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<hr /> Las Vegas in late November always means cool desert air, seasonally appropriate lighting, and a whole lotta tech folk. Right now, the casinos are flush with attendees from <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/top-announcements-of-aws-reinvent-2023/">AWS re:Invent</a>, the cloud computing giant's annual global conference – and odds are they're all betting on AI.It shouldn't be that surprising. Even though AWS dragged its feet by releasing its <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/">Amazon Bedrock</a> GenAI well behind its competitors, the company has made recent strides, upping the ante with <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/microsoft-sharepoint">Microsoft</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/google-cloud-joins-mach-alliance-as-enabler-member">Google</a> in the race for AI dominance. This includes a much-heralded investment in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.anthropic.com/index/anthropic-amazon">Anthropic</a> as a foundational model offering.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2023/11/20/1197958395/the-messy-human-drama-behind-openai">fresh drama with OpenAI</a> might also be delivering an early Christmas gift as companies explore alternative models for their growing AI initiatives – and look to trusted brands like Amazon to supply those services.AI has been a huge focus of re:Invent thus far, with AWS announcing its new <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-q-brings-generative-ai-powered-assistance-to-it-pros-and-developers-preview/">Amazon Q GenAI chatbot</a>. But along with the company's impressive cadre of machine learning services, it is also showcasing partner technologies with new offerings – including business applications like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management.</a> Today, as part of its AWS Partner Network Competency program, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/solodev">Solodev</a> – a cloud services company – announced that it had achieved the new AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency in the Digital Customer Experience category. Solodev and other technologies were highlighted during re:Invent as competency launch partners. According to the company's press release, the achievement recognizes Solodev's expertise in providing customers with professional services and software solutions. These capabilities let advertisers and marketers power workloads with advanced enterprise content management (CMS) technology, accelerating the creation of digital experiences for both web and omnichannel applications. “Solodev is proud to achieve the AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency in the Digital Customer Experience category,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/techcto/">Shawn Moore</a>, Chief Technology Officer at Solodev. “Our customers have always benefited from our deep investment in AWS as the most trusted cloud infrastructure. Now, we’re building the future of digital experiences by offering serverless capabilities, omnichannel for IoT, and even generative AI to help advertisers and marketers personalize content, run experiments, optimize sites and apps, and convert more customers.”<h3>Powering digital experiences in the cloud</h3>As advertisers and marketers look to leverage the cloud to innovate and realize digital transformation, they increasingly need purpose-built solutions. AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency Partners provide these customers – including advertising agencies, marketers, publishers, advertising and marketing technology providers, and analytics service providers – with AWS-validated solutions and services, helping accelerate their transformation. While brands and integrators look for ways to host, manage, scale, and secure their customer websites and mobile applications, having a content management system that is built on AWS at a foundational level is essential to meeting modern demands. While many CMS tools exist in the market, few are built for the full potential of the AWS cloud and its service architecture.A cloud-first CMS built exclusively on AWS, Solodev provides its users with access to scalable, cutting-edge capabilities like serverless, e-commerce, Internet of Things (IoT), and AI. Solodev also provides its advertising and marketing customers – including agencies and brands – with a sandbox to create highly engaging web and mobile experiences across a wide range of industries and use cases.<h3>CMS features designed for advertising and marketing</h3>Solodev delivers end-to-end control with a rich combination of features. This includes low code/no code functionality for advertisers, marketers, and content creators to run productive content operations. At the same time, developers have full access to code for building custom experiences. As a hybrid <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms">headless</a> platform, Solodev also provides an ecosystem for managing legacy and omnichannel strategies in a single platform, along with a marketplace of integrations that covers ad tech, advanced AWS services, and AI-powered personalization.While the features of the CMS are robust, so too are the DevOps capabilities. From the <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/seller-profile?id=8e11c912-6253-41b8-b065-bf32bd27911b">AWS Marketplace</a>, any organization can spin up and deploy Solodev in their own single-tenant AWS account. License options include Professional, Enterprise, or even a container version with <a target="_blank" href="https://kubernetes.io/">Kubernetes</a>.<h3>Harnessing advanced features, from serverless to AI</h3>While its CMS products are part of its feature set, Solodev positions itself as a “cloud services company” – and for good reason. Coupled with innovation around a broader stack of its own cloud applications, Solodev provides professional consulting services for advertising and marketing customers, helping them build and support infrastructure and DevOps for their cloud services. This includes serverless strategies powered by <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/fargate/">AWS Fargate</a> for high-availability applications that demand significant scalability. Agencies and brands can also leverage Solodev AI to host and train their own models in the cloud and add powerful solutions to personalize experiences, recommend products and services, and harness generative AI at scale. <h3>Differentiating through the AWS competency program</h3>AWS enables scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from hundreds of partners, from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, the <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/partners/programs/competencies/">AWS Competency Program</a> was designed to help customers identify validated AWS Partner solutions and services for specific industry use cases.According to the press release, the <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/advertising-marketing/partners/">AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency</a> highlights Solodev’s technical proficiency, specific domain knowledge, and proven customer success running cloud solutions on AWS for the advertising and marketing industry. To achieve any competency in its program, AWS Partners must undergo rigorous technical validation by AWS solution architects and have verified customer references. You can explore the various AWS Partner solutions and services offered in its AWS Data Exchange, via the AWS Marketplace, or by browsing the APN Partner Network – which includes Solodev.

