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Mastering the Poetry of Partnerships: An Interview with Kentico’s Jenda Perla 

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<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

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<h4>Snapshot</h4><ul><li>Sitecore announced that it will continue to add artificial intelligence features across its products</li><li>This follows the recent launch of the company's AI-based Content Cloud</li><li>The DXP previously announced complete generative AI integration via ChatGPT and Azure Open AI</li></ul><hr /> Let's get to the core of it: <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/sitecore">Sitecore</a> is going all-in on AI.The global, industry-leading DXP recently announced ongoing plans to infuse artificial intelligence features across its suite of content and commerce offerings.While the announcement was made at its<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sitecore.com/dx-events/sydney"> Sitecore DX 2023 </a>event in Sydney last week, the company has been blazing a trail across the AI/ML frontier for some time, having already embedded AI capabilities into its content cloud and personalization software.The event – which featured Sitecore CEO <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tzikakis/">Steve Tzikakis</a> – aimed to demonstrate to brands and partners that they can quickly deploy new AI-powered digital content and commerce offerings, underpinned by machine learning software.<h3>Building on proven AI and personalization </h3>Generative AI might still be considered nascent, but Sitecore has been innovating with artificial intelligence for a number of years. In fact, in 2020, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sitecore.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/2020/10/sitecore-makes-ai-powered-auto-personalization-a-standard">company introduced</a> its Sitecore AI Auto Personalization as a standard feature of its DXP.“The future of marketing technology and brand experience will be AI-fuelled due to the sheer power of machine learning tools,” said Tzikakis.As AI continues to steamroll the market with undeniable hype, Sitecore has been doubling down on high-utility applications that benefit enterprise customers at scale, most recently with the launch of its AI-based Content Cloud. This complements its Automated Personalization platform, which enables brands to gain insights from previous website visitors. <h3>Adding ChatGPT to meet demand for generative AI</h3>Earlier this year, Sitecore conducted a survey of four hundred marketers in the US, revealing that generative AI is seen as a pivotal, game-changing advancement for brand marketers – specifically for those seeking rapid-fire personalization for delivering intuitive and engaging digital experiences to customers. In April, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sitecore.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/2023/04/sitecore-introduces-openai-generative-ai-integration-functionality-to-its-fully-composable-software">Sitecore announced</a> that Open AI's <a target="_blank" href="https://chat.openai.com/">ChatGPT</a> functionality was now available across its array of fully composable software solutions. This integration, powered by <a target="_blank" href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/ai-services/openai-service">Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service</a>, provides marketers the ability to integrate generative AI functionality into their Sitecore-powered marketing technology stack to supercharge efficiency, personalization, and content production at scale across Sitecore’s entire range of composable solutions.According to Tzikakis, generative AI developments are moving incredibly fast. “In fact, while 77% of US marketers feel their technology can handle AI demands, 45% are concerned by the significant costs they perceive will be required to maintain growth.”<h3>Leveraging composable and AI</h3>When it comes to differentiators in the AI spectrum, Sitecore’s unique, fully composable offering provides maximum flexibility to marketers. Users can essentially “build their own solution” by bringing their own AI to integrate via open APIs and configurable UIs. “Our generative AI offering has been created to integrate with our composable strategy,” Tzikakis said. “Businesses will need to move away from legacy software stacks, and infuse AI systems into composable software approaches that enable true flexibility and the ability to provide their customers with personalized and rich experiences.”Examples of this in action include the integration of ChatGPT into <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sitecore.com/products/xm-cloud">Sitecore XM Cloud CMS</a> to create near-instant translations, and leveraging ChatGPT to rephrase marketing copy created in Content Hub to better target specific segments and destination channels. Additionally, Sitecore customers can use Dall-E to generate image variants for omnichannel campaigns being managed across Sitecore's Content Cloud.While generative AI is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, Sitecore is using its composable posture to alleviate the concerns noted about the costs of harnessing AI.“Sitecore’s composable platform helps combat this fear by giving Sitecore customers the ability to leverage our unique, composable offering,” Tzikakis stated, "which allows brands to control when and how much spend they can invest depending on customer needs.”

Sitecore Plans to Expand AI Across its Content and Commerce Offerings

<hr /> AI continues to dominate the news cycle across the digital experience ecosystem, and Digital Asset Management (DAM) solutions are no exception. While many platforms are harnessing LLMs to enhance productivity and ease the content workflow, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/acquia-dam-bolsters-search-share-and-analytics-capabilities">Acquia</a> is also leveraging AI for high-utility applications within its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/products/acquia-dam">Acquia DAM</a>. Last week, the DXP announced new integrations between its signature DAM (formerly Widen) and industry-leading generative AI solutions <a target="_blank" href="https://chat.openai.com/">ChatGPT</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.clarifai.com/">Clarifai</a>, enabling new capabilities for generating product and image descriptions.CMS Critic spoke with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/holmesnathan/">Nathan Holmes</a>, Manager, Product Marketing at Acquia, about the new features. <h3>Why it matters</h3>According to Acquia's press release, the new integrations will enable creative and marketing professionals who use Acquia DAM to create on-brand, search-engine-optimized product descriptions and image alt text via generative AI. The features will reduce the burden of creating these content elements, accelerating time to market while enhancing accessibility. It's worth noting that Acquia DAM can be utilized as a standalone solution or with content management systems such as Drupal. It can also be used with other products available in the Acquia Digital Experience Platform (Acquia DXP).“Using generative AI, marketers and creatives can improve the searchability, usability, and accessibility of their product content and asset metadata,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeathey/">Jake Athey</a>, Vice President, Go-To-Market, DAM at Acquia. “These new integrations… enable organizations to create compelling content that improves search results and drives conversions – in less time.” <h3>Built for creative and marketing pros</h3>As previously noted, the new generative AI integrations are targeted at creatives and marketers, helping them to be faster and more productive with their digital assets. The combination of both ChatGPT and Clarifai integrations delivers a complete solution that automates the generation of both product and image descriptions.With native integration between Acquia DAM and ChatGPT, product marketers can quickly create compelling product listings on their own websites and popular commerce sites such as Walmart, commerce platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/image-relay-launches-shopify-integration-streamlining-product-and-digital-asset-workflows-for-brands">Shopify</a>, and more. This solution enables teams to create on-brand content for their entire product line much faster, based on product attributes in Acquia DAM, reducing time to market and ensuring accuracy across digital channels. Teams can also use target keywords as inputs for the AI-generated description to optimize for search.Digital content managers using Acquia DAM may now leverage the native integration with Clarifai for keywords and ChatGPT to create alt text descriptions placed in a metadata field for images. Alt text is important to use because it enables images to be both search engine friendly and accessible to people with visual impairments. As an organization’s image library grows, the integration monitors all new or newly versioned image assets, ensuring no assets fall through the cracks. This advancement further supports <a target="_blank" href="https://www.acquia.com/accessibility">Acquia’s commitment to accessibility</a> and enabling digital experience creation for all.<h3>Introduced at Henry Stewart DAM New York</h3>Acquia made the announcement at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.henrystewartconferences.com/events/dam-new-york-2023">Henry Stewart DAM New York</a> event last week, where attendees saw 40+ DAM tools in action along with the latest product innovations at the world’s leading exhibition of DAM providers.Also at the conference, Acquia and Velir, a full-service digital agency and preferred Acquia partner, presented a session on the topic of digital asset management and generative AI called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.henrystewartconferences.com/events/dam-new-york-2023/session/events-dam-new-york-2023-day-1-track-3-techlab-metadata-ai-and-chatgpt-what%E2%80%99s-dam-got-do-it">“TechLab: Metadata, AI, and ChatGPT: What’s DAM got to do with it?”</a>“Marketers in all industries are actively exploring ways to integrate and utilize AI to streamline processes and meet ever-changing consumer needs,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-valliere-4b44571/">Dave Valliere</a>, CEO of Velir. “The ChatGPT module built for Drupal is another example of how marketers can use AI to create efficiencies from a content perspective. This will free up time for teams to spend on impactful digital marketing strategies such as personalization, audience analysis, and segmentation that are proven to drive business outcomes.”<h3>Q&amp;A with Nathan Holmes</h3>CMS Critic connected with Acquia's Nathan Holmes for some additional details about the new integrations. CMS Critic (CC): How long has this feature been in development?Nathan Holmes (NH): Acquia has had this feature in development for about four months. We moved on it very quickly once we determined it would be of high value to our customers. Most digital asset management platforms use computer vision to generate keyword metadata. The new integration between Acquia DAM's computer vision technology and the large language model goes a step further to generate alt text descriptions. This saves content managers another step in making their images optimized for search in the DAM, as well as when it's embedded on the web.CC: How are users responding to it? Do you have test feedback that’s encouraging thus far?(NH): Customer response to the new integrations between Acquia DAM and generative AI technologies has been strong. Several are interested in adopting the integration and are moving to test it.It’s appealing because marketers and creatives don’t generally have the time to write alt text descriptions for their images. We think of it as "No alt text left behind." All marketers know it's important to help web visitors who use screen readers, and that image alt text is crawled by search engines, which can help improve your page rankings. Yet, with the volume of content assets being created, it can be hard to keep up. So this can be a huge time saver for teams and greatly improve their search experience. In turn, this can help them get content and digital experiences to their own customers, citizens, or students faster.Also, by doing it in the DAM, instead of waiting to apply it in the CMS, the alt text can be used on other websites or social media posts.CC: How are humans able to validate the alt text and meta descriptions in any AI-generated fields?(NH): Humans are able – and encouraged – to review and edit the alt text and metadata descriptions in the AI-generated fields. This can be done during the upload process, or using the Paths feature in Acquia DAM, [where] content managers can set up automated emails to notify subject matter experts of new assets with metadata for their review.CC: Is there an additional cost for this capability?(NH): The AI-generated keywords capability is included with all Acquia DAM subscriptions. AI-generated alt text is an additional cost for the native integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Acquia DAM Introduces New Generative AI Integrations for Product and Image Descriptions

