vojtech to give me the big picture around these key differentiators through the content creator’s lens. What really stands out?
“A key difference is that our AI capabilities are native to our platform and provide a fully integrated experience for content creators,” he said. “We’re not adding a prompt window to our CMS. Instead, we’re adding new capabilities that perfectly fit with the tasks a content creator does on a daily basis.”
He cited an example: “We have a skill called ‘Improve writing.’ To use it, you select some text you want to improve to better suit your tone of voice, style guide, or other similar criteria. Then, you choose a piece of content already in your Kontent.ai project that meets your standards. Kontent.ai will then adjust your original text to match the style and tone of your chosen text.”
During the webinar, there was a great demo of this feature. The use case featured a single paragraph with a noticeably sarcastic tone of voice compared to the rest of the article. The native AI was asked to improve the writing by injecting prompts for a more professional tonality, as required by brand guidelines. It did – in minutes. The entire process was convenient, accurate, and a huge time saver.
As Vojtech further noted, what’s great is that content creators don’t need to fiddle around with making the right prompt, or string several different prompts together. Everything they need is in Kontent.ai, and it’s all a natural extension of the work they already did in the platform.
<h2>What’s the price tag for native AI?</h2>
Currently, Kontent’s new AI capabilities are fully functional, but only available to early adopters via a special access program – and seats are limited. The company is interested in collaborating with enterprise customers, so they’re inviting companies to provide their use cases.
The solution isn’t quite out of the box (yet). According to the webinar, most users can be up and running in roughly two weeks. The services should be generally available later this year.
Regarding cost, that’s still unknown – but the company seems to be focused on aligning it with real utility and value. As Vojtech pointed out, “We know everyone can go and use ChatGPT for free, so we didn’t just add a prompt window to Kontent.ai. Instead, we created tailor-made capabilities that solve real problems content creators face.”
The Kontent.ai team is working on pricing models, which will hopefully be available before the service is in GA. If you’re interested in early access, visit the <a href="https://kontent.ai/events-and-webinars/first-look-at-native-ai-capabilities-in-kontent-ai/">Kontent.ai</a> website for more details.
<h2>What other AI features can we expect?</h2>
There were some interesting questions about Kontent’s AI roadmap during the webinar. The hosts discussed the current advantages of reducing time and research. But they also described how AI might be capable of assisting with tedious, large-scale CMS tasks such as mass migrations.
One area where ChatGPT and other large language models are still struggling is translation. With accuracy being such a critical requirement, it’s still reliant on other workflows to deliver quality results. Still, this seems to be an area ripe with opportunity.
I asked Vojtech if other capabilities might be more near-term on the roadmap, and what the process looks like for onboarding new AI features.
“We've been working on [the capabilities that are part of this launch] for the past couple of months, but simultaneously we're working on many other prototypes,” he said. “Anything that reaches our development team through prioritization typically goes through a thorough research phase. We even have a dedicated UX research team, which is not always the norm in companies of our size.”
I also wanted to know how customers have responded in the rollout's early phases.
“We are absolutely thrilled with how the AI launch has been received,” he said. “We have some great initial feedback from existing customers, prospects, and major analysts. I've also had the chance to talk to some of our existing enterprise clients in person already, and there are specifically two main areas they appreciate the most. One, that our AI capabilities are fully native to the product, which currently makes us very unique in the CMS market. And two, the security aspect of being GDPR-compliant and knowing their content is not populated into global GPT environments.”
He also said that the webinar has resulted in registrations going through the roof – a clear sign that interest is swelling into action.
<h2>Consulting the crystal ball about the future of AI</h2>
As informative as the webinar was, I wanted to know how important the AI investment was to Kontent.ai. We might still be early in the hype cycle, but what does the future look like?
“This AI launch is only the beginning of our AI product focus,” Vojtech said. “As I mentioned, our rebranding to Kontent.ai a year ago was not just a coincidence, and we are serious about pioneering fully native AI capabilities as part of the CMS user experience.”
Vojtech also shared that the company is working on further improvements to contextualizing AI-generated content. They're also exploring how to improve navigating, creating, reviewing, and categorizing content.
“I believe AI has the potential to revolutionize content operations by streamlining processes, automating tasks, and enabling users to do more and faster,” he explained. “However, ‘more and faster’ should not be the only goal. Ultimately, it's rather about creating more contextualized, meaningful, and relatable content than just producing more. That's exactly how we envision our customers to benefit from our AI. We're not trying to replace their content contributors. Instead, we're on a mission to help them be more productive and be able to focus on the work they love while utilizing AI to do repetitive tasks for them.
Wrapping things up, I got a bit existential about AI’s impact on people. As Vojtech pointed out, only the future will show whether it’s good for humanity. In the meantime, he said, it’s important to think critically about the ethical implications as AI becomes a normal part of life. This includes data privacy, security, and other factors that must be carefully addressed.
“I am an optimist,” he added, “and I believe that humanity can strike a balance in the development of AI – harnessing its benefits while ensuring it does not pose a threat to our well-being.” 
I hope that optimism is coming from the same crystal ball.