Solodev Achieves New AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology Competency at AWS re:Invent 

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<a href="https://www.ces.tech/" target="_blank">CES 2023</a> is officially a wrap. And while there were hover bikes and a <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2023/01/06/all-electric-delorean-car-spotted-at-massive-las-vegas-tech-show-18052495/" target="_blank">new electric DeLorean</a> to whet your appetite for hype, one cloud CMS provider was adamant about saving the best for last.
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/solodev-cms-for-kubernetes-now-available-with-contract-pricing-in-aws-marketplace-for-containers-anywhere/">Solodev</a>, the cloud platform company with a marketplace of content management offerings, just announced the launch of its Solodev Serverless CMS: a cloud-native enterprise content management system that runs serverless on AWS.
Powered by Solodev Serverless, the company's advanced stack of serverless technologies, Solodev Serverless CMS is fully deployed on <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/solodev-achieves-aws-public-safety-disaster-response-competency-status/">Amazon Web Services (AWS)</a> and capable of running high-availability workloads with unmatched scalability.
The product was unveiled during the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas as part of Solodev’s new <a href="https://goserverless.solodev.com/">"Go Serverless™"</a> campaign.
<h2>Solodev Serverless is "CMS redefined"</h2>
Delivering a highly composable set of cloud-based services, Solodev's new Serverless CMS is designed to power both traditional and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless</a> websites and apps, including Jamstack frameworks like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-jamstack-static-site-generators-for-2021/">React</a>. As a fully serverless solution, it leverages a host of leading cloud-based container technologies including Docker, Kubernetes, AWS Fargate, and more – all instantly deployed on the AWS infrastructure.
Solodev Serverless CMS also delivers a range of new cloud-first features such as dynamic modules, a drag-and-drop page builder, furl management, and advanced form capabilities that include security and fraud prevention.
Solodev Serverless CMS users will also have access to the <a href="https://www.solodev.com/marketplace">Solodev Marketplace</a>, featuring hundreds of third-party platforms like Salesforce and advanced cloud services from AWS.
<h2>Rallying the market to "Go Serverless"</h2>
The launch of Solodev Serverless CMS is part of the company’s new “Go Serverless” campaign, promoting the benefits of serverless technology for powering modern apps in the cloud. This seems to be a critical focus for the AWS Advanced Technology ISV, which has become more of a cloud platform provider offering a myriad of services within its marketplace of solutions. 
When it comes to digital experiences, one of the biggest pain points for organizations is maintaining legacy apps on servers. According to a <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/02/08/2380810/0/en/Legacy-Applications-Are-Hindering-Digital-Transformation-Initiatives.html" target="_blank">2022 survey by 2nd Watch</a>, 80% of companies are still running workloads and applications on-premises, which is hindering their digital transformation initiatives. This is further compounded by a lack of skills and expertise across their IT teams for managing servers, particularly as apps become more complex and require more resources to scale.
According to the company's press release, Solodev Serverless – the technology behind the new serverless CMS – has been successfully deployed for numerous customers across a range of industries, enabling commercial enterprises and public sector organizations to enhance scalability, improve security, reduce costs, and achieve their cloud transformation goals. 
One such success story was recently featured at the <a href="https://reinvent.awsevents.com/" target="_blank">AWS re:Invent Conference</a> in Las Vegas in early December, which included Solodev's case study for the <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/partners/success/special-olympics-usa-games-solodev/" target="_blank">2022 Special Olympics USA Games.</a> In this compelling example, Solodev's serverless technology and consulting were utilized to build a highly scalable architecture for the 2022 USA Games, powering its groundbreaking mobile fan engagement app on AWS.
<h2>Manage content, not servers</h2>
According to the company, Solodev Serverless is giving enterprise and public sector organizations a way to "break free" from the burden of managing on-prem servers and virtual machines, allowing them to scale infinitely to meet their growth objectives. As a composable, cloud-based solution with headless CMS capabilities, it's also enabling customers to build their own stack of DX tools and services via APIs, including advanced AWS services like AI and IoT. 