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<hr /> We’ve covered several stories about the unique Women in MACH program, most recently at the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">MACH Two</a> Conference this past June in Amsterdam – where the MACH Alliance launched a new Women in MACH <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-women-in-mach-mentorship-program">mentorship program</a>.Without question, the initiative is growing and represents a continued commitment from the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-women-in-mach-mentorship-program">MACH Alliance</a> and its community of companies, ambassadors, and contributors to support diversity and inclusion – including gender equality. Last year, the organization celebrated its first Women in MACH flagship event in Madrid, Spain. The conference was an overwhelming success, and the momentum built over the last 12 months has been a testament to the program.Next week, the organization returns to Madrid for its 2023 flagship event, where it plans to go “Beyond Boundaries” with its stated <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/insights/women-in-mach-manifesto-for-gender-equality">Manifesto</a> – and begin transforming the MACH technology ecosystem into a diverse and inclusive space for everyone. <h3>Going “Beyond Boundaries” </h3>According to the program’s website, the purpose of the event is to inspire and support women in MACH to develop their own skills, competencies, and career paths – and take the next step toward equal opportunities.The one-day event will draw together 100 leading women in tech as well as select “male allies” to provide mentorship, education, and support. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, acquire new skills and knowledge, collaborate on ideas, and network with other professionals. “Beyond Boundaries” will offer a packed program of inspirational speakers, masterclasses, and workshops on a range of relevant topics. The event also promises to focus on the challenges that exist for achieving the tenants of the Women in MACH manifesto and will explore actionable solutions and programs. <h3>Where and when is the event? </h3>The Women in MACH 2023 “Beyond Boundaries” event will be held on September 21, from 9:00 a.m. - 11 p.m. at Club Alma Sensai in Madrid, Spain. For more details on the program – including the complete one-day agenda – you can visit the conference website at https://machalliance.org/women-in-mach-2023-beyond-boundariesAlong with the 100 leading women and allies, organizations can pay $5,500 to be part of the grass-roots movement. The investment provides two tickets, as well as opportunities for a company’s brand to be highlighted throughout the event.

Women in MACH’s 2023 Flagship Event Plans to Go “Beyond Boundaries” in Madrid

<hr /> DAMs and PIMs have become essential technologies in the digital ecosystem. As brands scale in multiple directions – driven in large part by growth in e-commerce and omnichannel strategies – having a single source of truth for digital assets and product information is proving invaluable.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.imagerelay.com/">Image Relay</a>, a digital asset management (DAM) and product information management (PIM) platform, is streamlining the experience for organizations by making it easier to manage assets and information while connecting with other technologies that complete the customer experience. This week, the company announced a new <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imagerelay.com/platform/integrations/">product integration</a> between its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imagerelay.com/marketing-delivery-features">Marketing Delivery</a> – an all-in-one DAM and PIM platform – and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/shopify">Shopify</a>. “Many of our customers use Shopify as a complete commerce platform that offers the tools they need to successfully grow their businesses,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-olsen-73978646/">Jeff Olsen</a>, Director of Product, Image Relay. “As we continued to look for ways to improve our customers’ efficiency and effectiveness in managing their product information and digital assets, developing a direct integration with Shopify became an important initiative. By seamlessly connecting Shopify’s platform to Marketing Delivery, our ecommerce-business customers have a new powerful combination to ensure their product data is up-to-date, accurate, and easily accessible across their workflows.”<h3>Combining the power of DAM and PIM in one platform</h3>Siloed data is a significant challenge for organizations with large caches of digital assets and product information. Launched in April, Image Ready's Marketing Delivery effectively brings all product information and digital assets into a single solution, enabling teams to easily create and share critical information – from product catalogs to one-off reports – with only a few clicks.  Additionally, the platform eliminates cumbersome manual formatting and unwieldy spreadsheets, allowing teams to easily set up as many product channels and export templates as they have delivery outlets. Marketing Delivery then automatically creates perfectly formatted reports that include product data mapped to the attributes required by each delivery outlet. The Shopify integration allows brands to quickly and easily export product information and assets from Marketing Delivery directly into their Shopify storefronts. Companies can also edit and update information in Shopify, import information directly back to Marketing Delivery, ensure teams and partners utilize approved assets only, and provide easy partner access while guaranteeing the consistency of all materials. <h3>A growing range of valuable integrations </h3> Marketing Delivery is fully integrated with many of the most popular marketing, sales, and productivity tools that brands are already using. With a growing list of 40+ integrations, businesses can instantly connect Marketing Delivery with:<ul><li>Asset creation and editing tools such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.</li><li>Collaboration and project management products such as Asana, Basecamp, Evernote, Slack, and Zoom.</li><li>Content file control solutions such as Dropbox, Eventbrite, and Microsoft OneDrive.</li><li>Social platform integrations with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.</li><li>Expense tracking with Expensify.</li><li>Marketing, sales and service software (connected directly to content) with HubSpot and Salesforce.</li><li>Managed and updated web content via integrations with WordPress and Webflow.</li></ul>

Image Relay Launches Shopify Integration, Streamlining Product and Digital Asset Workflows for Brands