Kontent.ai Pioneers Native AI in Headless CMS: Interview with Vojtech Boril

Kontent.ai logo with headshot of Vojtech Boril

It's impossible to deny the impact of AI on the CMS industry. As platforms race to add new features that leverage <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/from-chatbots-to-contentops-how-ai-is-coming-to-your-cms-whether-you-like-it-or-not/">ChatGPT</a> and other generative technologies, few have incorporated AI beyond some basic integrations. 
But that's starting to change. This week, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-raises-40-million-to-bring-the-power-of-ai-to-content-management/">Kontent.ai</a> – an industry-leading headless CMS – announced a new set of native AI capabilities that will give users complete control to create and manage content across their organization.
According to the company's press release, Kontent.ai will now deliver the first and only context-aware AI that is fully integrated into its CMS product. This provides control from ideation to editing to customer experience in real time, displaying how content will look on websites and applications.
In addition to improving efficiency and productivity, the new AI will provide a layer of content governance – a unique advantage in the CMS landscape of AI capabilities. 
“Native AI skills inside Kontent.ai leverage the power of artificial intelligence while minimizing the risks often associated with it,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/petrpalas/">Petr Palas</a>, Founder, Kontent.ai. “Content management challenges will only increase as more content is generated with the adoption of AI. However, we anticipated this and built a solution that works across the organization for the marketer, the developer, and the content creator."
<h2>Delivering real value to content creators with AI</h2>
As demand for content across organizations increases, teams are struggling to manage, maintain, and govern content at scale. Kontent.ai says that building these native AI-powered skills into its headless CMS is an evolution of its platform, designed to meet this challenge in a single solution.
Some benefits of Kontent.ai's native AI skills include:
<ul>
<li>Increased efficiency: Improve all stages of the content management process from creation to review with the power and speed of artificial intelligence.</li>
<li>Faster time to value: Leverage native AI skills immediately without the need for external integrations, plug-ins, or development resources within a headless CMS.</li>
<li>Consistency at scale: Develop core content, versions, style, tone of voice, and more – instantly.</li>
<li>Simplified content governance: Safeguard brand and content guidelines seamlessly using AI.</li>
</ul>
“The vision and innovation of Kontent.ai is what makes them a trusted partner,” reports <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-d-orio-22a32517/" target="_blank">Michael D'Orio</a>, VP of Marketing from American Bath Group. “As a long-term customer, who just won the MACH Impact Awards for Best Overall Change Product by the MACH Alliance, we’ve reached new levels of success with Kontent.ai and look forward to the newest solution.”
Learn more about the native AI capabilities of Kontent.ai on the <a href="https://kontent.ai/events-and-webinars/first-look-at-native-ai-capabilities-in-kontent-ai/" target="_blank">upcoming webinar</a> on June 20, 2023.
An <a href="https://kontent.ai/specials/introducing-native-ai-capabilities/" target="_blank">early access program</a> for current customers is also available.
<h2>About Kontent.ai</h2>
Kontent.ai is the headless CMS that gives organizations complete control over content to speed up time to market and engage meaningfully with audiences across channels. In the Kontent.ai platform, governance underpins all operations and workflows. Content creators collaborate in real time, making it easier to land on the best ideas, reduce bottlenecks, and maximize the impact of everything that’s created. Kontent.ai is an API-first cloud-native solution, so developers can use their favorite technologies, languages, and frameworks to deliver seamless experiences that look and feel great on any channel. With offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Brno, and Sydney, Kontent.ai supports global customers, including Zurich Insurance, Algolia, and Oxford University. Kontent.ai is a Microsoft partner and MACH Alliance member, recognized by both Gartner and Forrester.

