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Adobe Article

What’s under the ‘FIG’ leaf? The naked truth about the Figma IPO and the market's appetite for tech

matt-garrepy

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/critics/tom-cranstoun">Tom Cranstoun</a>, “The AEM Guy,” is the principal consultant at Digital Domain Technologies Limited and a CMS Critic contributor. <hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe Experience Manager's</a> transformation from its open source foundations to today's composable enterprise platform reveals compelling insights into where digital experience platforms are heading. Having observed AEM implementations across global brands for thirteen years, including Nissan-Renault, Twitter, Ford, and Jaguar Land Rover, the platform's trajectory points toward a fundamental shift in how enterprises approach content management.  <figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:84.25%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/06/image-1750016427416.png" /></figure>Graph source: builtwith.com<h3 id="beyond-traditional-cms-thinking">Beyond Traditional CMS Thinking</h3>AEM's unique architecture – built on open-source foundations including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://jackrabbit.apache.org/jcr/index.html">Apache Jackrabbit</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://felix.apache.org/documentation/index.html">Felix</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sling.apache.org/">Sling</a> – has always enabled modular deployment. Today's 35,000 active implementations demonstrate this composability in practice, but Adobe's strategic direction suggests something far more transformative: an ecosystem approach that transcends traditional platform boundaries.<h3 id="the-ecosystem-revolution">The Ecosystem Revolution</h3>Adobe has introduced three innovations that signal this transformation: Franklin (Edge Delivery Services), the Universal Editor, and AEM Document Authoring. These aren't incremental CMS features – they represent a complete rethinking of content workflows.<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/adobe-experience-manager-evolves-franklin-launches-next-gen-composability-feature">Franklin </a>represents perhaps the most radical departure from conventional approaches. Content creators can write in Google Docs or Microsoft Word, then publish directly to Adobe's edge network as fully rendered web pages. The entire frontend becomes open source – downloadable, modifiable, and customizable without backend dependencies. This acknowledges that content creation often happens outside traditional CMS interfaces. Quick fact: Named after <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin">Rosalind Franklin, </a>who helped discover the helix structure of DNA, the initiative aligns with Adobe's tagline of “Creativity is in our DNA.” </li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-cloud-service/content/implementing/developing/universal-editor/getting-started">The Universal Editor</a> takes a complementary approach, enabling in-browser editing of live websites regardless of the underlying CMS. While proprietary, it can connect to any content system with appropriate markup, creating intriguing cross-platform integration possibilities.</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.aem.live/developer/da-tutorial">AEM Document Authoring (DA)</a> bridges the gap between document-based editing simplicity and full CMS capabilities. Recent implementations demonstrate its viability – Cognizant Netcentric launched the first client website using DA for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.netcentric.biz/insights/2025/04/edge-delivery-services-aem-document-authoring">Bimota</a> motorcycle brand in just three weeks from concept to DNS switch. DA functions as "the rocket engine accelerating Edge Delivery Services," providing enterprise-grade features like versioning, localization, and workflow management while maintaining streamlined content creation.</li></ul>More significantly, Adobe positions these tools as part of a broader digital experience ecosystem rather than CMS features. The AI-powered Firefly system integrates across Photoshop, Lightroom, AEM, and Franklin through Adobe I/O – itself built on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://github.com/adobe-apiplatform/incubator-openwhisk">Apache OpenWhisk,</a> an open source serverless platform. Creative professionals can save directly from Photoshop into AEM, while developers compose workflows across multiple Adobe services through standardized APIs.<h3 id="industry-transformation">Industry Transformation</h3>This revolution carries profound implications beyond Adobe's product roadmap. Traditional boundaries between content management, digital asset management, and creative tools are dissolving. Organizations increasingly need flexible integration points rather than comprehensive suites.The Bimota implementation exemplifies this shift. Rather than requiring months of traditional CMS setup, the motorcycle brand achieved complete digital presence in three weeks by combining document-based content creation with enterprise-grade delivery infrastructure. This speed-to-market advantage becomes particularly valuable for brands launching new products or entering new markets.AEM's trajectory illustrates a broader industry pattern: success in enterprise software now requires balancing proprietary innovation with open standards and community contributions. Adobe maintains core differentiators while contributing to shared infrastructure that benefits the entire ecosystem.Document Authoring's positioning between simple document editing and full CMS complexity addresses a persistent industry challenge. Many organizations struggle with tools that are either too simple for enterprise needs or too complex for content teams. DA's approach – combining familiar editing interfaces with backend enterprise features – suggests a middle path that could influence how other vendors design content creation tools.<h3 id="the-path-forward">The Path Forward</h3>Enterprise content management appears headed toward greater modularity and specialization. Organizations will likely assemble solutions from best-of-breed components rather than selecting monolithic platforms. This creates opportunities for both established players like Adobe and emerging specialists focusing on specific workflow elements.Adobe's investment in open-source infrastructure suggests the company understands this dynamic. By providing solid foundational technologies while competing on higher-level integration and user experience, Adobe positions itself as an ecosystem orchestrator rather than a platform vendor.The Universal Editor's cross-platform capabilities hint at even more interesting possibilities. If content editing becomes platform-agnostic, the competitive landscape shifts from CMS features toward content workflow optimization and delivery performance.Looking ahead, successful digital experience platforms will likely share certain characteristics: API-first architecture, headless capabilities, strong integration ecosystems, and the flexibility to work alongside rather than replace existing tools. AEM's journey provides a template for this transformation.<h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it Matters</h3>The future belongs not to platforms that try to do everything, but to those that do specific things exceptionally well while enabling seamless integration with complementary tools. Adobe's current direction – rearchitecting while maintaining operational continuity – suggests they understand this principle and are building accordingly.The shift from monolithic platforms to composable ecosystems represents more than a technical evolution; it's a fundamental reimagining of how enterprises create, manage, and deliver digital experiences. Adobe Experience Manager's transformation offers a glimpse into this future, where success comes from orchestrating ecosystems rather than controlling platforms. <hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="looking-for-guidance-on-adobe?-talk-to-an-expert.">Looking for guidance on Adobe? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cmscritic.com/contact">Talk to an expert.</a></h4><hr /> <h3 id="upcoming-events">Upcoming Events</h3> <img style="width:31.83%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2025/01/cms-connect-2025-logo.png" alt="" /><h4 id="cms-connect-25"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">CMS Connect 25</a></h4>August 5-6, 2025 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present the second annual summer edition of our signature global conference dedicated to the content management community! CMS Connect will be held again in beautiful Montreal, Canada, and feature a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Join vendors, agencies, and customers from across our industry as we engage and collaborate around the future of content management – and hear from the top thought leaders at the only vendor-neutral, in-person conference exclusively focused on CMS. Space is limited for this event, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect25">so book your seats today.</a>

What's ahead for Adobe Experience Manager? An ecosystem revolution. Here's why

tom-cranstoun

<hr /> Digital video is at the core of modern marketing – and for good reason. For the first time ever in 2022, U.S. consumers spent more time watching digital video than traditional television. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/topics/1137/online-video/">industry estimates</a>, that trend persisted in 2023, with online video consumption reaching over three and a half hours a day.That’s a lot of time spent in front of phones and other devices watching cat videos (among other things). And precisely why brands are keenly interested in reaching those eyeballs.On the B2B side of the ledger, digital video plays an equally important role. People consume video far more easily than written text, and organizations are looking for ways to expand their video marketing capabilities.Historically, sound quality has been an impediment to many video experiences. Production has certainly come a long way, and the dance between video content and sound is central to delivering great experiences. Speech is still a bit of an afterthought – at least until you hear how bad it can be. It’s further complicated by low-fidelity sources like phone calls or remote locations near airports (for example), where ambient background noise can degrade vocal quality.Thankfully, audio optimization technologies are becoming more robust, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wistia">Wistia</a> is embracing those capabilities. The video marketing platform just announced a partnership with <a target="_blank" href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4261056-1&amp;h=844678777&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcast.adobe.com%2F&amp;a=Adobe+Podcast">Adobe Podcast</a> to integrate its award-winning AI-powered <a target="_blank" href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4261056-1&amp;h=185126784&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcast.adobe.com%2Fenhance&amp;a=Enhance+Speech">Enhance Speech</a> into the Wistia video editor. In fact, Wistia is one of the first official business-to-business SaaS partners to offer Adobe Podcast's capabilities to customers.Enhance Speech is like a magic wand for sound. It automatically improves audio clarity and reduces background noise for remote interviews, presentations, and video podcasts where speech is a component. “Video is the most natural, human way to communicate online, and speech and sound are at the heart of a high-quality video,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsavage/">Chris Savage</a>, Wistia’s CEO and co-founder. “Yet the most compelling sounds can come from the lowest-fidelity sources, like video meetings or calls. With Adobe Podcast, we've knocked down another barrier to empower creators to produce professional-quality video, which now includes studio-quality audio.”<h3 id="combining-video-innovation-with-ai-powered-speech-enhancement">Combining video innovation with AI-powered speech enhancement</h3>Wistia is a complete video marketing platform that helps teams make, market, and measure their videos and webinars – all in one place. It lets users easily create professional videos, host webinars, collect and send leads to marketing automation platforms, and more. Wistia also provides great educational resources and world-class support, two key reasons why over 425,000 marketers worldwide rely on it to drive their video strategies.With its robust video creation capabilities, Wistia can help anyone achieve professional-quality sound right from their computers. The addition of Adobe Podcast's Enhance Speech promises to deliver studio-grade audio – even from low-quality sources like a laptop microphone. One of the great things about Adobe Podcast is that it’s a fully web-based platform that uses artificial intelligence to help users record, edit, and share audio content. Its cutting-edge AI and machine learning algorithms automatically filter out background noise and adjust tone and volume levels, helping users create high-quality podcasts and voiceovers.Adobe Podcast also provides speech enhancement with advanced mic settings, so users can address problems before recording. You can also record audio in 16-bit 48k WAV, and then edit or enhance with built-in AI capabilities.From an accessibility perspective, Adobe also delivers AI-assisted transcripts on screen, making the content clearer while enabling viewers to distinguish between voices. There’s also a placeholder for adding a pre-recorded intro and outro.Adobe Podcast offers a free plan, but there's also a paid plan for additional features. Adobe also offers its Adobe Audition, a professional audio workstation for creating, mixing, and designing sound effects. <h3 id="why-wisita-and-adobe-podcast-is-a-great-match">Why Wisita and Adobe Podcast is a great match</h3>Video is vital to marketing programs – and in our <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management world</a>, having digital video with high-quality speech can be critical to web and digital experiences that rely on it.Wistia’s amplification of its speech capabilities via Adobe Podcast’s Enhance Speech AI is a gamechanger. Now, users can seamlessly improve audio clarity by refining the sound characteristics of speech and reducing background noise, allowing them to produce professional-quality videos with greater ease.The combo is also making the audio editing process less cumbersome. With the click of a button, you can effortlessly make audio that sounds like it was recorded in a professional studio. Wistia's video editor also allows users to enhance the audio of an entire project or an individual clip. There are also tangible business benefits. By automatically enhancing audio quality, users can reduce their post-production editing time, enabling creators to achieve professional results quickly and cost-effectively.Enhance Speech, powered by Adobe Podcast, is now available in beta for all paid Wistia customers. <a target="_blank" href="http://wistia.com/pricing">Visit their website</a> for more details.  <hr /> <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-2025"><a href=" https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25">CMS Kickoff 2025</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">so secure your tickets today.</a>