From a DevOps perspective, Solodev Serverless includes everything from Git to container orchestration with AWS Fargate, cloud-based IAM with AWS Cognito, database services like AWS DynamoDB, monitoring via Amazon CloudWatch, and more. But this all buoys a marketing team's ability to focus less on server management and more on content operations.
“If you’re asking what’s next for digital transformation, the answer is clear: go serverless,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/techcto/" target="_blank">Shawn Moore</a>, Chief Technology Officer at Solodev. “As organizations look to modernize their websites and apps, serverless has unlocked the true potential of the cloud, allowing organizations to eliminate the burden of managing servers and focus on their apps. It also delivers unmatched scalability and enhanced security, all while reducing costs – and that’s why every business should be thinking about how to go serverless.”
<h2>Investing in serverless education and resources</h2>
As part of its “Go Serverless” campaign, Solodev has <a href="https://goserverless.solodev.com/">launched a dedicated microsite</a> featuring eBooks and resources for educating the market on the benefits of serverless. This includes general information and guidance for building a serverless stack from an ecosystem of services, as well as best practices for serverless success.
“Solodev Serverless CMS is the most robust content management system designed for a composable future in the cloud,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgarrepy/" target="_blank">Matt Garrepy</a>, Chief Digital Officer at Solodev. “Solodev has a legacy of firsts with our cloud-based CMS, and we’re giving content operations teams a radical new solution for powering their omnichannel strategies with distributed tools in the cloud. We make it easy to deploy, assemble, and start creating, from a single page to an enterprise eCommerce workload. We have the building blocks, and it’s all powered by the scalability of serverless.”
Solodev Serverless CMS is now available and can be procured on-demand through the AWS Marketplace, via public sector schedule contracts, and soon through the Solodev Marketplace. To learn more about Solodev Serverless, visit the “Go Serverless” microsite at <a href="https://goserverless.solodev.com/" target="_blank">goserverless.solodev.com</a>.
<h2>About Solodev</h2>
The Solodev Cloud Platform is the internet’s largest ecosystem of cloud and digital experience technologies – from containers to blockchain, content to AI. With Solodev, developers and organizations can build amazing customer experiences, deploy cloud and blockchain apps, launch custom marketplaces, and collaborate on digital transformation. Solodev also provides consulting, training, managed services, and 24/7 human support to help users succeed on their cloud journey. An Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Technology Partner, Solodev has achieved rigorous competencies in Government, Education, Digital Customer Experience (DCX), and Public Safety &amp; Disaster Response. Solodev Cloud Services – including CMS, Kubernetes, and Personalize – can be purchased on-demand in the AWS Marketplace, through State and Federal contract vehicles, or online at <a href="http://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">www.solodev.com</a>

Solodev Launches Solodev Serverless CMS, the Next Generation of Web Content Management System

Composite vector illustration of servers floating in the sky with an "X" over the arrays, suggesting the concept of serverless technology. Around the servers are a collection of logos including AWS Fargate, Kubernetes, GitHub and BitBucket - all contained in a cloud graphic. Below, two graphical people (a man and a woman) look up in awe with a computer in the center showing a website next to a phone with a mobile app.

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For many software application vendors, the cloud ecosystem has been a bit like baseball: no matter how you're planning to play, you're often forced to pick a team and stick with your bench.
But in the world of containers, the promise of a multi-cloud strategy is creating a new market of free agency – and letting organizations choose the infrastructure that best meets their needs.
While few CMS platforms can claim to be truly "cloud-first," most are providing hosting and infrastructure services that leverage one of the major public clouds. Because of the complexity and variability in service architectures, most vendors have picked either <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon Web Services (AWS)</a> or <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/" target="_blank">Microsoft Azure</a> as their "home team."
But <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/?utm_medium=press-link&amp;utm_source=prnewswire.com&amp;utm_campaign=contentstack-on-microsoft-azure-only-multi-cloud-saas-cms" target="_blank">Contentstack</a> believes you shouldn't have to compromise on which cloud you launch in. Last week, the headless CMS provider announced that it will now offer its platform on Microsoft Azure – right alongside AWS. This makes Contentstack the first multi-cloud SaaS CMS on the market, giving customers the freedom to run their omnichannel content operations on the cloud of their choice. 
Here's the real power play: whether a customer spins up on Azure or AWS, they'll receive the same functionality, pricing, and packaging structure. This gives buyers greater predictability around costs while eliminating any price-based or functional preference for a specific cloud to run their Contentstack workload. 
