Kentico Xperience, a popular .NET CMS, recently released version 13. Their annual version release is often eagerly anticipated since newer versions include product improvements, modernization of technology and more. Marketers will be interested in improvements to the marketing automation features, site managers will be excited about more out-of-the-box and improved features and developers will be happy to learn that the platform has moved to ASP.NET Core MVC. Let’s dive into Kentico 13 and how it might benefit your business.
Kentico 13 Improvements
Kentico continues to invest in product improvements and has included the following enhancements in their latest release:
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Marketing Automation Overhaul: Version 13 makes it easier to streamline processes, increase engagement and improve performance.
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Reusable Content: The concept of reusable content was reintroduced to help content editors share content across sections, saving time and increasing efficiency. This wasn’t possible in version 12 MVC.
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Platform Enhancements: Kentico added new page type features, an improved site search, and dynamic routing to help reduce reliance on development resources and offer more control to content editors.
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Kentico Toolkit: In response to developer feedback, the toolkit now better supports integration with third-party platforms and speeds up development for extending Kentico to work with other systems, offering broader support to digital marketers. This Toolkit is offered in the latest release but comes with an additional cost.
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Voice Assistant Integrations: To allow Amazon Alexa and Google Home the potential to control the administrative interface, there are new voice assistant integrations built in. This integration provides assistive technology that could potentially help persons with disabilities better administer aspects of the website. Note that this is not an integration supporting the creation of skills or actions that allow your visitors to use their Amazon Alexa or Google Home devices to interact with your public website.
Kentico 13 Brings a Major Framework Update
The most notable enhancement in the latest release of Kentico is a modernization of the technology platform on which it’s built. With their move to ASP.NET Core MVC in version 13, Kentico makes it clear they continue to prioritize their commitment to product development. The result is a more lightweight and higher-performing ASP.NET Core. A warning before you read further: we’re about to geek out for a minute here.
The .NET Framework supports both WebForms and MVC, and .NET Core only supports MVC. MVC-only support in ASP.NET Core is a planned move towards retiring the older WebForms platform, since Microsoft’s support of WebForms anticipated to end after 2025. As you may recall, the 2019 Kentico version 12 release helped bridge this migration by supporting both the newer MVC platform as well as the older WebForms platform, allowing Kentico WebForms sites an upgrade path to from version 11 to version 12 without requiring the site to be redeveloped in MVC. In version 13, however, Kentico cuts the cord, and Kentico sites built in WebForms cannot be upgraded to version 13 without being completely redeveloped in ASP.NET Core MVC. Kentico will discontinue support for version 12 (WebForms) after December 31, 2023.
Redesign or Upgrade?
So, in non-geek terms, what does this mean for you? If your site is older, it might be time to
plan for a redesign so you aren’t left behind by technology. ASP.NET Core MVC is the future. If you have questions on where to begin, what that might cost, or how long it might take,
we can help.
Whether you are considering an upgrade of your Kentico 12 MVC site to Kentico 13 or redesigning your older site with Kentico’s latest release, Kentico 13’s ASP.NET Core MVC framework will offer a more modern and modular approach to development, a simplified deployment, and better load times, as well as all of the content editing and marketing bells and whistles we’ve all come to expect in this powerful CMS. We invite you to
visit Kentico for more information on version 13, or
reach out to ZAG, a Kentico Xperience Gold Partner, so we can help recommend the best solution for your company or institution.