Adobe Podcast Amplifies Wistia with AI-Powered Enhance Speech Capabilities

cms-critic-staff

<hr /> The digital experience landscape wouldn’t exist without <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/adobe-acquia-optimizely-top-latest-forrester-wave-for-content-management-systems">Adobe</a> – and more precisely, its <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/adobe-experience-manager">Adobe Experience Manager</a> (AEM) platform. AEM has long held the crown in the kingdom of DXPs (<a target="_blank" href="https://business.adobe.com/resources/reports/gartner-mq-digital-experience-platforms-2024.html">just as Gartner</a>), and leading global enterprises depend on its scale of features to power the most complex and demanding digital strategies.While ubiquitous, the Adobe name also conjures that oft-demonized word: monolith. It is an epic ecosystem of interconnected, often Frankensteined solutions that can feel overwhelming and unwieldy – and its AEM platform is no exception. Amidst the publishing and marketing automation suites snuggling under the Adobe umbrella, AEM has always enjoyed an elite (if not pricey) reputation, making it the domain of serious enterprises. However, it can also be incredibly challenging and time-consuming, requiring curated expertise from certified practitioners. All of this can impact the velocity of getting digital projects to market. And in an era where real-time responsiveness is key, any delay can translate into lost revenue or even market share. Given these pain points, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vshift.com/">VShift</a> – a customer engagement and digital experience agency and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/jp-morgan-joins-mach-alliance-reinforcing-growth-of-composability-in-the-digital-financial-services">MACH Alliance</a> member – has developed a new <a target="_blank" href="http://vshift.com/ideas/vshift-introduces-the-aem-digital-experience-accelerator">AEM Digital Experience Accelerator</a>. The proprietary program is targeted at AEM users, helping them deliver more engaging digital experiences with Adobe and do it all faster, easier, and more cost-effectively.“In our experience with complex organizations, we kept hearing the same pain points – cost, time-to-market, internal friction,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-collins-255a371/">Al Collins</a>, Founder &amp; CEO of VShift. “We developed the VShift AEM Digital Experience Accelerator to make our clients’ experience with AEM better and help them get the most out of their Adobe investments. Our new program offers a streamlined process, an easier way of launching customer experiences, and an increased capacity to innovate at a fraction of the time and costs usually involved.” The accelerator program was announced at last week’s <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/clarks-kraft-heinz-take-top-honors-in-mach-impact-awards-at-mach-three">MACH THREE Conference</a> in New York City, this year's venue for the world’s leading composable technology conference. As a MACH-certified agency, VShift has cultivated deep expertise with enterprise-scale organizations in highly regulated industries like financial services, insurance, and healthcare – focusing its solutions through a composable lens. The company also has a proven track record of crafting and delivering digital platforms for companies like Freddie Mac and Prudential.<h3 id="accelerating-the-value-of-aem-with-composability">Accelerating the value of AEM with composability</h3>Accelerators are aptly named, but there are numerous benefits beyond speed. Such is the case with VShift’s AEM Digital Experience Accelerator. First and foremost, it expedites digital product or website development-to-launch programs – and according to VShift, this can effectively reduce the timeline to weeks. It can also be customized to an organization’s specific needs, helping them meet their explicit business goals.With increased velocity and less internal friction between content owners and tech teams, brands can move faster. The accelerator also provides great flexibility for changes, allowing teams to swap out components or switch directions in a snap (composable thinking at work). <figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/F-1e6DPT7CE"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.2493%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F-1e6DPT7CE" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></figure> That “swapability” is what helps make VShift’s Digital Experience Accelerator a MACH-worthy solution. It also reflects those attributes by minimizing vendor lock-in and decreasing the oppressive need for specialized AEM-certified resources to execute. This is a persistent drag for many organizations when it comes to managing their AEM footprint and properly staffing for new projects and digital initiatives.  All these benefits add up to enhanced productivity and cost-effectiveness, enabling organizations to maximize their AEM investments and cut costs by supporting customer experiences with more affordable, composable solutions. Marketing and content teams can also realize huge benefits by harnessing more control while navigating within their organization’s security policies. <h3 id="a-complete-market-ready-solution-for-aem-success">A complete market-ready solution for AEM success</h3>VShift’s accelerator is now available as a complete package that includes a ready-to-deploy cloud-hosted environment with orchestration and integration tools. Users will have the ability to rapidly design and prototype their projects via <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/figma">Figma</a> and AEM’s headless platform and connectors. For any organization developing a website, app, or digital product, customizability is a key part of the experience. To that end, VShift’s accelerator promises a customizable prebuilt core UI component library. There’s also an AI-enhanced starter kit for a content model, complete with tags and an automated builder/loader for speeding up the content modeling and deployment process. From a connective integration perspective, VShift delivers some slick capabilities via its accelerator. This includes its own “universal” <a target="_blank" href="https://graphql.org/">GraphQL-based</a> connector. They also provide a web app structure that includes a baseline for pages and functionality. On the visual editing front, VShift provides composable choices. Organizations can leverage AEM’s <a target="_blank" href="https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-cloud-service/content/implementing/developing/universal-editor/introduction">Universal Editor </a>or use a non-Adobe visual editor to handle digital composition in a composable framework. VShift also offers value-added composable modules and services like authentication-as-a-service or search-as-a-service.To realize the full value and potential, VShift’s accelerator is accompanied by intuitive guides and documentation, as well as an expert team with deep AEM experience and composable tech.“We spend about two to three months customizing the VShift AEM Digital Experience Accelerator to a company’s needs," Collins added. "Then we turn over the reins, leaving our clients with thorough reference documentation and allowing content creators and tech teams to launch engaging customer experiences faster, easier, and cost-effectively.” <h3 id="why-it-matters">Why it matters</h3>Accelerators have become a vital panacea for monolithic software. This new breed of pre-built frameworks provides a mature foundation and progressive architectures for building complex websites and applications faster and more efficiently. While the landscape varies, accelerators are proving invaluable as enterprises and agencies look to maximize value from platforms like AEM in an increasingly composable world. Despite its monolithic posture, Adobe continues to be an industry-leading staple across a multitude of market segments. Even with its less-than-rosy <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/cut-paste-delete-why-adobes-canceled-merger-with-figma-is-good-for-innovation">attempt to acquire Figma</a> and rule over the entire digital experience journey, the tech mammoth remains ever-relevant and persistently innovative. In fact, its skunkworks around <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/adobe-experience-manager-evolves-franklin-launches-next-gen-composability-feature">AEM Franklin</a> (also known as Project Helix or Composability) is showing real promise by enabling AEM pages using <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/google-cloud-platform">Google Drive</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/microsoft-azure">Microsoft Office</a> via <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/microsoft-sharepoint">Sharepoint</a>. Instead of components, Franklin uses “blocks” like text, images, and buttons to generate new pages quickly and even create reusable templates. Cool stuff. As a MACH-certified DX agency, VShift is reinforcing the value of Adobe for its customers and the market at large. Its new AEM Digital Experience Accelerator is bridging the best of all worlds by providing a pathway to greater composability and flexibility. The big benefits are clear: faster time to market and lower costs. But it’s also addressing the challenge of legacy software, and helping organizations continue to mine value from their AEM investments. We’ve written at length about the constant challenge of defining “composable” in a market of conflicting ideologies. In my recent coverage of the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/clarks-kraft-heinz-take-top-honors-in-mach-impact-awards-at-mach-three">MACH THREE Impact Awards</a> – of which I participated as a judge for the second year – I go into deeper detail on this reality and how the MACH Alliance continues to maintain tacit guardrails for the industry. Regardless of how any headless CMS or enterprise DXP projects its unique flavor of “composable,” the only measure that matters is how it impacts the customer. VShift’s accelerator – and other offerings like it – focus on the most challenging layers of a digital stack, where legacy systems are still mandated or represent a significant investment. It strives to address key pain points and deliver a complete solution with a clear set of composable principles baked in. Maybe that's the “shift” in VShift. To learn more about its accelerator, <a target="_blank" href="http://vshift.com/ideas/vshift-introduces-the-aem-digital-experience-accelerator">click here. </a> <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