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As composable commerce becomes a critical goal for organizations, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms">headless CMS</a> vendors are looking to expand their capabilities into the burgeoning space. Among them is <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/lights-camera-action-contentfuls-film-the-new-art-of-storytelling-focuses-on-the-composable-future">Contentful</a>, a leading composable content platform. Recently, the company announced a partnership with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/cms-monthly-recap-mailchimp-and-shopify-launch-direct-integration-bigcommerce-launches-ads-and-listings-on-google-and-more">BigCommerce</a> – a powerhouse open SaaS e-commerce platform – to help brands build personalized shopping experiences. According to Contentful's press release, the combination will enable organizations to seamlessly integrate Contentful with their BigCommerce platform, easing the adoption of composable commerce and delivering one-of-a-kind, omnichannel buying experiences tailored to customer needs and preferences. <h3>Tapping composable commerce to drive omnichannel growth</h3>As Contenful's press release codified, today’s consumer expects a buying experience that is fast, personalized, and consistent across channels. Even the most loyal customer will quickly turn away from a brand if the experience is less than stellar. At the same time, many brands are held back by outdated content systems that lack the flexibility and scalability required to deliver engaging experiences that meet consumer expectations and drive conversion. This is where Contentful's partnership with BigCommerce provides a 1-2 punch of business scalability and acceleration, with a focus on digital commerce. “Brands want to deliver unmatched personalization and customer experience across every customer touchpoint, and our partnership with BigCommerce makes it easier for digital teams to deliver on that goal,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-sloan-213515/">Steve Sloan</a>, CEO of Contentful. “With content as an integral part of a brand’s storefront, businesses can deliver truly engaging experiences at scale.”<h3>Contentful and BigCommerce increase conversion and growth </h3>With Contentful and BigCommerce, customers will now have the flexibility and openness of a composable, API-first approach to deliver best-in-class customer experiences and outpace the competition. Customers will be able to orchestrate their content and messaging across brands, regions, and channels to create seamless shopping experiences at scale. To help customers get started quickly, an accelerator is available for BigCommerce and Contentful that simplifies implementation and reduces time to market. Built by joint partners <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/myplanet-rebrands-to-orium-after-11m-investment-targets-growth-in-composable-commerce">Orium</a> and Gluo – and designed for retail and B2C brands of any size – the accelerator enables organizations to deploy Contentful and BigCommerce with confidence, dependability, and speed. “Our partnership with Contentful further illustrates our commitment to providing merchants access to the highest-caliber technologies and service providers available in the industry,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kleinrussell/">Russell Klein</a>, Chief Commercial Officer, BigCommerce. “Contentful shares our desire to help merchants sell more and grow faster to maximize success, and we look forward to working together to mutually support customers.”

Contentful Teams with BigCommerce to Help Customers Ease Adoption of Composable Commerce

As generative AI continues to march its way across the digital experience stack, platforms are looking to public cloud providers like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/aws-joins-mach-alliance-as-enabler-member-reflects-growth-of-cloud-native-solutions">AWS</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/contentstack-offers-microsoft-azure-becomes-only-multi-cloud-saas-cms-qa-with-cto-nishant-patel">Azure</a>, and GCP to help scale their innovation and get AI-powered products to market faster. Now, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/optimizely-brings-real-magic-to-opticon-2022-in-san-diego-kicks-off-tour-in-london-and-stockholm">Optimizely </a>– a leading digital experience platform (DXP) provider – has announced a new integration with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/optimizely-partners-with-google-cloud-to-take-experimentation-to-the-next-level">Google Cloud’s</a> large language models (LLMs) via <a target="_blank" href="https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=na-US-all-en-dr-bkws-all-all-trial-e-dr-1605212&amp;utm_content=text-ad-none-any-DEV_c-CRE_665735422037-ADGP_Hybrid%20%7C%20BKWS%20-%20MIX%20%7C%20Txt_AI%20and%20ML%20General-KWID_43700077225650913-kwd-553582750299&amp;utm_term=KW_vertex%20ai-ST_vertex%20ai&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw6eWnBhAKEiwADpnw9u2BMXURvDZHFlNL_A4gB-a8YkjypIddWQ1nMdG43MWUdp4TY1E6cxoCg-gQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">Vertex AI</a>, with the goal of building and launching new generative AI features. With this integration, Optimizely’s customers and product engineering teams will gain direct access to Google Cloud’s cutting-edge foundational models, which will dramatically increase the pace of innovation in a rapidly emergent field.<h3>Sowing the AI seeds in Optimizely's model garden </h3>According to the company's press release, Google’s PaLM 2 models from Vertex AI will be used in Optimizely’s internal model garden, supporting rapid prototyping and development of generative AI features. This pairing will span the entire portfolio of Optimizely’s products, including content, commerce, and experimentation.Coupled with Feature Experimentation, Optimizely engineers can strike the perfect balance between cost, quality, and response time across Google Cloud’s growing family of models, which are rooted in a 20-year legacy and commitment to responsibility, security and compliance. “As AI is adopted at an unprecedented clip, Google’s LLMs and Vertex AI ensure that we can innovate and implement the functionalities that our customers need to scale and deliver the best digital experiences,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anielsud/">Aniel Sud</a>, CTO at Optimizely. “With these models, we can quickly and consistently add new AI features that will greatly enhance our product suite. We are excited to highlight some of these new features at Opticon in October and we look forward to continually strengthening our partnership with Google.” Optimizely customers can expect upcoming features powered by Google Vertex AI to be far more fine-tuned for the intended use cases. <h3>Focusing on high-value AI use cases</h3>On the AI front, Optimizely is exploring high-value use cases to bring generative AI to marketing and digital teams, empowering them to transform digital experiences for customers. These use cases include: <ul><li>A knowledge bot trained specifically on Optimizely’s technical documentation, so customers can utilize a chat interface to get instant answers to questions during implementation and use </li><li>A variation generator for brainstorming, allowing Optimizely customers to utilize AI to generate new ideas when designing a test </li></ul>This innovative partnership builds upon the success of leveraging Google Cloud for Optimizely Web Experimentation and Feature Experimentation, as well as the availability of both products on <a target="_blank" href="https://console.cloud.google.com/marketplace/product/optimizely-public/optimizely-gcp-marketplace">Google Cloud Marketplace</a>.  “Users of Optimizely’s digital experience platform will benefit from new capabilities, powered by Google Cloud’s Vertex AI,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigoprocha/">Rodrigo Rocha</a>, Head of Global AI &amp; ISV App Partnerships at Google Cloud. “By building with Vertex AI and expanding access to Google Cloud’s powerful models, Optimizely will enable its customers to build new online experiences and products that add real value with generative AI.” <h3>Partnering to power experimentation with AI</h3>Optimizely and Google have already cemented a strong partnership. In February of 2022, the companies jointly <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/optimizely-partners-with-google-cloud-to-take-experimentation-to-the-next-level">announced a strategic initiative</a> to move Optimizely's experimentation to the Google Cloud, leveraging a secure and scalable infrastructure for investments in AI and analytics. In 2022, Optimizely also achieved over $1B in incremental revenue for its customers. This partnership with Google Cloud and innovation with Vertex AI will continue to allow businesses to make data-driven decisions and scale their digital experiences.