Kontent.ai Introduces Industry’s First Headless CMS with Native AI Capabilities

Kontent.ai logo against a tech background

<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-raises-40-million-to-bring-the-power-of-ai-to-content-management/">Kontent.ai</a>, an award-winning modular content platform, shared some big news yesterday that's reinforcing its ambitious growth plans. Along with stellar additions to its executive team, the company also announced a newly minted membership in the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">MACH Alliance</a> and the opening of new offices in New York City.
In addition to covering the announcements, CMS Critic had a chance to ask <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vojtechboril/" target="_blank">Vojtech Boril</a>, the company's Vice President of Growth &amp; Marketing, a few questions about the news.
<h2>Kontent.ai prepares to enter its next phase of growth with two key hires </h2>
The senior executives joining the Kontent.ai team are <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-stuck-480207/" target="_blank">Olga Stuck,</a> who will serve as COO, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/montewilson/" target="_blank">Monte Wilson,</a> who has been named Head of GTM Strategy and Field Operation. According to the company's press release, these key executive appointments will serve Kontent.ai during a time of major growth and change, energized by a recent <a href="https://kontent.ai/blog/kontent-ai-has-raised-40-million-in-growth-capital/">$40 million growth capital</a> investment from Expedition Growth Capital.
With more than 20 years of experience in organizational development, Stuck has guided companies like Moravia IT and RWS Moravia through organic growth as well as acquisitions, scaling from 500 to 3,000 employees in 23 locations. “My mission is to help Kontent.ai scale and bring the organization to a new level while preserving our unique culture, relationships, and DEI at the center of what we do,” she said. 
Wilson's role at Kontent.ai is to fuel growth, developing innovative go-to-market plans and efficient sales and operational structures. Wilson's impressive pedigree includes successful builds, turnarounds, and rebuilds of organizations for companies like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/sitecore-updates-experience-platform-and-experience-commerce-releases-new-sitecore-content-hub/">Sitecore</a>, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-monthly-recap-wordpress-acquires-parse-ly-siteimprove-releases-upgraded-accessibility-product-twilio-segment-releases-2021-cdp-report-and-more/">Oracle</a>, and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-experience-cloud-adds-new-headless-cms-capabilities-updates-to-commerce-integration/">Adobe</a>.
“Martech is a highly competitive business segment, so it is vital that you have the right product, the right team of highly talented individuals, and be with the right ecosystem of partners," said Wilson. "Kontent.ai is perfectly positioned for high growth, especially since composable, headless technologies are really taking off in the market. We have unique advantages that I’m certain will allow us to quickly separate from the pack and help customers realize the potential of this new space. The talent in this team and the capabilities of the product speak for themselves, and I’m honored to be a part of the Kontent.ai team,”
<h2>Kontent.ai joins MACH Alliance to deepen cooperation with other vendors and empower large organizations  </h2>
Another critical accomplishment for Kontent.ai is achieving <a href="https://kontent.ai/blog/kontent-ai-joins-the-mach-alliance/">membership in the prestigious MACH Alliance</a>, a group of more than 70 independent technology companies advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems. MACH architecture – which stands for Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless – empowers organizations to adapt to customers’ changing behaviors and deliver results.   
A true cloud-native service since its inception, Kontent.ai meets the Alliance’s stringent certification standards, with its membership serving as strong validation of the platform’s impact and future vision. Becoming a member of the MACH Alliance will also allow Kontent.ai to deepen technology cooperation with other MACH vendors and deliver even more value to customers.
"Joining the MACH Alliance, Kontent.ai is pleased to shine a light on our long-standing dedication to MACH technology principles," said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartomlo/" target="_blank">Bart Omlo</a>, CEO, Kontent.ai. "Our customers’ measurable success with our modular content platform is evidence of the transformative power of MACH, not only for engineering teams but also for global content teams.” 
<h2>Expanding Kontent.ai’s global footprint with an office in New York City </h2>
To meet increasing global demand, the company has opened another office in the U.S. to support its growing customer base on a local level. The new office – located in the iconic Chrysler Building in New York City – will serve as the main hub for all U.S. operations, enabling professionals at Kontent.ai to help US-based clients reach their ambitious goals.
According to the company's press release, the decision to choose New York City was reinforced by a successful New York-based session of the <a href="https://horizons.kontent.ai/" target="_blank">Kontent.ai Horizons conference</a> in November. The Kontent.ai team believes their presence in New York City will provide a great platform for establishing stronger and closer relationships with customers and partners. 
Kontent.ai's distributed team continues to work from multiple different locations around the globe, with offices in London, Amsterdam, Brno, Olomouc, Sydney, and previously Bedford, New Hampshire. On its mission to help people tell stories that change the world, the company is rapidly growing with new hires across engineering, sales, customer success, and other departments. 
<h2>Q&amp;A with Vojtech Boril, Vice President, Growth &amp; Marketing at Kontent.ai</h2>
Our CMS Critic editorial team had the opportunity to connect with Boril and follow up with a few questions regarding the company's recent announcements.
CMS Critic (CC): Large technology companies are announcing layoffs and adjusting expectations for 2023. With your recent investment news, Kontent.ai appears more bullish. That said, how do you see a potential recession affecting your new business strategy?
Vojtech Boril (VB): We keep a positive outlook for 2023 and plan to continue hiring across the board (for both commercial and technical roles). We can still see strong traction for Kontent.ai, and while the growth rate may slow down due to a recession (that would eventually impact every business), we're still confident that we will significantly grow year-over-year. 