VShift Introduces AEM Digital Experience Accelerator to Help Launch Faster on Adobe

<hr /> Nope. It’s not a figma of your imagination. On the same day that U.S. Steel agreed to a <a target="_blank" href="https://6abc.com/us-steel-news-today-nippon/14197549/">hefty takeover</a> by Japan’s Nippon Steel, another deal in the software world was falling apart – one that delivered shock and awe when first announced in September of 2022.Fast forward 15 months and a steely resolve has been exchanged for tears of regulatory regret.Yesterday, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adobe.com/">Adobe</a> – one of the leading technology platforms for creative, marketing, and digital experience software products – agreed to terminate its merger with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.figma.com/">Figma</a>, a collaborative tool for designing, prototyping, and testing web and app interfaces (among other things). When Adobe tendered its magnanimous offer of <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/shock-and-awe-adobe-to-acquire-ui-design-platform-figma-for-20-billion">$20 billion</a> for Figma, its <a target="_blank" href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2022/Adobe-to-Acquire-Figma/default.aspx">press release</a> stated that the iconic company – responsible for legendary products like Photoshop – was “reimaging the future of creativity and productivity.” The truth, of course, is that Adobe was buying an up-and-coming competitor that had managed to do the impossible: attract millions of designers and developers away from its defacto product foothold, reflecting a troubling threat to its long-held grip on the creative industry. But it wasn’t just about Figma’s technology (the big secret is that it never is). As more alternatives to Adobe’s portfolio of products flooded the market – everything from design to video editing – a new generation of creators emerged. These remote digital nomads craved less “Paleolithic” desktop tools and drifted towards web-powered platforms with more flexible pricing models. For this new breed of user, Adobe felt tethered to the past, focusing more on specialists. Figma felt like the future, one where almost anyone can become a designer. That unique intersection of product, brand, and culture captured the zeitgeist of the moment, helping Figma become a key disruptor during the height of a booming, pandemic-infused digital economy.For Adobe, an acquisition made sense, allowing it to capture lost market share while tapping a whole new pipeline of prospects. For Figma? Well, there were 20 billion reasons to do it, despite marked resentment from its user base (just peruse some of the Subreddits on the subject). But hey, what can you do? Anytime a beloved software platform is eaten by a larger competitor (e.g. <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/26/four-years-after-being-acquired-by-microsoft-github-keeps-doing-its-thing/">Microsoft buying Github</a>, and the list goes on) there are vocal pessimists across the user community. As any Swifty would tell you, haters gonna hate. And there were questions from users, as you might expect, about how Figma would fit in Adobe’s mammoth portfolio of over 100 technologies. How would it align with Adobe XD, the company’s existing UX design offering? From a brand standpoint, would it follow the same track as Magento – now <a target="_blank" href="https://business.adobe.com/products/magento/magento-commerce.html">Adobe Commerce</a> – and slowly ride off into the sunset? Regardless of any user friction, the companies forged ahead, sharing plans around their combined superpowers. This included ambitions to leverage Figma’s web-based, multi-player capabilities with Adobe’s cloud offerings to make the creative process more productive and accessible. While talk of improving brainstorming and product design permeated the ethos, the strategic details were nebulous for obvious reasons: the deal was far from approved.  And that brings us to yesterday’s news. There’s a lot to unpack, but there are three key things I’ve taken away from the not-entirely-shocking revelation, and they have broader implications across the market – not just for Adobe and Figma. More importantly, I think this is good for both vendors in several ways, chiefly from an innovation perspective. And that’s good for everyone – even if there's a little heartache involved. <h3 id="1.-m&amp;a-has-changed-(for-better-or-worse)">1. M&amp;A has changed (for better or worse)</h3> Maybe it’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sec.gov/about/commissioners/gary-gensler">Gary Gensler</a> beating the war drum in a post-FTX world, or just rampant remorse over past decisions. Either way, the M&amp;A pipeline is being scrutinized more than ever by regulatory bodies, focused on preventing large players like Google from squashing competition with obscene amounts of cash. And $20 billion is, well, kinda obscene.In this case, the deal was scuttled by supposed clashes with governing bodies in Europe and the UK. Last month, Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/adobe-figma-terminate-20-bln-deal-2023-12-18/#:~:text=Dec%2018%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20Adobe,buyouts%20of%20a%20software%20startup.">said the deal</a> would negatively impact innovation for software used by a large swath of the UK's digital designer marketplace. The EU voiced similar concerns, citing the potential for reduced competition.“Despite thousands of hours spent with regulators around the world detailing differences between our businesses, our products, and the markets we serve, we no longer see a path toward regulatory approval of the deal,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/">Dylan Field</a>, Co-Founder and CEO of Figma, in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.figma.com/blog/figma-adobe-abandon-proposed-merger/">blog post</a> yesterday.  Perhaps the compliance stamp on these software transactions isn’t as clear cut as, say, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines – which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/10/28/jetblue-sprit-merger-justice-department/">attempted to join forces</a> earlier this year (that merger was priced at a paltry $3.8 billion, BTW). But the same principles apply: it’s all about ensuring choice for consumers. At the same time, startup exits have slowed considerably in 2023, and VCs have tightened their belts – and their expectations. The white-hot halcyon days of 2021 and 2022 are in the rearview, and that’s been a persistent drag on raising capital (by all accounts, the investment market looks <a target="_blank" href="https://carta.com/blog/mergers-acquisitions-outlook-2024/">poised to rebound</a> next year). As firm managers command greater confidence around the scope and scale of any investment, they’re looking closer than ever at the multipliers. Which, in the case of Figma’s price tag, was heavily overweighted in 2022, and more so today.Also worth considering is the timetable for such a complex transaction. A lot has changed in the 15 months since the deal was announced, including the growth of Adobe’s stock price (the bigger story is the rise of generative AI, but more on that in a minute). Complexity and lengthy transaction cycles will likely continue to impact M&amp;A for the foreseeable future, but it's clear in this case how the dynamics can impact outcomes.  <h3 id="2.-figma-is-kicking-butt-–-so-why-not-go-for-the-ipo?">2. Figma is kicking butt – so why not go for the IPO?</h3>Sure, with the loss of Figma, Adobe is giving up an attractive jewel in its creative crown. But when that jewel outshines you, it's an even more precarious challenge.Let’s start with Figma’s revenue, which has grown from $400M to $600M since September of 2022. This is a far cry from a $20 billion valuation, but the company has demonstrated the level of profitability that might signal an IPO (when the time is right). But let’s add one more gold nugget to the prospecting pan. As part of the proposed acquisition, Adobe <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/2023/12/18/adobe-figma-breakup-european-regulators-merger/">agreed to pay Figma</a> a whopping $1 billion breakup fee upon termination, to be paid almost immediately. Buoyed by this windfall, Figma will be well-positioned to focus on innovation over the coming years and fuel more competitive products and features – the likes of which will, without doubt, compete with Adobe. According to Figma's CEO, that’s already happening. Over the last 15 months, the company shipped a myriad of new products and expanded into the UK and Asia. In essence, they never stopped the growth machine – and it’s paying off. How’s the song go? Breaking up is hard to do. Maybe not in this case. If Figma plays its cards right, they can help users accelerate the design process and build digital products faster than ever. And in this hyper-paced product world, that’s the real deal. <h3 id="3.-ai-is-the-gamechanger-for-both-adobe-and-figma">3. AI is the gamechanger for both Adobe and Figma</h3>I keep conjuring that 15-month period from “buy” to “bye,” which equates to years in this new normal. Conditions were quite different when Adobe agreed to acquire Figma, and nowhere was that more evident than with the rise of artificial intelligence.Last September, generative AI wasn’t part of the common lexicon. ChatGPT had not yet enraptured the world. Since then, we’ve seen a massive investment in AI features across industries, specifically in areas like content and imagery – which is in Adobe and Figma's wheelhouse.In less than a year, platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.canva.com/magic-write/">Canva</a> have introduced generative content within their design tools and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kontentai">Kontent.ai</a> in their <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">headless CMS</a>. Image generators like Dall-E and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.midjourney.com/">Midjourney</a> are taking the visual potential of AI to entirely new levels (check the latter out, it will knock your socks off). AI is where Adobe has focused its future, leading the pack with innovative new offerings. Photoshop of old now features generative capabilities that are incredibly robust (if not a tad challenging to prompt). The company says more is on the way – and with billions in reserve, they have ample cash to keep innovating. Recently, Figma also joined the GenAI chorus, shipping its first <a target="_blank" href="https://www.figma.com/blog/introducing-ai-to-figjam/">native AI features</a>. Bolstered by its revenue growth and impending breakup bucks, they’ll have plenty of runway for expanding AI features and capabilities. Would Adobe float such a bloated number for Figma today? Not a chance – and AI is the chief determiner. That's why innovation in this area is essential for both players, and the mutual parting of ways is in their collective interest. There may be some head-to-head competition betwixt the two, but no matter. AI has changed the game, and could soon disrupt things even further. Platforms like <a target="_blank" href="https://uizard.io/">Uizard</a> are bubbling up, allowing users to ideate and design UI/UX with nothing more than an idea and a few prompts. Expect more of these players to enter the market in 2024 and create more choice – and maybe a little more chaos. <h3 id="a-designer-walks-into-a-bar…">A designer walks into a bar…</h3>… and asks the bartender, "Got any Helvetica?" The bartender replies: “Sorry, we don’t serve your type here.”Font humor aside, good design is no joke. When done well, it can be incredibly effective for communicating ideas. This goes back to the printed page and extends through modern application UX. Most importantly, design is for humans – even if it's not directly created by humans. That trend towards automation has been a constant in the design world, but the people part has never changed. I remember the first time I used Photoshop in college. It was astounding. Magical, even. It allowed users like me to explore new and imaginative pathways while accelerating the creative process. It only happened because Adobe committed to a culture of innovation – and with its latest crop of AI features, it appears to be continuing on that course.Are they sweating this breakup? Sure. A billion is a big number, and a lot to walk away from. A few shareholders might be miffed (although they're up 4 points today, which suggests otherwise). But in the end, they're still well-positioned across the portfolio of products. They've never been a one-trick pony, and the latest foray into composable components via its <a target="_blank" href="https://experienceleaguecommunities.adobe.com/t5/adobe-experience-manager-blogs/aem-franklin-helix-composability-pros-and-cons-aem-community/ba-p/600497">AEM Franklin Project </a>shows tremendous promise in other areas.  And who knows? They might just add multiplayer capabilities to Adobe XD – and give that missing jewel a run for its money.  As for Figma… oh, the money, honey. The $20 billion dream might be dead, but the horizon looks promising when considering the possibilities ahead. Flush with cash and a solid growth streak, the company might fare better as a free and independent entity. Figma’s founding vision was to “eliminate the gap between imagination and reality.” According to Field, the shift from a physical economy to a digital economy – powered by huge advances in AI – have combined to make that vision more attainable than ever for its growing community of designers.And those designers? Man, they're a unique breed. Artists with a penchant for technology. Adobe and Figma understand that audience intimately, albeit it’s evolving faster than ever. Only with a persistent focus on innovation will they have a shot at remaining competitive – not just with each other, but with the next wave of apps to come.Cut. Paste. Save.  <hr /><figure class="image"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/cms-kickoff-2024-banner.jpg" /></figure><h3 id="join-us-at-cms-kickoff-2024---january-16-17">Join us at CMS Kickoff 2024 - January 16-17</h3>CMS Critic is a proud partner at this second annual edition of the prestigious international Boye &amp; Co conference, dedicated to the global CMS community. This event will bring together top-notch speakers, Boye &amp; Co's renowned learning format, and engaging social events.Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move forward in 2024. Hear from leading voices across the industry on a wide range of topics, including:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/andrew-kumar">Andrew Kumar</a>, GVP at Uniform</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/becky-brown">Becky Brown</a>, Content Strategy Lead at Johnson &amp; Johnson</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/marli-mesibov">Marli Mesibov</a>, Content Strategy at Verily</li></ul><h4 id="-"> </h4><img style="width:39.13%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/don-cesar-hotel.jpg" /><h4 id="the-don-cesar:-a-world-class-venue">The Don CeSar: a world-class venue</h4>Is there a better location for a winter kickoff than Florida's beautiful, sugary sand beaches? CMS Kickoff 2024 will be held at the iconic Don CeSar, just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. Dubbed the “Pink Palace,” this majestic hotel and resort provides a stunning backdrop to the conference, along with access to the local food and culture of St. Petersburg Beach.  <h4 id="get-your-tickets-today">Get your tickets today</h4>CMS Kickoff offers an intimate, highly focused experience. Space is limited, and only a few seats remain. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity!<a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff24/tickets">Purchase tickets now &gt;</a>