Optimizely Partners with Google Cloud to Expand Generative AI Capabilities 

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What can I say? I’m obsessed with Halloween.But it’s not just me.For the last 17 years, my wife and I have spent the months of September and October avoiding zombies, dodging demons, and thwarting chainsaw-wielding psychopaths at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.universalorlando.com/hhn/en/us">Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights</a>.Man, 17 years is a long time.For context, we started going when our son could barely crawl, eventually bringing him for the first time in 2018. Now, he accompanies a terrified mob of fellow University of Florida students as part of an annual pilgrimage to the park. The next morning, we have random college students strewn across spare beds and splayed on sofas, most having survived the night in one piece. I love it. This Labor Day weekend, we attended the opening of the 32nd year of HHN, which will feature a record-breaking 48 nights of festivities. Attendance is already expected to be high, and the first night was sold out. <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/09/halloween-horror-nights.jpg" />Clearly, Halloween is more than just a holiday in America – it’s a season. A unique phenomenon celebrated by people from all walks of life, young and old. It gives us permission to transform, to be something other than ourselves and revel in the exhilaration of being scared. As it turns out, Halloween has its roots in pagan rituals, and some version of it is celebrated in countries around the globe. Last year, Americans <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2022/10/20/halloween-spending-projected-to-hit-a-record-106-billion-for-2022/?sh=735967bf7d4b">spent over $10.6 billion</a> on Halloween. That includes the pricetag for events like HHN, which is considered “monster mecca” for rabid fans. For me, it's fun watching the mix of fear and delight as people traverse the bevy of haunted houses and “Scare Zones" around the park. This year was no exception, as streaming properties like Stranger Things and The Last of Us came to life in terrifyingly ornate detail. At the same time, original concepts showcase the depth of Universal’s creative teams, sporting new characters like the mysterious Dr. Oddfellow (caution: a physical with this MD might result in bites to the neck and a fear of garlic). The production quality at HHN is simply off the charts. It requires months of development and thousands of people to pull off, including the event's signature “Scare Actors,” costume and prosthetics designers, set builders, lighting techs… the list goes on and on.To be sure, there are still challenges for the faint of heart. The lines can be notoriously long, and you need an expensive Express Pass to see everything. Heck, the scariest thing might be the price tag for food and memorabilia. But overall, the experience is second to none, and digital has helped deliver more thrills and chills than nightmares.As Unlimited Frequent Fear passholders, we have the opportunity to indulge in HHN multiple times throughout the season. Working in the DX industry, I’ve paid close attention to the ways digital transformation has made Halloween Horror Nights a blood-curdling success over nearly two decades – and it’s something to behold.One of the best examples is the evolution of Universal's mobile app. Not only has it eliminated paper-based ticketing and scanning, but it also features current wait times for each event. Super handy when making decisions about what venue to hit when the park is packed. Feedback is also being collected from willing parkgoers via tablets as they leave the property, and social listening has become something of an art form as devoted fan communities have arisen over the years (yup, we're part of them). On the content side of the Necronomicon, text and assets are being pushed across multiple screens and devices, and integrated <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/top-10-open-source-ecommerce-platforms">eCommerce payment systems</a> are as commonplace as ghouls and goblins. Universal has also been pioneering virtual reality in its park rides, so I’m just scratching the surface.No doubt, AI is part of the witch's brew. While not visibly evident, it's most certainly at use behind the scenes, analyzing customer data at scale to improve decisions about food distribution, queue management, and merchandise. With the sheer number of data points and interactions at play, these are tasks no human (or the undead) is capable of doing.While the world wrestles with the ethical dilemmas around AI, I think Universal and HHN demonstrate how technology and innovation have continuously supported immersive physical experiences. There would be no "spine-tingling" without the presence of performers and artisans. At the same time, new technologies are enriching productivity, shortening creative cycles, and improving the customer experience in every dimension. Could some roles be displaced? Tarot cards aside, it's more than probable. But the night is always darkest before dawn, and the potential for new jobs and opportunities will likely outweigh the perceived negatives. On some level, we all fear the future. In fiction, we're quick to demonize technology, tapping some innate mistrust of ourselves and what we endeavor to create. It’s easy to let our imagination get the best of us, especially with the rapid adoption of ChatGPT. And while many technologies have rushed to integrate <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/tinymce-brings-advanced-ai-to-cms-text-editing-interview-with-fredrik-danielsson-elise-bentley">generative AI</a> with their offerings, I see most of them assuring their audiences that they're mindful of the ethics… and this is not Frankenstein's monster.Halloween might not be your jam, but embracing the unknown and understanding its pros and cons is how we face the future. Brands like Universal are leveraging it to improve its theme park experiences, a place where the physical and digital are now locked in a danse macabre.So why not brave the new world? If you’re lucky, you might have a little fun along the way.  So fun, it’s scary.

Fear the Future of AI? Not at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