CC: How will the new MACH Alliance membership help Kontent.ai better differentiate in what is becoming a more crowded space? Which vendors or categories do you see as key for growing your composable opportunities?
VB: Kontent.ai has always been focused on what we do the best: content management at scale. While the market is becoming more crowded, we strongly differentiate from other headless CMSs by providing key capabilities for business and marketing teams too, including real-time collaboration, superb content governance, or content collections. That being said, since we focus solely on content management (and do not plan to change this focus), it's critical for us to build strong relationships with other MACH vendors to provide customers with a composable DXP offering. We see the biggest partnership opportunities with vendors in areas of commerce (eg commercetools or Vue StoreFront), personalization (eg Uniform or Conscia.ai) and localization (eg Phrase or XTM Cloud).
CC: You mention an aggressive hiring strategy. Will more of the investment be made in specific regions like the new NA/NYC office?
VB: We're building and scaling Kontent.ai as a global, remote-first organization with office hubs in some critical locations. While our office in New York City is our main hub for North America, we're hiring across the entire US without any specified location requirement, as we aim to bring on the right talent. Over the next few years, we expect significant growth in NA, which is why the location is a focus for us from a hiring perspective, but we're also hiring in Europe (most significantly in the Netherlands, UK and the Czech Republic).
<a href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff23/program" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/12/cms-kickoff-2023-banner-1024x151.jpg" alt="CMS Kickoff 2023 banner" /></a>
<h2>Meet Bart and Vojtech at CMS Kickoff 2023</h2>
January 17-18 in St. Petersburg, FL
Don't miss the only conference tailored for everyone working with content management systems, from beginners to experts! Featuring two packed days with a carefully curated mixture of talks, workshops, activities, world-class facilitators, thought provokers, speakers, and session leads. Meet Bart Omlo and Vojtech Boril from Kontent.ai and mingle with CMS experts and users from around the globe at this exclusive event in beautiful St. Petersburg. 
Register today at the <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff23/program" target="_blank">CMS Kickoff 2023 website</a>. 
<h2>About Kontent.ai</h2>
Kontent.ai is a leading modular content platform that enables marketers and developers to plan, create, and deliver content at scale. Business teams collaborate daily in the intuitive authoring experience designed for governed content production and management, real-time reviewing and approvals, and modular content reuse. In parallel, developers leverage the total flexibility of the headless solution, best-of-breed technologies, and composable AI to deliver digital experiences via API to any channel. With hubs in New York, London, Amsterdam, Brno, and Sydney, Kontent.ai helps companies like Zurich Insurance, Algolia, Vogue, AC Milan, and Oxford University unlock the full potential of their content and connect with customers worldwide.

Kontent.ai Adds Key Executives, Joins MACH Alliance and Opens NYC Office: Q&A with Vojtech Boril