Cut, Paste, Delete: Why Adobe’s Canceled Merger with Figma is Good for Innovation 

<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

<hr /> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin">Rosalind Franklin</a> was a pioneering British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was crucial to understanding the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite. However, she is best known for her pivotal role in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA – even though her contributions were not fully recognized during her lifetime. As she once famously observed, “Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.” Given her astounding role in uncovering the component structure of life, it's apropos that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-experience-cloud-adds-new-headless-cms-capabilities-updates-to-commerce-integration/">Adobe</a> – the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://business.adobe.com/blog/the-latest/adobe-named-a-leader-in-2023-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-digital-experience-platforms#:~:text=The%20Latest-,Adobe%20named%20a%20Leader%20in%202023%20Gartner%C2%AE,%E2%84%A2%20for%20Digital%20Experience%20Platforms&amp;text=Gartner%20published%20the%20latest%20Magic,has%20been%20named%20a%20Leader.">Gartner MQ Leader</a> for DXPs – decided to refer to a new feature in its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.adobe.com/?clickref=1101lwIXbvhb&amp;mv=affiliate&amp;mv2=pz&amp;as_camptype=277929&amp;as_channel=affiliate&amp;as_source=partnerize&amp;as_campaign=chelen">AEM</a> suite called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/experience-manager-cloud-service/content/forms/forms-overview/latest-innovations.html?lang=en">Next-Gen Composability</a> as "<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hlx.live/home">The Project Franklin</a>" initiative.A bit of background on the skunkworks: Franklin was introduced in January as a lightweight CMS architecture designed to launch new sites faster and accelerate page performance. It also provided a more intuitive way to create and publish content using simple tools like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.google.com/docs/about/">Google Docs</a> or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/word">Microsoft Word</a> for authoring. The news was officially announced last month at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://business.adobe.com/summit/adobe-summit.html">Adobe Summit 2023</a>, but Adobe is already experiencing success with a pilot customer (keep reading for more details). <h2 id="what-is-next-gen-composability?">What is Next-Gen Composability?</h2>Content management jargon can take on many forms, with enough variations to make any head spin. With Next-Gen Composability, Adobe is attempting to make things simple. Really simple.When implementing Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) in the past, developers and marketers would be tasked with learning new publishing tools, workflows, and more – often requiring several different learned processes across multiple channels. With Next-Gen Composability, AEM can now leverage commonly used tools like Microsoft Office 365 or Google Workspace and implement content built from those tools directly into the experience manager.Producing and editing content in channels that marketers are already familiar with can reduce the back and forth that plagues many enterprise CMSes. With these hurdles now removed from the equation, building websites and producing content should become faster and more reliable – and further reduce dependence on technical support teams. It should also reduce the overall friction with implementing AEM. <h2 id="lightning-fast-pages-with-high-google-lighthouse-scores">Lightning-fast pages with high Google Lighthouse scores</h2>The cloud-native infrastructure behind Next-Gen Composability is designed for speed. The tools built into the program require each web page to render a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/overview/">Google Lighthouse</a> score of 100 on live pages – made possible by fast caching and an edge delivery engine.Along with enhanced page performance, content can be built quickly with Next-Gen composability because teams can use tools they already know – and all with a few clicks. For content creators, this should eliminate many obstacles throughout the publishing workflow, giving them greater speed and agility. <h2 id="supercharged-forms">Supercharged forms</h2>Forms continue to be one of a website's most important engagement tools. They're also a huge pain for content creators.According to Adobe's website, with Next Gen Composability, users across an enterprise can create forms using their preferred tools, such as Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets – without extensive training on new UI workflows.What’s more, Next Gen Composability is designed to load forms with unmatched speed, achieving a near-perfect Google Lighthouse score on live pages, practically guaranteeing top performance and user experience.<h2 id="tried,-tested,-and-approved">Tried, Tested, and Approved</h2>The first to implement Next-Gen Composability within AEM was Adobe partner <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.netcentric.biz/insights/2023/04/next-gen-composability-reimagines-content-management">Cognizant Netcentric</a>. They used the new feature to produce <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.netcentric.biz/">cognizantnetcentric.com</a> – drafting their content in Google Workspace.In a blog article reflecting the project’s success, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrin-weissenborn/">Katrin Weissenborn</a>, a commercial marketing manager at Cognizant Netcentric, commented on the ease of use and overall satisfaction with Next-Gen Composability:“Next-Gen Composability has completely transformed the way we work, our web publishing has never been that fast and easy before. Whenever I spot something on the website that I want to change, I just do it myself in record time, no need to brief content editors. As soon as the change is live, I just tag my content editing colleagues directly in the content repository so the change will also be done in other languages to ensure a consistent user experience throughout.”<h2 id="about-adobe">About Adobe</h2>Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com&amp;esheet=52479752&amp;newsitemid=20210819005739&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=www.adobe.com&amp;index=3&amp;md5=16bfbb09ccdd811085bcdfd56783339b">www.adobe.com</a>.