What to know:<ul><li>TinyMCE has introduced AI capabilities to its rich text editor</li><li>Powered by OpenAI, the new feature is available and easy to activate</li><li>The solution provides pre-written prompts to help users create content</li><li>CMS platforms that use TinyMCE can offer AI in their editors and plugins</li></ul><hr /> You might not know it, but many CMS platforms have been “tinyfied.”I don’t mean “minified,” as in made smaller – or “gentrified,” though some apps out there could use a bit of that.No, “tinyfied” is how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiny.cloud/">TinyMCE</a> refers to content management systems that utilize its rich text editor. It’s a fun moniker for a tool that’s essential to every CMS, enabling users to create formatted content using simple WYSIWYGs.The role of the text editor in a CMS can’t be overstated. In addition to adding raw content, they can be used to create lists, tables, and other elements. The functionality of an editor can also be extended via plugins and customizations based on a platform’s needs.Many CMSes have adopted TinyMCE as their default editor, while others have implemented it into various modules and plugins. Which platforms, you ask? According to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiny.cloud/docs-3x/extras/TinyMCE3x@Software_using_TinyMCE/#:~:text=Many%20CMSs%20have%20been%20'tinyfied,it%20in%20a%20module%2Fplugin.&amp;text=ARNIA%20CMS%20.,is%20part%20of%20the%20CMS.">company’s documentation</a>, the list includes <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hyland-acquires-alfresco-focuses-on-cloud-and-global-expansion-of-enterprise-cms/">Alfresco</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/dotcms-adds-additional-static-publishing-features-and-new-four-eyes-workflow-approval-in-latest-version-release-dotcms-4-3/">dotCMS</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/umbraco-cms-acquired-by-software-investor-monterro-interview-with-ceo-kim-sneum-madsen/">Umbraco</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wp-engine-releases-worlds-first-study-of-the-wordpress-economy-cites-awe-inspiring-numbers/">WordPress</a>, and other notable brands (like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-monthly-recap-shopify-invests-in-sanity-dotcms-updates-content-authoring-experience-wp-engine-acquires-plugins-and-more/">Shopify</a>) – all relying on TinyMCE to shape content editing.Now, TinyMCE is introducing <a target="_blank" href="https://openai.com/">OpenAI’s</a> powerful GPT models to its text editor. The new solution comes with pre-written prompts and writing tools and provides a familiar, intuitive UI that works within existing designs and structures.I recently spoke with TinyMCE’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredrikdanielsson/">Fredrik Danielsson</a>, Principal Product Manager, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisebentley/">Elise Bentley</a>, VP of Marketing, about the company’s new AI Assistant. They shared how the novel features will benefit users while helping CMS platforms accelerate their AI roadmap.<h2>Adding AI to an API-first portfolio of solutions</h2>Over the last few months, I’ve spoken to numerous CMSes about their emerging AI strategies.As I’ve noted in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/a-closer-look-at-contentstacks-ai-features-with-christine-masters-senior-product-manager/">previous articles</a>, some have charged full speed ahead, adding <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-pioneers-native-ai-in-headless-cms-interview-with-vojtech-boril/">native solutions</a> to their workflows. Others are waiting it out, trying to divine the hope from the hype.While not a CMS itself, TinyMCE is a key part of the content ecosystem. Despite being a new entrant to the AI game, its AI Assistant fits squarely with the company’s ambitious API-first strategy and its goal of powering CMS users with more advanced functionality.“TinyMCE has focused on the content creation space for almost 20 years,” said Elise. “When you think about CMS users, it’s actually the rich text editor that they’re connecting with. We’re creating a seamless experience by bringing AI into a workflow they already know.”According to Elise, there are currently over 350 million downloads of TinyMCE a year – and that includes a very broad spectrum of CMS, DAM, workflow collaboration, email tools, and more. While all of these applications co-exist in the DX stack, Elise noted that understanding the CMS user was fundamental to building the right kind of AI strategy.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/tinymce-editor-1024x663.png" alt="TinyMCE rich text editor" />“Content creators are ultimately using [TinyMCE], so what are the top things they’re creating? For a CMS, it was blogs and website copy – so whatever we delivered, we needed to make sure it worked great for those use cases.”TinyMCE’s impressive footprint has certainly bolstered its market position. In March of this year, the company was purchased by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiny.cloud/blog/tiugo-portfolio-with-tinymce/">Tiugo Technologies</a>, a PSG portfolio company offering a family of innovative, API-first developer platforms – which includes <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tiugo-technologies-enhances-its-portfolio-of-developer-platforms-with-buttercms/">ButterCMS</a>.While many technologies in a wide range of industries have rushed to market with AI solutions, some have been met with delays or even less-than-stellar outcomes. I asked Elise how Tiny has focused on quality while ensuring timely delivery to the market.“We have a big emphasis on quality here, and we don’t release things to market unless we believe they are market-ready,” she affirmed. “AI Assistant has gone through robust QA processes, and it’s stable. We have a lot of users signed up, and we’re actively gathering feedback.”<h2>Making AI more useful with ready-made prompts</h2>Along with his mantle of product manager, Fredrik has also been the internal AI champion for TinyMCE’s new functionality. I asked him what fueled his interest – and why it mattered.“We think this is a really important innovation in rich text editing,” he said. “It’s opened up so many opportunities in human-computer interaction and how we can use this technology for all sorts of things. It’s similar to when the iPhone came out, and we suddenly had the internet and computers in our pockets. AI is almost a must, and we have to be doing this.”It’s true that AI has captured the zeitgeist of the moment, spurring CMS platforms to introduce AI features at a breakneck pace. But the hype cycle can be tenuous, and user experience can sometimes be a victim in the race to innovate.<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center">"It’s not just about connecting with AI – it's about unlocking the power of AI and helping you to learn how to use it for content creation purposes, so you’re not on your own."</h4><hr />Tiny aimed to avoid that trap by putting the user first. As Elise explained, the company had been exploring AI for over a year, and the decision to act only surfaced when customers started asking how to add it to their applications. Thoughtful research helped reveal where the TinyMCE’s capabilities could align with the promise of AI.“When we went out to explore AI, we did the demand studies,” she punctuated. “What people are actually struggling with is how to interact with AI. That’s where our solution is much more advanced. We provide the pre-written prompts and the assistance. It’s not just about connecting with AI – it's about unlocking the power of AI and helping you to learn how to use it for content creation purposes, so you’re not on your own.”Fredrik further codified this, describing TinyMCE’s ready-made prompts as a sort of “discovery feature” that helps inspire end users by giving them a starting point while providing convenient actions such as rewriting, fixing grammar, and creating alternative variants.<h2>Adding AI where content creators need it</h2>For CMS platforms using TinyMCE, the clear benefit is the easy, frictionless addition of AI to the text editing experience.Designed as a core part of the content creation workflow – as opposed to a bolt-on component – the solution’s UI works out of the box without adding any extra AI development burdens. What’s more, it can be up and running in a couple of hours with just a few steps.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/tinymce-steps-1-1024x217.jpg" alt="TinyMCE AI Assistant steps " />As Fredrik outlined, the AI Assistant is an extension of TinyMCE, so you simply activate it within the plugin and connect to OpenAI via your <a target="_blank" href="https://platform.openai.com/account/api-keys">OpenAI API key</a>. The AI Assistant provides a configurable, intuitive interface for OpenAI prompts, while your API key sends and receives prompts and responses from OpenAI.When you’re ready for production, you can set up a server-side proxy for secure communication with OpenAI. And presto… you’re off to the races.“The fantastic thing about TinyMCE and how we operate is that we provide APIs and actually allow you to customize the prompts if you want to put in the engineering effort,” said Elise. “You can customize it around your own use case.”While other CMS platforms are home-growing their capabilities, TinyMCE is effectively shortcutting the complexity and laser-targeting AI at precisely the right places. Along with the essentials for improving grammar and writing, users can target the AI Assistant to summarize, explain, or simplify language with an easy-to-use picker. There's also the ability to generate content from custom prompts and insert it instantly into your post.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/tinymce-screenshots-1024x540.jpg" alt="TinyMCE product screenshots" />“We’re providing the UI and prompt engineering so you can quickly get started, instead of spending months trying to figure out how to do it yourself,” said Fredrik, summing up one of the core benefits. “With OpenAI and TinyMCE, it’s the speed.”<h2>What does TinyMCE's AI Assistant cost?</h2>When it comes to new features, the million-dollar question is always the price.According to Elise, the AI Assistant is an additional $29 per month – which is nominal, considering the advanced resources the company is dedicating to the technology. I asked how users are responding to this price point and the value position. “Everyone that has signed up is accepting of the cost, and it’s appealing for both startups and enterprises,” she said. “Part of our research was to examine price and how we sustain engineering on such a revolutionary new feature set.”Because TinyMCE’s AI Assistant requires you to create and connect your own OpenAI API key, platforms are also responsible for <a target="_blank" href="https://openai.com/pricing">any direct costs from OpenAI</a> associated with its usage.<h2>Wrestling with security, data privacy and copyright issues</h2>One of the biggest challenges with tapping large language models like ChatGPT is data privacy. And rightly so: since its introduction, OpenAI has spurred multiple security concerns, including a <a target="_blank" href="https://securityintelligence.com/articles/chatgpt-confirms-data-breach/">data breach</a> that exposed active user data to would-be hackers.OpenAI has made great strides in firming up its protection. Additionally, CMS platforms that have introduced GPT connectors have gone to great lengths to wall off enterprise data from the GPT learning pipelines, so a company’s data doesn’t become part of the LLM’s general training lakes.I asked Fredrik and Elise how TinyMCE was handling the data privacy concerns with its new AI, and how questions around content copyright might impact their strategy.“This is a huge, huge question,” Fredrik said. “We’re talking about privacy and copyright on the internet. We deal with a lot of enterprises, so naturally, we get that question. In the vast majority of use cases, it’s about building trust with vendors [and letting them know] we take care of your data.”Elise expanded on this, adding that TinyMCE is actively monitoring and looking at ways to create more secure and private solutions with ChatGPT.<h2>Expanding the horizon of AI for platforms and users</h2>In the quest to provide meaningful AI to more content creators, TinyMCE has certainly introduced a unique offering at the text editing layer – and done so in a familiar and accessible manner.I asked Fredrik where he sees the greatest opportunity for TinyMCE’s AI to transform the content experience.“This is completely new for us, and it’s fun,” he mused. “We’re innovating and exploring and starting fresh. As with all these things, there are no conventions right now. But it should be simple, intuitive, and designed for everyone – not just power users. I want everyone to be able to harness the power of our AI.”While the new AI features are already GA, TinyMCE is just getting started. According to Elise, they plan to support more than just ChatGPT in the future and continue a healthy pace of innovation based on customer needs.“As more people come on board, we want the feedback loops to make an even better, more robust product,” she said. “But right now, we’re very happy about this new feature.”Being happy about your product? There’s nothing tiny about that.You can experience that happiness yourself by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiny.cloud/tinymce/features/ai-integration/">adding the new AI Assistant</a> to your existing TinyMCE account with an exclusive 14-day free trial.

