Umbraco, a provider of web content management systems and the largest open-source .NET CMS globally, has unveiled its predictions for the pivotal trends set to shape the platforms organisations will utilise for website and digital experience creation by 2025. With a significant user base, Umbraco identifies five crucial factors that will steer the CMS sector in the upcoming year: artificial intelligence (AI), personalisation, security, orchestration, and demands for return on investment (ROI).
A prominent aspect of Umbraco's forecast is the anticipated advancement of AI in content creation, particularly through generative AI technology. This innovation is expected to enable organisations to mass-produce personalised digital content that caters to varied audience preferences, thanks to the capabilities afforded by AI analytics. Paul de Metter, CTO at Umbraco partner Conclusion Experience, articulated that dedicated CMS providers like Umbraco will maintain their focus on composable CMS platforms. He remarked, "In general, I see the trend of dedicated CMS players, like Umbraco, staying focused on their core, composable CMS platform, providing the flexibility for more technologically mature organisations to select and integrate the right external AI tools for real-life use-cases."
The potential of AI-powered search mechanisms was further emphasised by Mats Persson, CEO of Umbraco. He stated, "Personalisation has long been the dream of marketers. The challenge has been getting it to work in practice and finding a way to scale it up for the mass market," referring to the capabilities of AI content generation that could facilitate the delivery of personalised customer journeys to a vast audience.
As organisations navigate tighter marketing budgets, Umbraco predicts an increasing pressure on the efficiency of digital investments, leading to heightened focus on automation, cost control, and conversion rate improvements. Kyle Brigham, Chief Strategy Officer at Marcel Digital, noted, "As an integrated digital marketing and development agency, we've seen first-hand the impact that a new website can have on bottom line revenue. Choosing a CMS with faster deployment and time-to-value will allow organisations to realise and multiply these results sooner."
Security remains a paramount concern for organisations aware of rising cyber threats. As CMS platforms are integral to Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs), they are under pressure to enhance their security features and comply with regulatory frameworks such as the EU GDPR and the Cyber Resilience Act. Zoja Antuchevic, CEO at Umbraco partner Solution Lab, stated, "In an era of escalating cyber threats and tightening privacy regulations, CMS platform providers have no choice but to innovate. The platforms that prioritise security as a business enabler will set the benchmark for trust and resilience in 2025 and beyond."
The ongoing digital transformation is prompting organisations to adopt CMS platforms that empower non-technical staff to manage digital content, thereby reducing reliance on developers. There is a pronounced demand for cloud-based, composable CMS solutions, which facilitate digital democratisation. Alex Vilmur, Web Development Director at Marcel Digital, asserted, "Universal CMS will give developers even more flexibility, and provide marketers with a customised, intuitive user experience with the ability to scale."
Moreover, organisations are increasingly pursuing seamless customer experiences through the integration of various data sources offered by composable CMS platforms. Matt Sutherland, Head of Technology at true, highlighted the importance of user-friendliness in orchestration, remarking, "Orchestrating all of this in a way that continues to be user-friendly and seamless to CMS platform administrators is golden, and the reason why composable architecture will continue to be the best choice for our clients' digital experience platforms in 2025."
Filip Bech-Larsen, CTO of Umbraco, concluded the outlook by stressing the significance of orchestration in a low-code SaaS environment, stating that it will fulfil the initial promise of composable DXPs. He mentioned, "Orchestration, dealt with in a low-code SaaS way, will deliver on the original promise of composable DXPs, allowing organisations to select and seamlessly connect the best products for their requirements, with minimal complexity, and no vendor lock-in."
As these predictions unfold, the CMS landscape is set to significantly evolve, reflecting the broader trends in AI automation across the business sector.
Source: Noah Wire Services