Adobe Experience Manager Evolves Franklin, Launches Next-Gen Composability Feature

CMS Kickoff 26

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

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

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Let's be honest: there's nothing quite like Awards Season. Just ask Moira Rose.
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<div class="tenor-gif-embed"><a href="https://tenor.com/view/moira-rose-schitts-creek-awards-favorite-season-gif-16223893">Moira Rose Schitts Creek GIF</a>from <a href="https://tenor.com/search/moira+rose-gifs">Moira Rose GIFs</a></div>
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And it's not because of the glitz, the glamour, or even the drama (although last year's Oscars did deliver the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/23/entertainment/oscars-crisis-will-smith/index.html" target="_blank">slap heard 'round the world</a>).
No, we love Awards Season because it's a celebration. An opportunity to cheer for the things we love. From film to music, actors to performers. Heck, even our favorite technologies.
Each year, CMS Critic is proud to feature our People's Choice Awards: a unique, one-of-a-kind platform for celebrating our industry. Since 2012, the People's Choice Awards have provided an opportunity for you – our community of digital professionals and stack fanatics – to tell us which platforms you love the most.
The People's Choice Awards are always fun and engaging, and the results never fail to surprise us. We put the power in your hands to nominate and vote, so it reflects your community participation. No matter how you feel about the outcomes, this is a win for every platform involved and your passionate users and fans.
This year, we had record participation from around the globe for both the nominations and final voting, and we're thrilled to share the winners you selected!
<h2>And the Oscar goes to...</h2>
But first, a quick reminder about the contest and how it worked:
<ul>
<li>In <a href="/nominate-your-favorite-platforms-for-the-2022-cms-critic-peoples-choice-awards/">December 2022</a>, we invited readers to nominate platforms across a set of categories on our website.</li>
<li>Nominations closed at the end of January.</li>
<li>The top five nominees (in the case of a few ties, the top six) were selected for voting in each category.</li>
<li>General voting began in early February and closed on February 20.</li>
<li>Participants could vote only once, and companies that offered incentives of any kind were disqualified.</li>
</ul>
And that's it! Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2022 People’s Choice Award winners:
<h4>Best Enterprise CMS: Contensis</h4>
<a href="https://www.contensis.com/" target="_blank"><img style="width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/03/contensis-logo.jpg" alt="Contensis Logo" /></a>
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<h4>Best DXP: Adobe Experience Cloud</h4>
<a href="https://business.adobe.com/" target="_blank"><img style="width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/adobe-edited.jpg" alt="Adobe Experience Cloud Logo" /></a>
<hr />
<h4>Best Free CMS: Joomla!</h4>
<a href="https://www.joomla.org/" target="_blank"><img style="width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/joomla-edited.png" alt="Joomla! Logo" /></a>
<hr />
<h4>Best Flat File CMS: Statamic</h4>
<a href="https://statamic.com/" target="_blank"><img style="width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/statamic-edited.jpg" alt="Statamic Logo" /></a>
<hr />
<h4>Best Open Source CMS: Umbraco</h4>
<a href="https://umbraco.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAr4GgBhBFEiwAgwORrRdPATQsqJ5M2tqVIMIHVlkjBnO2Cl29dGTXI9dhb9_BNa9pqdulIhoCK40QAvD_BwE" target="_blank"><img style="width:120px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/umbraco-edited.png" alt="Umbraco Logo" /></a>
<hr />
<h4>Best ECM (Enterprise Content Management): Microsoft SharePoint</h4>
<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration" target="_blank"><img style="width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/sharepoint-edited.png" alt="Microsoft SharePoint Logo" /></a>
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<h4>Best E-Commerce Solution: Shopify</h4>
<a href="https://www.shopify.com/free-trial?term=shopify&amp;adid=565872334073&amp;campaignid=15436644439&amp;branded_enterprise=1&amp;BOID=brand&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAr4GgBhBFEiwAgwORrQTcMx9LwHQNvRFM6fN3NdS4GIn0wcvVgK3LdPDmBWiVFRhMOA64HxoCZEQQAvD_BwE&amp;cmadid=516586854;cmadvertiserid=10730501;cmcampaignid=26990768;cmplacementid=324494812;cmcreativeid=163722649;cmsiteid=5500011" target="_blank"><img style="width:250px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/shopify-edited.png" alt="Shopify Logo" /></a>
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<h4>Best Headless Commerce Solution: commercetools</h4>
<a href="https://commercetools.com/resources/booklet/microservices?utm_source=Paid%20Search&amp;utm_medium=Google%20Search&amp;utm_content=microservices-bookle-CA&amp;utm_campaign=MACH&amp;utm_term=commercetools&amp;utm_campaign=MACH%20retargeting%20AMER&amp;utm_source=adwords&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;hsa_acc=9131799125&amp;hsa_cam=19415290532&amp;hsa_grp=145609670540&amp;hsa_ad=643141341485&amp;hsa_src=g&amp;hsa_tgt=aud-1945381266863:kwd-366236213007&amp;hsa_kw=commercetools&amp;hsa_mt=p&amp;hsa_net=adwords&amp;hsa_ver=3&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAr4GgBhBFEiwAgwORrbE7RUL47caWM3RyFkC6b649F5PR5Z6DHNnToZTeBOWkTjGjxOL6IBoCGAMQAvD_BwE" target="_blank"><img style="width:300px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/commercetools-edited.png" alt="Commercetools Logo" /></a>
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<h4>Best Headless CMS: Contentful </h4>
<a href="https://www.contentful.com/" target="_blank"><img style="width:260px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/contentful-edited.jpg" alt="Contentful Logo" /></a>
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<h4>Best Website Builder: YOOtheme</h4>
<a href="https://yootheme.com/" target="_blank"><img style="width:250px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/yootheme-edited.png" alt="YOOtheme Logo" /></a>
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<h4>Best Static Site Generator: Next.js</h4>
<a href="https://nextjs.org/" target="_blank"><img style="width:200px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/next-js-edited.png" alt="Next.js Logo" /></a>
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<h4>Best Composable System: Uniform</h4>
<a href="https://uniform.dev/" target="_blank"><img style="width:250px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/uniform-edited.jpg" alt="Uniform Logo" /></a>
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<h4>Best Digital Experience Composition (DXC): Occtoo</h4>
<a href="https://www.occtoo.com/" target="_blank"><img style="width:250px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/02/occtoo-edited.png" alt="Occtoo Logo" /></a>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>Congratulations to our People's Choice Winners!</h2>
There you have it, folks! Thank you again for participating in our Awards this year, and always, we welcome your feedback and your votes for next season!