TinyMCE Brings Advanced AI to CMS Text Editing: Interview with Fredrik Danielsson & Elise Bentley

The financial services domain is experiencing a remarkable transformation, prompted by disruptive newcomers and the rise of Open Finance. These modern players, predominantly digital-only banking entities, are not merely passively accepting the tide of digital transition, but are actively molding it, setting a groundwork for an increasingly open, inclusive, and technologically oriented financial environment.
What distinguishes these modifications is their core emphasis on "access." Technological breakthroughs in the fintech sector, in conjunction with Open Finance principles, are slowly but surely unraveling the intricacies of the financial sphere, making it more approachable, safe, and user-friendly for all. This tilt towards a tech-centric strategy is notably accentuated in the North American region, where the demand for digital experiences from consumers is heightened.
Adding another layer to these developments are environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters, along with the "Great Resignation." As customers demonstrate increasing interest in ESG, providers of financial services are forced to adapt by formulating distinctive fund solutions that address these issues. Concurrently, though it appears to be ending, the "Great Resignation" has amplified the necessity for financial establishments to refine their digital capabilities and organizational cultures in order to attract and retain premier professionals.
Within this dynamic environment, traditional profit-driven structures are being substituted by a customer-centric methodology. Modern-day providers of financial services are discovering that by prioritizing customer value, financial gains follow naturally. To maintain their competitive edge, these institutions are incessantly harmonizing the digitalization of their offerings with the pressing need to enhance security, accessibility, and customization.
<h2>Personalization and Adding a Human Touch</h2>
According to <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/banking-matters/consumer-trends-in-digital-payments">McKinsey’s 2022 Digital Payments Consumer Survey,</a> nine out of 10 Americans now use some form of digital payments. Additionally, the percentage of respondents who use two or more forms of digital payments has increased from 51% in 2021 to 62% in 2022. This growing segment of consumers using digital payments and increasing competition in the digital payment industry means companies need to work hard to appeal to customers and gain their business.
Although digitization is clearly transforming the industry, it is important to note that many still prefer human interaction when making high-value financial decisions. By incorporating human interaction into digital experiences through methods such as omnichannel content delivery and conversational AI, organizations can make interactions more engaging and personalized to consumers.
Technologies such as data analytics, mobile development, artificial intelligence, and APIs can be used by financial institutions to deliver value to customers while still maintaining a human touch. Conversational AI tools like chatbots let financial institutions offer 24/7 support. Chatbots can handle routine inquiries and transactions and hand off more complex queries to virtual assistants. Meanwhile, the vast amounts of customer data available regarding behavior and preferences can be used to offer tailored recommendations and promotions.
To tie it all together, financial institutions should offer a consistent and seamless experience across channels that incorporates the right mix of digital interaction and human touch. Companies establish familiarity with their customers and build trust when online content is consistent, easily delivered across all digital assets and applications, and managed all in one place.
<h2>Delivering Great Content through CMS</h2>
Ultimately, what makes a great digital financial experience possible is timely and relevant digital content. The most important thing to customers is that they are kept informed of their financial situation. Institutions can connect with their customers by providing content that updates, educates, and motivates them.
Delivering such tailored content requires customer insights, data intelligence, and content management processes to be streamlined through reliable, future-proofed technology. At the center of all this is a Content Management System (CMS), which is a platform used to manage digital content and deliver personalized experiences. Financial services providers can build and manage their digital channels, such as websites and mobile apps, in a centralized manner using a CMS.
In addition to simplifying content creation and management, a CMS can also ensure consistency across digital channels. Details like specific offerings, rates, and locations change frequently. A CMS can be used to publish changes across multiple sites more quickly and efficiently.
A CMS also enables integration with other systems, such as marketing automation platforms and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Integration creates the opportunity to offer personalized experiences based on the account portfolios and branch locations of customers.
Lastly, a CMS enables digital channels to be optimized for different devices and methods of consumption. Using a CMS, financial service providers can develop responsive websites and mobile applications for different devices and screen sizes, which is essential for customers to access financial services anywhere, anytime, and on any device.
<h2>Maximizing your CMS</h2>
As the financial services industry continues to change rapidly and more consumers adopt digital payment systems, IT and marketing needs to prioritize humanizing digital experiences. Customer preference for digital interaction puts the onus on businesses to find new and innovative ways to incorporate human elements into digital experiences. Conversational AI and omnichannel experiences all help businesses connect with customers without putting strain on human team members. With a connected digital experience platform, financial services providers can deliver personalized experiences through managed digital content.
To maximize the value of a CMS, IT leaders should investigate the built-in security, auditing, and compliance capabilities of each platform. Other key factors are advanced workflow automation capabilities and support for secure data transfer. A CMS platform that accounts for all of this will make sure IT leaders can deliver engaging digital experiences in a more efficient and valuable way.
<hr />
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/critics/jay-sanderson/">Jay Sanderson</a> is Senior Product Marketing Manager, Digital Experience, at Progress and a CMS Critic contributor.

The Benefits of Personalization and CMS to Improve Digital Financial Experiences

jay-sanderson

<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/shock-and-awe-adobe-to-acquire-ui-design-platform-figma-for-20-billion/">Adobe</a>, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/acquia-and-the-art-of-the-possible-interview-with-chief-market-officer-jennifer-griffin-smith/">Acquia</a>, and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/optimizely-integrates-b2b-commerce-cloud-and-content-cloud-combines-headless-commerce-with-cms/">Optimizely</a> are Leaders in the latest <a href="https://www.forrester.com/report/the-forrester-wave-tm-content-management-systems-q3-2023/RES178520" target="_blank">Forrester Wave: Content Management Systems, Q3 2023</a> – a quarterly report published by one of the most prestigious and respected analyst firms in the technology industry.
The report, published today, provides a glimpse of where CMS platforms are positioned. Forrester ranks companies on a visual graph across several concentric strata: Challengers, Contenders, Strong Performers, and Leaders. A CMS platform’s position is then determined based on criteria reflecting its offering strength, strategy, and market presence.
<h2>Leading the CMS category </h2>
According to a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230822212172/en/Acquia-Named-a-Leader-in-Content-Management-Systems-Report-by-Independent-Research-Firm" target="_blank">press release from Acquia </a>– one of the three platforms in the Leader category – the Q3 Forrester Wave report evaluated 10 CMS providers based on 26 criteria, focusing on the aforementioned criteria.
The report cited that “Acquia performs the strongest in low-code/no-code, translations for global content deliveries, and back-end extensibility – all supported by strong practitioner and developer programs.” The company earned the highest possible scores in the architecture (extensibility and configuration), practitioner and developer communities, partner ecosystem, and global delivery strategy criteria.
Optimizely, another Leader, also <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/optimizely-named-a-leader-in-content-management-systems-by-industry-research-firm-301908245.html" target="_blank">issued a press release</a> about its position. The Forrester report stated that the platform "performs very well in personalization, A/B testing, and translation and localizations."
Additionally, the report indicated Optimizely's CMS "excels at depth of content and audience analytics off the shelf (no additional licensing) and a strong ability to scale content delivery through its partnership with <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/contentstack-offers-microsoft-azure-becomes-only-multi-cloud-saas-cms-qa-with-cto-nishant-patel/">Microsoft Azure</a> and its cloud-native architecture."
<h2>Contentstack drives strong performance</h2>
While the Leader category remains the domain of large enterprise DXPs, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless</a> CMS players are gaining ground. Case in point: <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/contentstack-raises-57-5-million-in-series-b-round-qa-with-ceo-neha-sampat/">Contentstack</a>.
Buoyed by its <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/new-mach-alliance-maturity-assessment-tool-helps-organizations-evaluate-their-mach-readiness/">MACH</a> (Microservices, APIs, Cloud-native SaaS, Headless) focus and composable approach – along with best-in-class, turnkey, no-code integrations – the company is leading the Strong Performer category in the Forrester Wave report.
According to an article on the <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/resources/report/forrester-wave-report-2023?utm_medium=email-newsletter&amp;utm_source=marketo&amp;utm_campaign=2023-23-08-august-monthly-newsletter&amp;mkt_tok=NDg5LVdOSS0zODMAAAGNwg2flcZin6FEq-r-0_FcJUMeWdg_wzl49C_gzpN1gvxH7TnAnUakU4Mp4aFsa52WTa2dI1bZs97lBpqwBgmvq3Ivq1I0p0AUV9BkNOClolY" target="_blank">Contentstack website</a>, the report stated that “Contentstack performs well in several categories but shines in its ease of back-end extensibility through turnkey integrations, coupled with global deployments.”
Along with its MACH posture, the report also noted that “as a founding member of the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">MACH Alliance,</a> it excels in innovation, global delivery, and a straightforward pricing model.”
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/what-contentfuls-175m-investment-round-means-for-the-future-of-cms/">Contentful</a>, another headless platform, also scored as a Strong Performer in the report.
<h2>A broad CMS field from headless to open source</h2>
While a presumed crop of DXPs dominated the top of the mountain, headless players and managed open source platforms like <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/">WordPress VIP</a> provided some variance in the landscape.
As the downstream vendors look to contend and challenge the market, it’s clear that composable is becoming a more important part of the mix – and helping to propel those CMSes to the front of the line.