Kontent.ai logo against a black background

When the MACH Alliance first arrived on the scene in June of 2020, the composable movement was still gestating. While monoliths and industry watchers pondered its fierce, no-exceptions-allowed membership requirement to be 100 percent focused on MACH, it's now clear that many vendors and agencies are adopting this posture – a clear signal that composability is shaping business strategy.
To that end, the <a href="http://www.machalliance.org/">MACH Alliance</a> announced this week that three new member companies have joined its ranks: <a href="https://www.bloomreach.com/en">Bloomreach</a>, <a href="https://www.emporix.com/">Emporix</a>, and <a href="https://kontent.ai/">Kontent.ai</a>. These additions bring the group of independent tech companies dedicated to advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems to more than 70. Worth noting: two of these vendors have recently adapted their models to become hyperfocused on MACH principles to meet the horizon of composable opportunities. 
“As with all new members that join the Alliance, we feel tremendous pride in continuing to attract such a reputable group of global leaders who believe in our mission,” said Casper Rasmussen, MACH Alliance president. “The fact we’re seeing companies like Bloomreach and Kontent.ai reshape their portfolio and product strategy sends a strong message to the market that MACH is not only the future standard for enterprise technology best practice, it’s the standard now."
<h2>Expanding the MACH movement and evolving the ecosystem</h2>
The embracing of <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">MACH</a> – an acronym for Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS and Headless – is no mystery. Composable architectures are giving companies a deeper level of agility, allowing them to deliver new features to customers at greater speed. But there are other considerations influencing the move to MACH, including the palpable presence of softening IT budgets and the specter of a global recession. 
"At a time when economic factors have forced many organizations to cut back spending on technology and innovation, we’re seeing that businesses who’ve embraced MACH are faring better by being able to adapt and respond faster,” said Rasmussen. 
To be certain, MACH is requiring a new philosophical mindset to embrace its foundational principles successfully. But based on the rapid scale of its membership community – which includes individual ambassadors that are champions for the cause – it's evident that more platforms and integrators are willing to make the shift and realize the benefits.
As previously noted, all members of the MACH Alliance must meet a stringent set of <a href="https://machalliance.org/insights/mach-certification-a-seal-of-confidence">certification standards</a> and pass muster with the Alliance's unbiased panel of reviewers. To carry the coveted "MACH Certified" seal, a company must be in full compliance with the organization's standards at all times. As we've covered in past interviews and articles, the Alliance has dismissed members based on acquisitions or other circumstances that have altered their posture.  
<h2>Welcoming Bloomreach, Emporix, and Kontent.ai to the MACH Alliance</h2>
According to the Alliance's press release, the three new members announced this week will join a cadre of leading platform and solution providers, including some of the biggest names in global tech. They will also be in the company of advanced "MACH enablers" that provide cloud infrastructure services and solution ecosystems, including <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/aws-joins-mach-alliance-as-enabler-member-reflects-growth-of-cloud-native-solutions/">AWS</a>.
The three new certified members of the MACH Alliance include:
Bloomreach: Launched in 2009 as an algorithm-powered platform for improving online experiences, Bloomreach has fully transformed into a composable commerce experience cloud, delivering industry-leading personalization and digital commerce growth. The company has undergone a major shift in product strategy over the past 18 months and is now 100 percent focused on MACH – enabling it to achieve Alliance certification. Bloomreach offers a range of composable solutions including AI-driven search and merchandising, a <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless CMS</a>, a leading CDP, and marketing automation capabilities.
Emporix: A composable commerce platform that enables bigger, more engaged, and more efficient B2B and B2C, Emporix enables organizations to digitize and run their businesses with a cloud-native technology for building channels. Its open, modular, API-first ecosystem and easy-to-use, no-code interface are some of the many attributes that earned Empoix its MACH Alliance certification.
Kontent.ai: A modular content platform that enables global content and engineering teams to plan, create, and deliver experiences across channels, Kontent.ai was previously a business unit within the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kentico-cloud-whats-it-all-about/">Kentico</a> software portfolio. Spun off as a standalone entity in July of 2022, the cloud-native service is now purely focused on MACH – and positioned for membership in the Alliance.
<h2>About the MACH Alliance</h2>
The MACH Alliance is a [501(c)(6)] non-profit organization, governed by an independent board and does not endorse specific vendors, members, or otherwise. The Alliance was formed in June 2020 to help enterprise organizations navigate the complex modern technology landscape. It aims to guide and show the business advantage of open tech ecosystems that are Microservices based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless. All MACH Alliance members meet certification principles that are published on the website. The MACH Alliance welcomes technology companies and individual industry experts who share the same vision for the future. Learn more at<a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fmachalliance.org%2F&amp;esheet=52478831&amp;newsitemid=20210818005487&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=machalliance.org&amp;index=5&amp;md5=db9d7bdff8c8646152c1923d3ff4adc2"> machalliance.org</a>, read here about<a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fmachalliance.org%2Fblogdetail%2Fbltfc0a3afbca44303e&amp;esheet=52478831&amp;newsitemid=20210818005487&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=MACH+certification&amp;index=6&amp;md5=ba1c5d6e1bf42963a3a8bb59771d09da"> MACH certification</a> and follow us on<a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Fmachalliance&amp;esheet=52478831&amp;newsitemid=20210818005487&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Twitter&amp;index=7&amp;md5=dfeea3f8422d14d51b860d90329a6837"> Twitter</a> and<a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fmachalliance&amp;esheet=52478831&amp;newsitemid=20210818005487&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=LinkedIn&amp;index=8&amp;md5=a1db2958e174d041221c1705e694b6f0"> LinkedIn</a>.

Bloomreach, Emporix, and Kontent.ai Join MACH Alliance, Pushing Member Total Over 70

Composite of the MACH Alliance logo above icons for Bloomreach, Emporix, and Kontent.ai