Let's Celebrate the Winners of the 2022 CMS Critic People’s Choice Awards

No. It's not just a "figma" of your imagination. 
<a href="https://www.figma.com/blog/a-new-collaboration-with-adobe/" target="_blank">Adobe has agreed to spend $20 billion</a> – that's billion, with a "b" – to buy <a href="https://www.figma.com/" target="_blank">Figma</a>, the popular web-based collaboration and UI design platform. 
We'll give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the ground. 
Adobe said it expects the transaction to close sometime in 2023. That said, the deal has not yet been approved by Figma stockholders and must proceed through customary closing. The dollars are a mix: about half the total will be paid in Adobe stock, with the balance paid in cash. 
If you're not familiar with Figma, you will be now – but it's worth noting how awesome a platform it really is. It offers a deep set of collaboration options for joint software development, as well as its popular FigJam collaborative whiteboarding environment. If you haven't used that wipeboarding feature before, we highly recommend it. 
By now, we’re accustomed to Adobe spending big bucks to expand its copious monolith. These tasty acquisitions have bolstered its stronghold on the digital experience category – and while there may not be an Iron Throne to claim, it has certainly earned the crown as the King of the <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3995917" target="_blank">Gartner Magic Quadrant for DXPs</a>.
But forget all that. Forget the fact that <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3673934/adobes-20b-figma-acquisition-highlights-web-based-collaboration-trends.html#:~:text=The%20%2420%20billion%20figure%20is,a%20dedicated%20following%20among%20developers." target="_blank">Figma was valued at around $10 billion</a> at its last funding round in 2021 (meaning this purchase doubled the bounty). And let's not overlook that the market has been in a bout of turmoil lately, especially for tech stocks.
No – what's been really interesting is how this acquisition triggered such an emotional response from the market. Despite Adobe's enthusiasm about the deal, the Figma fanbase seemed a little less enthusiastic…
<img style="max-width:800px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/09/luke-skywalker-meme-no.jpg" alt="Luke Skywalker meme" />
And just like that, the Empire Strikes Back.
<h2>Why Figma? And why the pushback from fans?</h2>
The Figma acquisition speaks volumes about the growth of web collaboration software and the central role of design. But for its users, Figma represented everything Adobe wasn’t. In fact, Figma was a sort of the anti-Adobe. 
The fanbase has reason to be concerned: Adobe could bring Figma aboard the mothership under its expensive subscription model. There could be some poor integration or uncomfortable bloat. Even worse, it could become the kind of bolted-on utility that's prone to crashing – kind of like the Millennium Falcon with a broken hyperdrive.
Or, Adobe could do wonders with this amazing platform, building deeper functionality that expands the frontier for web-based collaboration within its toolsets. Figma's flexibility could be a game changer for the company and removes one of its digital experience rivals from the chessboard. 
One thing both companies have in common is the commitment to design. Founded by Dylan Field in 2016, Figma has held to the mantra that design should be collaborative, web-based, and real-time – with the mission to “open up” and move from the solitary design process. Figma has crystallized the concepts of sharing ideas and working collaboratively, something that Adobe’s UI design products like Photoshop have struggled to embrace. 
As for the fans, that's a product of Figma's heavy emphasis on community, which they have nurtured and grown over the years. This was likely a big driver of <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/figma/company_financials" target="_blank">Figma’s unicorn valuation</a>, which skyrocketed from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-24/software-design-startup-figma-is-now-worth-10-billion" target="_blank">$2 billion to $10 billion</a> in just a year. With more than 4 million users, including giants such as Microsoft, Slack, Google, Dropbox, and Twitter, the company has achieved the kind of presence and loyalty that are the envy of the tech world.
 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/09/nothing-great-is-made-alone.jpg" alt="Figma - Nothing Great is Made Alone" />
<h2> </h2>
<h2>Adobe XD vs. Figma</h2>
So let's get down to brass tacks: Adobe XD and Figma are currently the most popular design tools on the market, both with similar features. For the past 5 years, Figma has been the biggest rival and competitor to Adobe XD, but Figma has managed to with the hearts of the design community. 
Figma believes the acquisition will help the Figma platform benefit from Adobe’s technology, expertise, and resources in the creative space. Figma has big ambitions for its products, with plans to improve its <a href="https://www.figma.com/design/" target="_blank">Figma Design</a>, <a href="https://www.figma.com/figjam/" target="_blank">FigJam</a>, and the <a href="https://www.figma.com/community/" target="_blank">Figma community</a> platforms while expanding into new areas.
“We will have the opportunity to incorporate their expertise in imaging, photography, illustration, video, 3D, and font technology to the Figma platform," said <a href="https://twitter.com/zoink" target="_blank">Dylan Field</a>, Co-founder &amp; CEO of Figma. "Additionally, we will have the opportunity to reimagine what the best creative tools could look like within the Figma technology stack.”
Top-down leadership is key in these kinds of earth-shattering transitions. Taking designers’ concerns into account, Field reassured the Figma community that he will remain CEO and that Figma will keep operating autonomously – without compromising its culture, the way it runs its business, and (perhaps most importantly) its pricing. 
<h2>Growth by Acquisition</h2>
The news from Adobe is huge – but maybe not that surprising. Adobe has been driving growth by investing in tools and products to execute complex workflows across teams. As part of this evolution, it <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2020/Adobe-to-Acquire-Workfront/default.aspx" target="_blank">acquired Workflow</a> – a leading work management platform for marketers – for $1.50 billion in 2020. Last year, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-acquires-video-collaboration-platform-frame-io/" target="_blank">Adobe also acquired Frame.io</a>, an industry-leading collaboration platform, for $1.275 billion. 
In its <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2022/Adobe-to-Acquire-Figma/default.aspx" target="_blank">press release</a>, Adobe stated that Figma’s web-based, multi-player capabilities will accelerate the delivery of Adobe’s Creative Cloud technologies on the web, making the creative process more productive and accessible to more people.
With this acquisition, Adobe once more solidified its position in the creative industry. With responsive design taking over about a decade ago, other apps such as <a href="https://www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle/" target="_blank">Omnigraffle</a> and later <a href="https://www.sketch.com/" target="_blank">Sketch App</a> were born – and embraced by designers by offering a better solution for creating wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes suited for the responsive web. This was a huge departure from Photoshop and Illustrator and their respectively rigid structures. 
Figma is not alone in the web-based collaboration and UI design space. Platforms like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/uxpin-merge-review-sync-react-components-with-prototypes/">UXPin</a>, another subscription-based wireframing and prototyping tool, are effectively <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/uxpin-merge-review-sync-react-components-with-prototypes/" target="_blank">bridging the gap between designers and developers</a>. 
As Figma zeroes in on $400 million in revenues at the end of 2022, it's safe to say that there's ample potential in this growing market space – and we'll have to see how Adobe's mindboggling acquisition brings imagination to life. 
<h2>About Figma</h2>
Figma is the open design company founded in 2012 by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace. With Figma’s cloud-based screen design tool, teams achieve a shared understanding around design without worrying about syncing, exporting, or installing software. Anyone involved in the product development process can always share up-to-date files with a link. That makes it easy to collaborate on the latest designs and prototypes and see their code attributes. Figma has simplified collaboration across the entire design process for thousands of companies like Microsoft, Slack, and Uber and millions of users, including designers, developers, product managers, marketers, and others.

Shock and Awe: Adobe to Acquire UI Design Platform Figma for $20 Billion

paris-tuzun

CMS Monthly Recap: Google Sunsets Universal Analytics, WordPress Releases a New Performance Plugin, and More

Featured image of CMS Critic Monthly Recap text against a dark background with a close-up of a basketball

With <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/805656/number-youtube-viewers-worldwide/" target="_blank">1.86 billion YouTube users</a> and the explosion of <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/en/" target="_blank">Tiktok</a>, it's clear that video is eating the internet. 
According to <a href="https://www.semrush.com/blog/youtube-stats/" target="_blank">statistics</a>, video is one of the most popular ways to consume content, with 85% of U.S. internet users accessing online video through YouTube at least once per week. Further, the demand for pandemic-induced streaming content is at an all-time high, with <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/250934/quarterly-number-of-netflix-streaming-subscribers-worldwide/" target="_blank">Netflix</a> counting 207.64 million paid subscribers worldwide in Q1 of 2021.
Of course, no one knows this better than <a href="https://www.adobe.com/" target="_blank">Adobe</a>, which powers best-of-breed video production via their flagship <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/premiere.html" target="_blank">Premiere Pro</a> and <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html" target="_blank">After Effects</a> products. Speed continues to be a critical component when it comes to video content creators, and in recent years, other tools have disrupted the market – including basic tools like Wondershare's <a href="https://filmora.wondershare.com/?AFFILIATE=102100&amp;__c=1" target="_blank">Filmora</a> and free platforms like <a href="https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/" target="_blank">DaVinci Resolve</a>. The widening expanse of choices has driven down costs and increased access to a wider range of users. 
To compete, Adobe is turning to the workflow "gap" that exists in the market around video collaboration. To shore up their offering and better position against the competitive field, the digital giant <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2021/Adobe-to-Acquire-Frame.io/default.aspx" target="_blank">has entered into an agreement to acquire Frame.io</a>, an industry-leading video collaboration platform. 
The transaction, valued at $1.275 billion, is expected to close during the fourth quarter of Adobe’s 2021 fiscal year.
<h2>What is Frame.io?</h2>
Frame.io streamlines the video production process by enabling video editors and key project stakeholders to collaborate using cloud-first workflows seamlessly. The cloud-native platform provides an elegant way to gather feedback from everyone involved in the video production – from the director to the script supervisor to all the people who need to approve the final project. 
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 mb-4"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7LjejmHOiTw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Recently, Frame.io launched "<a href="https://www.frame.io/c2c/" target="_blank">Camera to Cloud</a>," the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to instantly get footage from cameras to collaborators anywhere in the world. Adobe has already been working with Frame.io to collaborate on videos for their website, social media, and events.
<h2>Collaboration is the name of the game</h2>
In a pandemic-driven world, shooting on location or traveling to obtain footage is becoming a more arduous task – if not altogether impossible. In addition, more teams are expected to work remotely yet still deliver large volumes of video content, all at a time when the demand for video content is increasing exponentially. 
All these changes have forced the video industry to adapt and rethink, and Adobe has been leading the way by investing in tools and products to execute complex workflows across teams. As part of their evolution, they <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2020/Adobe-to-Acquire-Workfront/default.aspx" target="_blank">acquired Workflow</a> – a leading work management platform for marketers – for $1.50 billion last year. This was rivaled by Salesforce's <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/cms-monthly-recap-salesforce-completes-acquisition-of-slack-contentsquare-accelerates-ml-capabilities-and-more/" target="_blank">recent acquisition of Slack</a>, the leading team communications platform. 
What's clear is that digital collaboration is now a key foundation of all creative endeavors. Video teams must produce an ever-increasing continuum of content, and each video project requires various stakeholders, including video editors, producers, agencies, and clients. 
Today’s video workflows are disjointed, with multiple tools and communication channels being used to solicit stakeholder feedback. Frame.io eliminates the inefficiencies of video workflows by enabling real-time footage upload, access, and in-line stakeholder collaboration in a secure and elegant experience across surfaces.
“We’ve entered a new era of connected creativity that is deeply collaborative, and we imagine a world where everyone can participate in the creative process,” said Scott Belsky, Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President of Adobe's Creative Cloud. “With this acquisition, we’re welcoming an incredible customer-oriented team and adding Frame.io’s cloud-native workflow capabilities to make the creative process more collaborative, productive, and efficient to further unleash creativity for all.”
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/09/image-viewer.png" alt="Frame.io image viewer" />
Adobe’s acquisition of Frame.io brings Adobe Creative Cloud’s collaboration services to video. It builds on recent innovations for creative collaboration, including Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries, Cloud Documents, Design Systems in Adobe XD, Adobe Stock, and Adobe Fonts – which together with Frame.io, will make it easy for teams to collaborate across Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and other Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
The combination of Adobe’s industry-leading creative software and Frame.io’s review and approval functionality will deliver a collaboration platform that powers the entire video editing process.
<h2>Video workflows must empower all stakeholders</h2>
With the combination of Frame.io and Adobe, Creative Cloud customers – from video editors to producers to marketers – will benefit from seamless collaboration on video projects. Frame.io's workflow functionality will now be a native part of Adobe Creative Cloud applications like Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Photoshop.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/09/commenting-and-collaboration.jpg" />
“Frame.io and Adobe share a vision for the future of video creation and collaboration that brings together Adobe’s strength in video creation and production and Frame.io’s cloud-native platform,” said Emery Wells, Frame.io's co-founder and CEO. “We’re excited to join Adobe to continue to drive video innovation for the world’s leading media and entertainment companies, agencies, and brands.”
Upon close of the acquisition, Wells and fellow Frame.io co-founder John Traver will join Adobe. Wells will continue to lead the Frame.io team, reporting to Scott Belsky. The transaction, valued at $1.275 billion (subject to customary purchase price adjustments) is expected to close during the fourth quarter of Adobe’s 2021 fiscal year and is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. Until the transaction closes, each company will continue to operate independently.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
The role of video in any content strategy is more pronounced than ever. As CMS and DXP platforms continue to expand their functionality and integrations, the ability to leverage video and ease the process of delivery will be instrumental. With Adobe remaining solidly in a leadership role across multiple DX categories, they are uniquely positioned to think ahead of the market and address critical issues – like workflow collaboration.
While their heritage as a creative development ecosystem is strong, Adobe's vision for mapping the future of digital experiences is even stronger. We'll be curious to see how these latest investments chart as more products enter the hot video market and lower the barrier to entry. As Gen Z influencers generate instant videos with off-the-shelf tools and resources on their iPhones, it's clear that the game will continue to change at multiple levels. Even so, there's a compelling need to work with other people in a production environment – and that's where Adobe is leading the way.
<h2>About Frame.io</h2>
<a href="https://www.frame.io/" target="_blank">Frame.io</a> is one of the world’s leading video review and approval platforms with over 1 million users. Integrated with most major professional video tools, Frame.io streamlines the creative process by centralizing assets and feedback in the cloud. This allows remote creative teams to collaborate securely and in real-time from anywhere in the world.
Conceived and designed in 2015 by video creators Emery Wells and John Traver, Frame.io is intuitive and simple, yet powerful enough for creative professionals, technical administrators, and clients to use with little (or no) training. Frame.io accelerates workflows and eliminates obstacles to creativity. From script or storyboard to dailies through delivery, Frame.io has reinvented the modern video workflow.
<h2>About Adobe</h2>
Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com&amp;esheet=52479752&amp;newsitemid=20210819005739&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=www.adobe.com&amp;index=3&amp;md5=16bfbb09ccdd811085bcdfd56783339b" target="_blank">www.adobe.com</a>.

