February 22, 2023
While the name might not immediately ring a bell, Umbraco is the fastest-growing content management system on the market, providing a user-friendly interface for managing web pages and content. An open-source CMS used to create and manage digital content, Umbraco is known as a platform that non-technically savvy users can edit, develop, and operate with ease.
Umbraco’s interface includes an extensive range of modules and plugins, along with the flexibility to tailor the system to your specific needs. Inputting new text, placing, and editing content is a breeze in Umbraco. And because it's open source, meaning highly editable with endless possibilities, you can be sure that you're receiving a high-quality product that is constantly being improved by a community of experienced developers.
Upgrading from past versions to Umbraco version 10 guarantees users a swifter and superior experience than before.
Why should I upgrade to Umbraco 10?
While there are several reasons to upgrade to the latest version of Umbraco, the fundamental one is security. Prioritizing your upgrade will help prevent outdated software no longer supported, or software with the potential for critical security flaws. Older versions of the technology will become out of date, and by procrastinating your upgrade, you’re simply postponing the inevitable software end-of-life.
Think of Umbraco maintenance versus upgrading as it relates to dentistry. Brushing and flossing daily will allow you to maintain your current dental health. However, if you put off that annual checkup to the dentist, you may run into more serious issues that will result in elevated levels of pain as well as a severely inflated cost. The longer you wait, the more issues you’ll likely have down the road.
Another reason to upgrade is the fact that third-party packages and plugins are not developed for older versions. In order to take advantage of the benefits of existing third-party applications that integrate with Umbraco, you’ll need to ensure that you’ve updated to the latest version.
Lastly, on the latest version of .NET (where Umbraco is tied to Microsoft), a new release cadence of the underlying framework (.NET) that Microsoft develops exists, and Umbraco HQ
is now releasing their software in the same cadence as Microsoft. In a sense, upgrading imminently will future-proof all forthcoming versions of Umbraco.
What dates should I keep in mind?
Set your reminders now:
- Umbraco version 7 will reach the end-of-life date in September 2023
- The end-of-life date for Umbraco version 8 is February 24th, 2025
- Umbraco version 9 will see its end-of-life date on December 16, 2022
Upgrading to the most current Umbraco version is always recommended. The good news is that once users are upgraded to Umbraco version 10, the heavy lifting will be mostly completed. Umbraco 10 runs on .NET core, and moving forward, all major version upgrades (11, 12, 13, etc.) will involve less refactoring of underlying code and database changes. Moving from the .NET framework (Umbraco 7 or 8) to .NET Core (Umbraco 9+) may be a tad more lengthy, but The FYIN team is readily available to help if you’re stuck.
How will the transition work?
Depending on which version you’re starting the upgrade from, the process may vary. Here’s how the transition will work:
- Upgrading from version 7 to version 10 is a larger effort than the refactor of code from version 8 to version 10, and may be a full rebuild or a migration process that would proceed in two parts:
1) migrating the database from version 7 to version 8 to version 9 and finally to 10.
2) refactoring the code from .NET framework to .NET core (.NET 6) - Upgrading version 8 to version 10 will be simpler, but still has two parts:
1) migrate database from 8 to 9 and then from 9 to 10
2) refactor code from .NET framework to .NET core - Upgrading version 9 to 10 is a fairly simple upgrade, where a Nuget package and migrate database is ran in Visual Studio
What can I expect from the newest Umbraco version?
Each past version of Umbraco has prided itself on being the most straightforward, simple-to-use content management system on the market, and the newest version is certainly no different. Expect major changes from Umbraco version 10, which will implement significant improvements across many features.
Various improvements include: moving from .NET framework to .NET 6, a quicker framework on the Microsoft side of things, as well as updated development practices. More integrations are another added benefit of the latest version. Umbraco allows integrations into other platforms to continue to perform (including Ecomm, CRM, pipelines, ERP, personalization, etc.) in the way they’re intended to.
Unparalleled in the CMS sphere and exceedingly intuitive, Umbraco allows the ability for an organization to move faster, as a company eliminates the need for a middleman to grant simple requests. Upgrading to version 10 will provide users with simpler, improved processes alongside resoundingly better performance, support, and versatility.