Queue the fireworks.
Amidst the explosion of acquisitions and partnerships across the CMS and DXP industries, <a href="https://kontent.ai/" target="_blank">Kontent.ai</a> – now formerly Kontent by Kentico – has officially <a href="https://kontent.ai/blog/kontent-ai-has-raised-40-million-in-growth-capital/" target="_blank">declared its independence</a>.
After securing a whopping $40 million investment from Expedition Growth Capital (EGC), the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/headless/">headless</a> Content Management System is now a standalone enterprise for the first time. The next stop on the growth path: enhance its product by bringing AI deeper into its CMS.
Currently powering over 2,000 projects – from websites to apps to <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-headless-commerce-platforms/">headless commerce</a> experiences – Kontent.ai came from humble beginnings. Originally started in 2015 as a business unit of its elder bootstrapped parent, <a href="https://www.kentico.com/" target="_blank">Kentico</a>, Kontent now boasts a roster of global brands, including Algolia, Anaplan, SonarSource, and Zurich Insurance. 
Kentico's fledgling division already employed over 120 staff across five offices on four different continents before the announcement. As a newly-minted independent company, Kontent.ai already has plans to increase its headcount by 100 over the next 12 months. 
By channeling investment into "human power," Kontent will have the resources to expand its global footprint by amping up marketing and sales. It will also have ample funds to further innovate and enhance composable AI across its modular content platform.
<h2>Kentico's rise in the headless CMS market</h2>
Let's face it: headless is hot. In fact, the headless CMS market alone is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2027. 
In its "<a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3994550" target="_blank">Adopt a Composable DXP Strategy to Future-Proof Your Tech Stack</a>" report, Gartner estimates that organizations that have adopted a composable approach will outpace the competition by 80% in 2023 – specifically when it comes to new feature implementation. 
CMS and DXP vendors are rapidly embracing <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-releases-study-on-adoption-of-mach-technologies-by-tech-leaders-qa-with-sonja-keerl/">MACH and the composable revolution.</a> With this spin-off, Kontent.ai appears to be taking a major step towards becoming a composable DXP. While competition across the stack has been increasingly fierce, Kontent has a critical advantage by not being "the new kid on the block." 
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/kentico/">Kentico</a> has been helping to shape the CMS landscape for almost two decades. As a stable fixture in Gartner's Quadrant for Digital Experience Platforms, it has juiced Kontent's prospects significantly – giving it an edge towards success. 
 
<img style="max-width:700px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/03/gartner-mq-dxp-2022.jpg" alt="Gartner Magic Quadrant for DXP graphic 2022" />
 
Despite the blessing of Kentico's DNA, the dream of Kontent.ai has been seven years in the making. During that time, Kontent has established itself as a contender in the headless CMS market, powering content delivery and collaboration at scale. 
<h2>Kontent.ai brings advantages to marketers and developers</h2>
These days, it may sound cliché to position a CMS or DXP as a platform that "unites" marketers and developers. But Kontent.ai believes that both parties have a stake in the digital experience – and by adopting Kontent as their platform, a business can unlock the potential for both parts of its team. 
From a marketer's perspective, Kontent's modular capabilities help organizations unify, organize and manage all business content in a cloud-based repository. Its intuitive authoring experience allows for simultaneous, collaborative work at every phase of the content lifecycle. Using Kontent.ai, content teams can easily plan, create, and review content with streamlined workflows and approvals. Editors can also focus on content without being blocked by structural design choices that govern how and where their content will be displayed.
From a developer's perspective, Kontent's modern, microservices-based architecture allows for seamless integration with other applications and technologies. Robust APIs, webhooks, and flexible content models give developers full control over the structure of their content and how it's delivered to their websites and applications. This ensures clean, organized content can be pulled into any experience or technology stack, saving developers time and allowing them to focus on the best way to display information. Meanwhile, the cloud-based infrastructure means there are no concerns over maintenance – and virtually no downtime or performance issues.
<h2>Delivering centralized content to distributed organizations</h2>
According to the company, there has been an ever greater need for Kontent following the rise of hybrid and remote work. As global companies shifted due to the pandemic, they needed to centralize content and reproduce digital experience at scale while employees leveraged and produced across different locations. 
Using Kontent.ai, multinational organizations are able to ensure consistent content across languages and regions, with no need to jump in and out of other apps. The result: improved real-time collaboration and planning that saves both time and money.
<h2>Using composable AI to evolve content management</h2>
It's clear that Kontent.ai is looking to push the boundaries on technology. Following its recent investment news, the company has been doubling down on the development of its composable AI features. 
So what is "Composable AI" anyway? According to Kontent, it's the application of machine learning capabilities directly within its CMS, so it's available where its needed – and can be distributed to support specific teams, workflows, use cases, or delivery channels. 
Kontent believes that for AI to bring true value, it needs to be purposeful, targeted, and actionable. In achieving these things, AI will enable Kontent's customers to improve all aspects of content operations, from creating more relevant content to optimizing results to automating repetitive tasks. 
<h2>Rapid change ahead as Kontent.ai and Kentico appoint new CEOs</h2>
As part of the announcement, the separation of the two companies will also bring changes to the captain's chairs: the newly formed Kontent.ai will be led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartomlo/" target="_blank">Bart Omlo</a>, while <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-xperience-pinter/" target="_blank">Dominik Pintér</a> will take the helm at its former parent. Kentico's current CEO and founder, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/petrpalas/" target="_blank">Petr Palas</a>, will become Chairman of the Board for both companies.
"With this investment into Kontent.ai, now as its own company, we're excited to expand our global footprint helping enterprise teams scale their content operations, make the most of machine learning and AI, and deliver exceptional digital experiences," said Omlo. "With Kontent.ai's modular content platform, we push the boundaries of content management to give our customers the competitive edge."
Kentico recently introduced a new cloud-native version of its digital experience platform called <a href="https://www.kentico.com/" target="_blank">Xperience by Kentico</a> – which was chosen as <a href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/blog/kentico-xperience-received-gartner-customers-choice-for-dxp" target="_blank">Gartner's Choice for DXP</a> last year. Xperience is a separate tool designed for midmarket companies, and Kentico plans to continue supporting its growth and enhancement. Additionally, the company is investing heavily in product development – and as part of the funding announcement, will also receive an additional $20m of committed capital from EGC that will be used to support its growth in the future. 
<h2>About Kontent.ai</h2>
Kontent is the world’s leading cloud-based headless CMS platform. Robust APIs, webhooks, and flexible content models give developers full control over the structure of their content and how it’s delivered to their websites and applications. The APIs deliver clean, structured content that can be pulled into any experience and technology stack. On top of this headless foundation, Kontent includes an intuitive authoring experience that lets marketers focus on content creation, allowing developers to focus on building engaging online experiences that look great in every channel. Kontent’s customers include AC Milan, Oxford University, Konica Minolta, REWE Group, and Vogue. Learn more at <a href="https://kontent.ai/" target="_blank">www.kontent.ai</a>
<h2>About Kentico</h2>
Kentico Software is an established global company with two award-winning content management and digital experience products: Kentico Xperience, a fully integrated DXP platform, and Kentico Kontent, an enterprise headless CMS. Kentico has customers in over 120 countries, with offices located in six countries on four continents. Over the last 16 years, a community of 1,000+ partners has formed around Kentico. Learn more at <a href="https://www.kentico.com/" target="_blank">www.kentico.com</a>

