First released in 2013, Umbraco 7 was the talk of the town. But like all good things, its time has come to an end.
On September 30, 2023, Umbraco 7 will reach its end-of-life. This means it will no longer receive updates, security patches, or any form of on-going support. So, if you're still using it, now's the time to say goodbye and (quickly) move on to new pastures. Fortunately, as with many things technology, Umbraco has come a long way since version 7 and the new pastures are significantly greener.
Now, we know what you're thinking: "Surely upgrading will be a complex and time-consuming process?". Well, it doesn’t need to be. There are a number of options you can consider, to keep your business moving forward.
Option 1: Upgrade to a newer version of Umbraco
Umbraco has massively evolved since the release of version 7, to where we are now, with Umbraco 11 and the release candidate of Umbraco 12 (think Nokia 3310 vs an Iphone 14). Umbraco 11, offers many new features and enhancements, from huge speed improvements to a modernised underlying framework, plus a new block list and grid editor. And Umbraco 12 will bring native headless functionality for the first time, with the introduction of the Content Delivery API.
Upgrading to the latest version of Umbraco will allow you to take advantage of these new features and functionality, with the assurance of on-going support from the Umbraco team. There's also a tonne of great packages such as uSync Migrations that can smooth this process.
Option 2: Reset, rethink and rescope
The Umbraco 7 end-of-life provides a great opportunity to reset, rethink, and rescope what your business needs from its digital shop window. Through a well-tested and well-oiled process of immersion, discovery and definition, we can help you understand who your core audiences are, their key needs, and how that translates to your website, while also achieving your business goals. Part of this is defining what the most appropriate technology architecture is for your business, and then prioritising these versus business impact.
Option 3: Continue to use Umbraco 7
Your final option — and as a last resort — is to continue using Umbraco 7. But we would absolutely advise against this. Why? Because after its end-of-life, Umbraco 7 will no longer receive updates, security patches or community support which may expose your business to security breaches and more down the line. It's like continuing to use an old boiler where the parts are now obsolete. Sure, it still works (for now), but there may be better, more efficient boilers on the market. And if it suddenly stops working, support is costly and hard to find. It's much better to mitigate risk and be on the front foot.
So, what next?
The end-of-life for Umbraco 7 presents a significant challenge for businesses that have built their digital experiences on the platform. The good news is there are plenty of options available.
Whether upgrading to a newer version of Umbraco or considering other options, it’s important to carefully make a decision that aligns with your businesses needs and priorities.
Build it better. Build it better with us.
If you need help navigating this brave new world of digital experiences, then look no further…
At Enjoy, we’ve been developing with Umbraco since 2009. And as an Umbraco Gold Partner (humble brag: we’ve also been nominated for 2x Umbraco awards at this year’s Codegarden), we’ve developed over 250 digital experiences on the platform, including websites, apps, portals, intranets, and extranets. We’ve also integrated with over 200 different API’s and have delivered end-to-end, prospect-to-customer nurturing strategies for businesses across multiple sectors.
So if you’re seeking a digital experience that makes you more accessible, more engaging and easier to buy from - you’ve come to the right place! Contact us today to learn more.