Adobe Acquires Video Collaboration Platform Frame.io

April brought Spring to many of us. While Covid-19 continues to cast a shadow of uncertainty over the world, it’s safe to say that the digital field is in full bloom.Last month was full of new announcements about upgrades and updates, primarily focused on content teams. Adobe, Contentful, Strapi, and Kentico Kontent all released new features that are designed to break down silos and deliver greater efficiency to users.Here are some of the highlights from the stories we’ve been tracking: <h2>Adobe Introduces Adobe Experience Manager Assets Essentials, Announces New Solutions to Improve E-commerce Experience for Adobe Commerce</h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/05/36391-benefits-media-library-essentials2xpngimg_.png" alt="Adobe media library essentials" />Adobe introduced its new <a target="_blank" href="https://business.adobe.com/products/experience-manager/assets/assets-essentials.html">Adobe Experience Manager Assets Essentials</a> – a lightweight edition of <a target="_blank" href="https://business.adobe.com/products/experience-manager/assets/aem-assets.html">Adobe Experience Manager Assets</a>. It offers a simplified user experience for marketing and creative pros to store, discover, and distribute digital assets across their teams. Assets Essentials will serve as the default asset management experience across Experience Cloud apps, starting with the new Adobe Journey Optimizer and later this year with Adobe Workfront.The new Assets Essentials provides a centralized workspace for the asset repository to store, share, and manage images, videos, documents, and other assets. It allows teams to create, assign, track, review, and approve tasks in a collaborative workspace. And of course, being an Adobe product, it supports all file types including full-sized Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, XD, and more.On the same day, Adobe also announced new capabilities for <a target="_blank" href="https://business.adobe.com/products/magento/magento-commerce.html">Adobe Commerce powered by Magento</a> (formerly Magento Commerce) that extend the intelligence of features like Product Recommendations and Live Search. An upcoming integration with <a target="_blank" href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/sign.html">Adobe Sign</a> means a more seamless commerce experience for any transactions that require e-signatures as part of the checkout process. <h2>The Digital World Mourns the Passing of Chuck Geschke, Co-found of Adobe and Father of the PDF</h2>There are many icons in the computer and software world, and some of the earliest pioneers have made significant contributions that we take for granted every day. One such notable creation: the ubiquitous Portable Document Format, otherwise known as the PDF.Today, we pay homage to Charles “Chuck” Geschke, the co-founder of Adobe, who died on April 16th at the age of 81. Not only did he help develop the PDF, but he drove innovation across desktop publishing, turning Photoshop into a cultural Webster’s reference – and Adobe into a powerhouse. Chuck radically changed the way people create, view, and share documents and images, and his impact cannot be overstated.Farewell to the Father of the PDF, and one of the great digital innovators of all time. <h2>Contentful Unveils New Features and Partner Apps at Second Annual Blueprints Conference</h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/05/contentful-logo-dark.png" alt="Contentful logo - dark" /><a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentful.com/">Contentful</a>, a leading enterprise headless CMS provider, <a target="_blank" href="https://press.contentful.com/197449-contentful-unveils-new-features-and-partner-apps-at-second-annual-blueprints-conference">announced</a> the release of new features and partner-built apps at its second annual <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentful.com/blueprints-2021/">Blueprints</a> user conference.The new features include <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentful.com/blog/2021/04/08/governance-tagging-metadata/">tags and permissions</a> that provide content teams greater flexibility and control over how they organize, find, and edit content – and manage permissions across the organization.These platform enhancements build on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentful.com/blog/2021/03/16/launch-compose-release/">the recent release of Compose + Launch</a> – two new Contentful apps that allow content authors, editors, and planners to adapt and publish content independently without having to rely on developer resources.Contentful also announced the release of several partner-built apps in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentful.com/marketplace/">Contentful Marketplace</a>, including an app built by digital services provider <a target="_blank" href="https://portaltech.reply.com/portaltech/en/">Portaltech Reply</a> that connects Contentful with SAP Commerce Cloud – enabling businesses to adapt quickly to changing market conditions to deliver direct-to-consumer and omnichannel experiences.Other recently released partner-built apps for Contentful extend the platform's capabilities across personalization, e-commerce, translations, and video, including Uniform Optimize, Saleor Commerce, GlobalLink Connect by Translations.com, and Qencode Video Transcoding.Contentful recently earned the highest score possible in the partner ecosystem criterion – along with five other criteria – in the recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.contentful.com/resources/forrester-wave-agile-cms-2021-report/">Forrester Wave™ Report for Agile Content Management Systems (CMSes)</a>. <h2>Crownpeak and ilumino Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Digital Accessibility</h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/04/crownpeak_ilumino.jpg" alt="Crownpeak and ilumino logos in lockup format." /><a target="_blank" href="https://www.crownpeak.com/">Crownpeak</a>, a digital experience platform (DXP), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/crownpeak-and-ilumino-announce-strategic-partnership-to-advance-digital-accessibility/">has announced</a> a strategic partnership with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ilumino.co/">ilumino</a>, a digital accessibility services and consulting firm. The two companies will offer an integrated solution that helps improve digital experiences for users with disabilities while evolving accessibility strategies for organizations.Together, Crownpeak and ilumino offer a single, integrated approach that evolves the accessibility model. The solution combines Crownpeak’s DQM technology, providing automated and ongoing scanning and auditing against WCAG guidelines, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ilumino.co/solutions/">ilumino’s expert services</a> – which focuses on nurturing a company’s “culture of accessibility.”Some noteworthy highlights of the Crownpeak + ilumino solution include:<ul><li>Accessibility and compliance dashboard – providing a “single source of truth” for automated and manual accessibility monitoring</li><li>Automated site scanning (enriched by manual testing) – enterprise-grade, multi-site scanning technology</li><li>Manual testing and consulting – performed by certified accessibility experts</li><li>In-house or guided remediation – tailored to each organization’s unique design and development workflows</li><li>Ongoing support – ensuring sustained compliance through a proactive approach</li><li>Accessibility pattern library – simplifying remediation and establishing long-term organizational assets</li><li>Litigation support – with expert review and consulting on any accessibility-related legal actions received</li><li>Accessibility statement – drafted to demonstrate an organization’s commitment to digital inclusion</li><li>Enterprise strategy – assisting with a prioritized roadmap and risk management</li></ul> <h2>Strapi Headless CMS Announces v3.6 with Free Content Internationalization</h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/04/i18n-2.png" alt="content internalization" />Strapi, a leading open-source headless CMS, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/strapi-headless-cms-announces-v3-6-with-free-content-internationalization/">has announced</a> the release of Strapi v3.6, which includes a highly anticipated content internationalization (i18n) feature as part of their Community Edition. Now, Strapi users will have the ability to create and manage content in multiple languages and locales for free and without limitations – and personalize messages delivered to target audiences based on language and geographic data.Leveraging integrations with Strapi’s draft and publish system and role-based access control, users will be able to manage their editing and publishing permissions based on specific locales. With Strapi’s internationalization, content is displayed for each locale based on content types. For example, if a company has an e-commerce website, they can select which product pages are displayed in French, Portuguese, or Mandarin. This level of localization is what enables a global digital strategy to work across borders and languages.In our exclusive discussion with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorcoisne/">Victor Coisne</a>, Strapi’s Vice President of Marketing, it’s clear that internationalization was a big part of the CMS vendor’s roadmap, and of significant importance to their growing base of global users. <h2>Kentico Kontent Gets a Fresh New User Interface, Adds Features to Streamline Enterprise Content Operations</h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/04/kentico-new-ui-1.png" alt="The new Kentico content UI" />Kentico Kontent, a headless CMS, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kentico-kontents-new-user-interface-streamlines-enterprise-content-operations/">announced</a> the launch of their new user interface, designed to help enterprise content teams execute their content operations faster.The new UI has a fresh, modern design approach that fuses an array of vibrant colors with plenty of contrast to emphasize important elements.Kentico Kontent also unveiled new upgrades in their latest release, including the Collections feature – which lets enterprises manage all their content in a single repository, allowing the content to be shared across teams and channels without losing any control.With the Collections feature, teams can share content items across departments, websites, and experiences to ensure consistency and eliminate error-prone duplication. The goal is to improve efficiency and minimize the frustration that many enterprise content teams experience.