Adobe, Acquia, Optimizely Top Latest Forrester Wave for Content Management Systems

In a recent interview, I invoked the original Star Wars film as a thematic backdrop. It seemed an apropos analogy for exploring the galactic frontier of composable – and, hopefully, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-heros-journey-to-composable-a-conversation-with-uniforms-mark-demeny/">made for a fun read</a>.Now, at great risk of crossing my sci-fi streams, I’m going to channel Star Trek.I know, I know. What is he thinking? These are distinct mythologies, each with a fiercely devoted fan base. But rest assured, my goal isn’t to stir up debate over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/star-wars-vs-star-trek-which-one-is-better/">which is better</a> – I’ll leave that to you. Think of me as Switzerland… if it was a planet in the Dagobah system.So why am I doing this?Because every time I read the words “content federation,” I can’t help but think of Star Trek’s unmistakable “United Federation of Planets.” Key to the franchise canon, this futuristic authority has unified species and cultures across the expanse, enabling a utopian coexistence built on collaborative exploration and the betterment of humanity.In so many ways, this mirrors the mission of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/graphcms-rebrands-to-hygraph-launches-new-federated-content-platform/">Hygraph</a> – a headless CMS designed for the purpose and promise of content federation. Its captain, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/critics/michael-lukaszczyk/">Michael Lukaszczyk</a>, is seeking out ways to chart this frontier by uniting content data from different sources with one universal API.It’s not science fiction. Much like Star Trek’s Federation, Hygraph is pioneering a new quadrant of headless space as the first “Federated Content Platform,” ushering in a new reality for content management. It’s a strange new world where a headless platform is both frontend and backend agnostic, and data can be joined across multiple sources using a single <a target="_blank" href="https://graphql.org/">GraphQL</a> query.With so much change and commoditization in the headless category, I connected with Michael to learn more about the benefits of Content Federation, why he’s betting the future on it, and how it's powering the warp drive behind Hygraph’s market acceleration.<h2>A digital experience explorer</h2>For some DX professionals, the path to a platform is often incongruous. But for Michael, it seemed his destiny was always in the stars.Joining me from his home base in Germany, about an hour north of Frankfurt, he chronicled his origin story. At age 11, he was already adopting the mantle of a digital wunderkind, building websites for friends and family. He pursued this passion at the university level, studying abroad in Spain and Sweden.After completing his master’s degree, he began his career at a company called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.canto.com/">Canto</a>, a digital asset management (DAM) vendor. While challenging, it wasn’t entirely his cup of early grey tea.“I was in professional services, but I didn’t enjoy it,” he confessed unabashedly. “I was building integrations, but I always wanted to work on the core product and in distribution.”It was at Canto in 2015 that Michael met <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-winter-403059118/">Daniel Winter</a>. The two would become thick as thieves – much like Kirk and Spock – sharing a common sentiment on architecting and delivering software. By early 2016, the pair had already built a prototype for their own DAM solution.“But then, on a Friday night,” Michael recalled vividly, as if only yesterday, “I was scrolling through my Twitter feed before going to sleep, and I stumbled onto a post called <a target="_blank" href="https://css-tricks.com/what-is-a-headless-cms/">‘What is a Headless CMS’</a> by Chris Coyier from CSS Tricks. I didn’t know what a headless CMS was. No one did [in those days]. But as I read the post, I was impressed.”As Michael shared, the durability and sustainability of the headless CMS product model is what really appealed to him. “Whatever comes next in terms of digital channels, wherever you want to distribute your content to – AR, VR – you’re already set. Headless lets you build a sustainable content strategy.”After sharing the article with Daniel, they took a risk and pivoted from DAM to headless CMS, with one unique etch: the introduction of <a target="_blank" href="https://graphql.org/">GraphQL,</a> a new query language for APIs. They had already been experimenting with it in their DAM prototype and knew its potential for improving the developer experience. The rest, as they say, is history.“The next day, we started to build the first GraphQL native CMS out there,” he said. “[We introduced] the product in early 2017, got some angel funding, and grew to a company of 90 people across the globe, from San Francisco to Manila.”What followed can only be described as a meteoric rise. After an initial raise of $13 million, the company closed on a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hygraph-secures-30-million-in-series-b-funding/">Series B of $30 million</a> in March of this year. They christened the vessel “GraphCMS,” but later rebranded to “Hygraph” to avoid any confusion or biases around page-building capabilities or publishing workflows. It also sounds cool and futuristic – exactly where the company wants to be. <h2>The voyage from headless CMS to federated content platform</h2>Over the last few years, Michael and his team have been chasing the answer to a very simple question: what will the next generation of CMS actually look like?As you might guess, that question isn’t so simple to answer. The evolution of CMS has been a long one – and with the explosion of the device ecosystem, things changed significantly. Demands shifted from a single web channel to multiple channels. This paradigm gave rise to the headless CMS, rendering the CMS frontend agnostic and turning it into a one-to-many relationship of content sources and destinations.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/hygraph-diagram-1024x432.png" alt="Hygraph diagram of content federation evolution" />“What we launched last year – what we call the federated content platform – is turning the promise of the headless CMS around,” he said. “Now, it’s not just frontend agnostic, but also backend agnostic, meaning you can source the content and data that lives in your backend stack on the other side of the API.”Bottom line: Hygraph has transformed the headless CMS from one-to-many to many-to-many across content sources and destinations. Developers and product builders can turn all backend systems into one universal API, allowing users on the frontend to work in any way with their data.This plays directly into the concept of federation. As Michael pointed out, the term originated in the GraphQL community, with the basic idea of merging multiple APIs together in a sort of “Super API” (powered by dilithium crystals?)“It was a very easy progression to being a GraphQL headless CMS to adding federation capabilities to the mix,” he added. “We were already so strong on GraphQL that it just made sense.”I asked Michael what else was driving this change, aside from the obvious. That brought us back to the core question about the next generation of CMS, and a key word: composable.<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center">We’re adapting to a new reality where content and data aren’t residing in one source anymore... content federation is content management for a new reality.</h4><hr />“We’re adapting to a new reality where content and data aren’t residing in one source anymore,” he professed. “The typical stack now is modular. With composability, the monolith is going away, and companies are establishing more modular architectures in their tech stack and picking the best tool for the job.”While building so-called “best-of-breed” stacks sounds great, composable has its share of side effects. As Michael reinforced, things aren’t integrated as tightly, and this can cause huge problems and delays. Enterprises are left tending to these integrations, and man… it’s hard.“Before content federation, the biggest challenge we saw was building middleware,” he said. “It’s really expensive and painful to develop. You have to design, maintain, authorize, secure, make fast, wire up with CDNs. Each time there’s a new component or system coming in or new business requirement, you have to adapt the code base. It’s an innovation bottleneck.”This is where Hygraph fires its photon torpedoes to eliminate that bottleneck, allowing you to configure all your systems downstream and easily tap all content sources and destinations with a single API. It solves the customization and integration challenges that hold back innovation or slow time to market.As Michael punctuated, “Content federation is content management for a new reality.” And it certainly feels like a Star Trek-level next generation of headless CMS.