Kontent.ai Raises $40 Million to Bring the Power of AI to Content Management 

paris-tuzun

Kontent.ai logo against a white and turquoise background

Please introduce yourself and your position with Kentico.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/petr-palas-500x500200x0-is.png" />I'm the founder of Kentico Software, one of the leading CMS vendors. I started Kentico in 2004 with a vision of making content management easier for both developers and business users. Over the past 13 years, we grew into one of the leading vendors with 230 employees and a partner network of over 1,000 digital agencies in 80 countries that use our products to create websites and online stores with a personalized digital experience. We're headquartered in the Czech Republic, with sales and support offices in the United States, UK, Australia, and the Netherlands.
Please tell us a bit about your product and its latest release.
We launched our completely new product Kentico Cloud in November at our user conference in Las Vegas. It's a cloud-first headless CMS. Cloud-first means that it was built as a true multitenant SaaS product from the very beginning. We take care of the CMS, including its upgrades, security, performance, etc. As a result, customers can focus on developing their applications and managing their content. Headless means that you store all the content in our cloud-based content hub and you can use it through our API on any channel—on your website, in your mobile app, or even in your chatbot. Since we provide a standard REST API, you can use your favorite platform and programming language to build your applications.
What do you think businesses need to keep in mind when selecting a platform?
They should certainly start with their business needs and look how the CMS supports them today, but also how it fits the latest trends. Many traditional CMS products were built for managing web pages, but we have seen a growth in the use of mobile, virtual reality, IoT, etc., which requires a more granular content model so that you can reuse that content across channels. The other major trend we see is a growing need to be more agile—companies want to launch new projects in a matter of weeks, not months, so they are increasingly looking for cloud-based solutions.
What makes Kentico the go-to choice for the enterprise?
Actually, Kentico Cloud aims to support a broad range of customers—from small to enterprise. You can start with a free plan and upgrade it when needed. For the enterprise customers, we provide a strong product as well as all the extras they need for mission-critical projects, like 24×7 support provided by our experts on three continents, SLAs, training, consulting, and a dedicated customer success manager who takes care of their onboarding and long-term success. Plus, they can choose from a growing number of Kentico Cloud partners—digital agencies who can build the projects for them if they do not have an in-house development team.
What do you consider to be the biggest trend for CX vendors in 2017?
We already see vendors moving to the cloud, and that will continue in 2017. However, most traditional CMS or CX vendors just take their existing products that were built for the on-premise world and offer them as managed hosting or PaaS, which is certainly not the most efficient model. We expect more customers are looking for true SaaS CMS options, which will give rise to new cloud-first headless CMS offerings.
How is Kentico positioned to be at the forefront of these trends?
We've been preparing for this for a couple of years as we always believed the cloud is the future. Our experience with the cloud started back in 2011 when we were the first CMS certified for Microsoft Azure. In the past two years, we built Kentico Cloud from scratch as we wanted to provide a true SaaS product and make sure it's ready for the multi-channel world we live in. At the same time, we leverage our experience, our skilled team, and the market presence we've built over the past years.
How do you see the market changing in the next five years?
I believe the CMS market is at just another inflection point. The cloud-first headless CMS will start replacing traditional CMS products as customers realize the benefits of the SaaS model. The vendors who don't make the shift to the new architecture and business model will disappear from the market. It will be similar to the shift from on-premise document management systems to cloud-based file sharing services. In five years from now, we will laugh at how we used to install and babysit a CMS.
What kind of evolution can we expect to see from Kentico?
We will continue enhancing our existing product, Kentico EMS, that fits well to customers who want a sophisticated all-in-one solution or do not feel ready for the cloud yet. At the same time, we will invest in the future and make progress with Kentico Cloud—we will grow its capabilities every week, and it will become a mature CMS during this year.
Final thoughts?
I would wrap up with a quote by Clayton Christensen, the author of Innovator's Dilemma, who said: “You may hate gravity, but gravity doesn't care.” Cloud-first headless CMS is a major change for many, but it's inevitable. We're at the very beginning of a new era of the CMS industry. The vendors, customers, and digital agencies who adopt this model first will gain a competitive advantage by being more agile and ready for the new communication channels that will go mainstream in the upcoming years.