CMS Monthly Recap: Adobe Experience Manager Assets Essentials, Contentful Unveils New Features, Crownpeak Announces Partnership, and More

Adobe is introducing new features to its Adobe Experience Cloud, including headless content management system (CMS) capabilities in their industry-leading <a href="https://www.adobe.com/marketing/experience-manager.html">Adobe Experience Manager</a> (AEM) and updates to their Commerce Integration Framework (CIF).
The features were announced at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOVtXt-xx4c&amp;ab_channel=AdobeDevelopers">Adobe Developers Live</a> Conference, giving their community a first glimpse of how these dynamic enhancements will streamline the development of headless content delivery via GraphQL APIs, as well as enable users to create shoppable, app-like experiences that combine content and commerce.
The announcements were made just as the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/key-takeaways-from-gartners-2021-magic-quadrant-for-digital-experience-platforms/">Gartner 2021 Magic Quadrant for DXPs</a> and the <a href="https://go.forrester.com/blogs/agile-cms-moves-the-market-beyond-headless-forresters-just-released-wave-evaluation/">2021 Forrester Wave for Agile CMSes</a> were being released. Both reports position Adobe as the top vendor, and the addition of these new features reinforces their leadership role in a rapidly-evolving market landscape.
<h3>What is Adobe Experience Cloud?</h3>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/03/adobe-journey-diagram.png" alt="Adobe Journey Diagram" />
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Adobe Experience Cloud is a comprehensive collection of integrated cloud applications and services that give enterprises the best-of-breed tools for marketing, analytics, advertising, and commerce. Adobe Experience Cloud also integrates with <a href="https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud.html">Adobe Creative Cloud</a>, which features an industry-standard suite of digital publishing and experience design tools – including <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html">Photoshop</a>.
Heading up the Leader quadrant of this year's Gartner MQ, Adobe reigns over the DXP landscape. Over the course of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic elevated competition across the enterprise marketplace, forcing the CMS and DXP industries to accelerate their own transformation goals.
Adobe has remained in a solid leadership position because of its ubiquitous brand presence and continued commitment to innovation. The most recent enhancements to Adobe Experience Cloud reflect current market trends and elevated demand for headless and API-driven strategies – as well as a heightened need for integrating with customer data.
So, what’s new with Adobe Experience Cloud?
<h3>New Headless CMS Capabilities</h3>
Headless platforms have seen a dramatic rise in the CMS and DXP enterprise market over the last few years. This includes <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/contentstack-and-gatsby-announce-partnership-to-power-ultra-fast-websites-with-headless-cms/">Contentstack</a> – which was positioned as a <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/company/press/forrester-named-contentstack-strong-performer-agile-cms/?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=organic_social">Strong Performer</a> on the 2021 Forrester Wave Report for Agile CMSes.
To enable developers to distribute content across multiple touchpoints, Adobe is now introducing <a href="https://graphql.org/">GraphQL APIs</a> for headless content delivery. GraphQL is a data query language developed by Facebook and open-sourced in 2015 and is trusted by many big tech brands – including Pinterest, GitHub, Netflix, Shopify, Twitter, and more.
Facebook initially developed GraphQL because they needed a more powerful data-fetching API for their mobile applications. REST API has its limitations because whenever data requirements change, more endpoints are needed. GraphQL is typically served over HTTP via a single endpoint, which expresses the full set of capabilities of the service without the need for additional endpoints.
GraphQL also makes personalization much easier. For instance, using a REST API to retrieve a customer’s information (like recently viewed products and purchases), you need to send a fetch request for three endpoints: USER, USER_PURCHASE, and RECENTLY_VIEWED. This makes data fetching slow and cumbersome. With GraphQL, all you need to do is fetch the user object to gather all the data.
By leveraging GraphQL, Adobe is giving developers the power to deliver content to any touchpoint and access data across the Adobe ecosystem. For example, a mobile app developer can query marketing content from Adobe Experience Manager and have personalized results sent to the app, which renders in its UI. From there, a marketer can use Adobe Experience Manager’s authoring capabilities to add or edit marketing content across multiple devices and touchpoints – saving time and resources.
Siloing has been a significant problem in experience platforms. In the customer data (CDP) layer of the stack, Segment has been working to unify customer data from fragmented corners of the ecosystem. That’s why Twilio dropped a whopping $3.2 billion to <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/twilio-acquires-segment-for-3-2b-adds-market-leading-cdp-for-building-data-driven-apps/">acquire Segment</a> to build data-driven apps.
Likewise, Adobe has also recognized the deep gaps around siloed data. They are working to enhance their platform capabilities for creating personalized app-like experiences and leverage customer data from end to end.
<h3>Easy Integrations with Commerce Integration Framework</h3>
In addition to the headless capabilities, Adobe Experience Manager can now integrate and extend commerce services from <a href="https://magento.com/">Magento</a> and other commerce solutions through Adobe’s Commerce Integration Framework (CIF). CIF is built on rich APIs that can be easily extended, enabling a seamless storefront authoring experience in Adobe Experience Manager with faster-time-to-market at a lower cost.
Headless is quickly becoming a necessity for commerce platforms because it enables marketers and merchants to deliver world-class commerce experiences without the engineering burden. Nearly all the vendors who earned a place on the Gartner 2021 Magic Quadrant for DXPs offer headless capabilities; in fact, Adobe’s largest competitors – <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/acquia-digital-commerce-unifies-data-content-commerce-and-digital-merchandising/">Acquia</a> and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/sitecore-updates-experience-platform-and-experience-commerce-releases-new-sitecore-content-hub/">Sitecore</a> – have been successfully advancing in the DXP Leaders quadrant by offering a headless play.
<h3>Headless in a hybrid world</h3>
While Adobe’s addition of headless isn’t a shocker, it represents the challenges that CMS and DXP platforms face. Content operators have multiple channels to contend with, and each consumes content in a different way. While one may access HTML, another requires JSON, and so on. These channels are also independent of one another, creating the aforementioned silo effect around content and data.
Adobe has always lead the way in CX and personalization, and headless is essential to every part of their experience ecosystem – specifically commerce. There are significant challenges with maintaining brand, message, and price consistency, as well as the cost of duplicating content from channel to channel. Now, Adobe provides more of a complete solution for managing the chaos.
One of the biggest issues that pure headless platforms face is the ability for content owners and marketers to visualize their channels. Adobe has clearly stated that developers are struggling to deliver cohesive content across every touchpoint (modern web, smartwatches, native apps, etc.) – and the limitations of headless are a big part of the pain.
By offering a hybrid platform, Adobe addresses some of the "multiverse" that exists by bringing websites and applications together with headless capabilities. That said, even Adobe doesn't have a solution for presenting digital signs, IoT devices, or other form factors within their CMS. At least not yet.
The real challenge for Adobe? Staying in the leadership position.

Adobe Experience Cloud Adds Headless CMS Capabilities, Updates to Commerce Integration Framework

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