<h2>Charting the composable frontier</h2>Hygraph is a member of the <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/members">MACH Alliance</a>, a not-for-profit organization focused on open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems – and the defacto voice of the composable movement. As I shared in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year/">previous posts</a>, I had the opportunity to judge entries in the MACH Two Impact Awards this past June.During our conversation, I shared with Michael how inspiring and intimidating some of the project examples were. The system integrators behind these transformations were creative and ambitious. In some cases, the resulting stacks felt a bit like Frankenstein’s monster coming to life – miraculous, but potentially scary. Could content federation help change this?“I actually think Frankenstein is a good term for it,” he replied. “What led us to content federation is that we would see the integration requirements and what kinds of Frankensteins [our customers] would build. One reason why it’s hard to maintain is that very often, the people who can build these Frankensteins can be strong characters – very experienced enterprise architects. There’s a human factor, and there can be a lot of arguing about how things are built.”The human factor. Of course. One of the biggest risks to the success of a modular, composable architecture is the mindset – which, by its very nature, is about people and processes. Larger organizations have the resources to support both, but I wondered if Hygraph might be looking downstream as it removes many of the challenges from going composable.“We want to make complex architectures feasible, not just possible,” he said. “Even for the mid-market. A lot of vendors in the MACH space address [that segment], so there has to be some way to get those technologies together more easily.”<h2>A warp engine for content-rich applications</h2>In the expanding universe of digital experiences, content is fueling opportunity – hence the continued explosion of CMS, DXP, and other technologies in the ecosystem. Some estimates put the market potential at over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/04/11/1802414/0/en/Global-Content-Management-Software-Market-Will-Reach-USD-123-500-Million-By-2026-Zion-Market-Research.html">$123 billion by 2026</a>, with a CAGR of 17 percent.At the same time, the headless CMS market is approaching a Neutral Zone of commoditization, with composable forcing greater downward pressure on price and parity. Most platforms provide similar functionality, and some are feeling the pinch to add new features that challenge their MACH posture as pure-play composable solutions.I asked Michael what gives Hygraph an edge in this battle.“A lot of CMS vendors focus on websites and marketing personas. But we’ve built powerful capabilities that have attracted different kinds of use cases to our platform, the kind that we were surprised to see a CMS being used for and not a database.”Michael referred to these as content-rich applications, where the content itself is the main asset of the product being sold. Like Netflix for streaming movies or Peloton for workout classes, content creators only need tools to maintain those experiences. In these cases, it’s not marketers using Hygraph, but domain experts that don’t require page builders or WYSIWYGs.On the channel side, Hygraph is partnering with SIs and collaborating with other MACH vendors to build deeper API-based integrations. While much of this attention is focused on enterprise, there’s some solid mid-market in the mix, where it’s easier to find early adopters of their technology. Regardless, organizations stand to gain significant benefits from content federation.“It can help consolidate the legacy stack within an organization,” he explained. “You integrate all the services under the hood, and you get a fresh façade, like a renovation for all the APIs you have. All of a sudden, a company can attract better developers because they can work with modern tools. If you want top talent, you have to keep iterating.”Content-rich applications are one dimension. Enterprises are also wrestling with multiple CMSes under on roof. “We’ve seen enterprises have as many CMSes as teams or divisions, and they need to stay there for a couple of years. Content federation is enabling this to work, making it easy to consolidate and build new digital experiences.”<h2>Phasers locked on growth</h2>As Michael noted, the biggest challenge to growth in composable is that no one knows how to Google the problem they have. It’s a bit like being trapped on an alien planet with no universal translator.“Headless CMS is mature, and people are aware, but we are so early with composability and building the tooling that a lot of education still needs to happen,” he proclaimed. “I’m happy the MACH Alliance is around, as it’s a joint effort to educate and position to other vendors. It’s the category creation process that needs to be innovated.”For Michael, the role of the MACH Alliance can’t be understated. I recall <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/">Kelly Goetsch</a>, one of its co-founders, saying that if the Alliance does its job, it might become less necessary in the future. That said, the rise of new certifications brings greater certainty and confidence to technology buyers.Michael said he wouldn’t be surprised if the MACH Alliance became a marketplace to bundle those services under one umbrella. Driving that belief is the challenge of procurement.“With monolithic vendors, you have all the tools with one vendor, one renewal process, one customer success manager. In a composable stack, you have ten solutions you have to deal with ten times a year. At some point, market consolidation may happen – and the MACH Alliance might be in the best spot to do this.”There are a lot of challenging headwinds, to be sure. Composable is growing, perhaps more in Europe right now, but I asked Michael how his approach to growth as a leader is setting Hygraph up for success.“It’s challenging economically, but we’re still growing at a good pace,” he said confidently. “We’ve built four strong pillars of growth: product-led strategy, a good sales team and quotient, the right ecosystem partners, and a commitment to customer success – so our customers buy again. It’s important to go the extra mile to make sure they implement successfully. Otherwise, after three or four months, it’s a safe churn.”<h2>Scotty, beam me up…</h2>Whether you’re a Star Trek fan or not (and really, who isn't?), you can’t argue its impact on pop culture. Content federation might be on a similar trajectory within the CMS industry as it evolves the composable landscape.  As Michael reflected on our conversation, he returned to that tipping point of opportunity and the importance of having a solid vision and a good story to pitch. “Innovation and differentiation are so important. If we hadn’t pivoted to GraphCMS, we wouldn’t be here. Everyone told me not to go fundraise for a Series B, but the whole process took 90 days to being at the notary and signing the round. A differentiated, unique story is incredibly important in that aspect.”I asked what’s ahead for Hygraph as 2023 warps toward a new year. I also inquired about AI, as peer platforms continue to add functionality to their toolsets.“We’re very focused on federation and larger releases, but what we see with a lot of vendors is that they’re wrapping ChatGPT around a UI plugin and giving you ChatGPT tools in their CMS. Is there a real value add? In reality, you can say you’re a CMS with AI capabilities, but you’re just copying and pasting from ChatGPT with better integration.”Michael suggested there are stronger use cases for AI in content management. For example, in the future, companies may be able to define schema and allow AI to build out the rest of an application – reducing the fail rate for software projects. There are clearly boundless opportunities for automation that still put users in control.As Hygraph continues to explore the DX galaxy under Michael's leadership, it’s clear that content federation is the prime directive. It’s the kind of innovation that could very well shape the next generation of content management and drive significant growth.I’m betting it will live long and prosper.

Content Management for a New Reality: A Conversation with Hygraph CEO Michael Lukaszczyk

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