Interview with Petr Palas, CEO of Kentico

mike-johnston

Are you tired of having a CMS that just doesn’t do what you want it to? Do you feel like you are just babysitting your CMS, taking care of the web servers, upgrades, hotfixes, backups, and constantly dealing with a growing list of plugins? Isn’t it frustrating when you have to rewrite your awesome code because your CMS just refuses to play nice? Are you tired of creating different versions of the same content to optimize it for various channels? Wish there was another way? Now, there is.
Kentico Cloud is the cloud-first headless CMS for digital agencies and their clients.
It’s Not Just a CMS Dropped into the Cloud
Many CMS vendors have caught onto the Cloud movement that is currently occurring. But what most do is simply to pick up their CMS and drop it into the Cloud. Sure, it works, but it lacks the elegance and agility of a truly cloud-first CMS. In fact, in 2013, we created Kentico+, which was just that—a CMS deployed in the Cloud—but we could not make it work efficiently for all users. We realized that if we wanted to provide agencies and their clients with all the benefits of the cloud, we needed to go back to the drawing board and rethink the entire CMS architecture.
Kentico Cloud is a completely new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product. By taking care of the service, it allows agencies and their clients to focus on what matters most—driving their business goals by creating truly wonderful digital experiences.
Manage All Your Content in the Cloud
Kentico Cloud works as a centralized content hub where you can produce all your structured content in one place. It provides customizable content types, taxonomy, site map, workflow, versioning, and comments—everything you need to work and collaborate on when creating your content.
Once the content is ready, you can either export it to your existing CMS (if you do not want to redesign the site) or use our content delivery API to publish the content directly on your website or in your mobile application.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kentico_draft1063x0-is.png" />
Deliver Content to Any Website or Mobile Application
Kentico Cloud provides a super-fast API for developers to display the content on websites, mobile apps, IoT devices, and any other channel. It uses the headless approach, which means you have full control over your presentation layer.
As a developer, you can use our API on any platform, using any programming language, and with your favorite development tools—just the way you like it.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kentico_deliver869x0-is.png" />
Provide a Personalized Experience
Kentico Cloud goes beyond content management. It allows you to personalize the content displayed to customers based on their profiles. It allows you to track customers on your website and personalize their experiences based on the data it collects. It can tell you which pages the customer visited, which forms they submitted, and what they bought.
Unlike with traditional web analytics tools, Kentico Cloud also creates profiles of individual users with a complete history of their activities. You can then use it to personalize the content on your website or export the data to other systems.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kentico_engage_profile869x0-is.png" />
Kentico Cloud—the Solution to Digital Agency Problems
Kentico Cloud is a set of fully integrated cloud services built from the ground up in the headless CMS architecture. As a hassle-free cloud platform that eliminates complex technology, Kentico Cloud helps agencies and their clients to be more productive while also increasing the scope of content delivery to any device or platform. Instead of wasting time looking after your CMS, put that time to greater effect and focus on delivering successful, profitable projects for your customers.
The Future Is Now
Stop babysitting your CMS and get started with Kentico Cloud now. It allows you to tackle the future of the digital landscape head on and gain a competitive advantage. From websites to virtual reality, bots to digital assistants, and augmented reality to Internet of Things devices, the possibilities are endless. Let Kentico Cloud make it easy for you—go to <a href="http://www.kenticocloud.com">www.kenticocloud.com</a> and sign up for a free trial.

Kentico Cloud - What’s It All About?

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