<h2>Expanding the value of headless CMS with Microsoft Azure</h2>
From the beginning, AWS has owned the lion's share of the cloud market. But Microsoft Azure has been steadily gaining ground – and is now the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2021/02/08/10-charts-that-will-change-your-perspective-of-microsoft-azures-growth/?sh=261f89773087" target="_blank">second-largest provider</a> of cloud infrastructure services. According to Contentstack's press release, 85% of the Fortune 100 and 63% of enterprises overall are running applications on Azure.
Until now, no agile CMS has offered Azure as an option for its customers. While many organizations are managing multi-cloud strategies, one of the most compelling reasons for offering an alternative to AWS is the "Amazon Effect" and its dominance in digital commerce. Many online retailers and e-commerce brands have deeply-held competitive concerns with Amazon – and as a result, Azure has become the preferred choice for running their cloud workloads.
“Azure is continuing to grow market share as a leading cloud provider and businesses are increasingly looking for CMS solutions that run on the platform,” said Nishant Patel, chief technology officer for Contentstack. “Contentstack already has the highest flexibility of cloud infrastructure options on AWS, offering public, dedicated, and private Cloud options in both North American and European instances."
Contentstack also says that a lack of cloud choice has limited many organizations from realizing the benefits of a <a href="https://machalliance.org/" target="_blank">MACH</a> (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-headless-commerce-platforms/">Headless</a>) architecture. With the addition of Azure, those companies will now have access to a MACH approach, allowing them to choose the cloud provider that best suits their business needs.
"Now with added support for Azure public cloud in North America, we are meeting the high demand from retailers and consumer brands who ask for an alternative to Amazon, and large enterprises with strategic connections to Microsoft who want to replace their old-school CMS with an agile option," said Patel. "Any company looking for a future-fit CMS that allows you to run on Azure or AWS should consider Contentstack.”
<h2>Evolving CMS with SaaS and "cloud-agnostic" solutions</h2>
Unlike many monolithic CMS platforms, Contentstack is a SaaS offering that enables users to run in a cloud-agnostic manner. The company says this validates their internal architecture as being highly sophisticated and modern. 
Being cloud-agnostic also means that customers are "inoculated" against vendor lock-in, allowing them to mitigate the risk of costly replatforming. This composable nature aligns perfectly with the core values of the <a href="https://machalliance.org/" target="_blank">MACH Alliance</a>, of which Contentstack is a founding member. Contentstack’s platform is built on API-first principles that are developer-friendly and support a variety of content and delivery models. 
From a technical perspective, Contentstack’s Azure offering falls under ISO27001 certification and the company is working to achieve SOC2 Type II certification by mid-2022.
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<h2>Q&amp;A with Nishant Patel, CTO of Contentstack</h2>
CMS Critic had an opportunity to connect with Nishant Patel, CTO of Contentstack. He shared some of his views on the CMS market, the value of being headless, and what his company is excited about.
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CMS Critic (CC): How are customers able to deploy in Azure? Is this similar to an AWS Marketplace listing?
Nishant Patel (NP): There is no deployment needed. AWS and Azure is a multi-tenant cloud so when customers sign up with us they select the cloud provider and the account is auto-provisioned.
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CMS Critic (CC): You mention that there are no differences in price or functionality from AWS to Azure. Can you speak to any DevOps advantages that Azure might offer for running Contentstack? What services stand out?
Nishant Patel (NP): We have made all our micro-services cloud-agnostic by writing adapters for AWS and Azure. We were able to find comparable services on Azure so migration wasn’t much of a challenge. Azure has Kubernetes as well so our containers are ported very easily from AWS to Azure.
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CMS Critic (CC): Are there plans to expand to any other specific public, private, or autonomous cloud providers?
Nishant Patel (NP): We will consider setting up Contentstack on Azure in the Europe data center as well, similar to how we have two regions currently for AWS (Europe and North America). We are not considering any other cloud provider at the moment.
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CMS Critic (CC): AWS has joined the MACH Alliance as an Enabler. How do you see Microsoft supporting the tenants of MACH now and in the future?
Nishant Patel (NP): Azure is fully capable of hosting SaaS services so I am sure there are a few vendors already in the MACH that probably are fully deployed on Azure. If a MACH vendor is selling into retail companies then they probably will get requests to deploy on non-AWS cloud. Microsoft would be a good alternative solution here.
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<h3>About Contentstack</h3>
Contentstack – the pioneering Agile Content Management System (CMS) – empowers marketers and developers to collaborate around content like never before. Together, they can orchestrate superior customer journeys and deliver dynamic digital experiences across channels, audiences, brands and regions. Companies such as Chase, Express, Holiday Inn, Icelandair, Mattel, McDonald’s, Mitsubishi, Riot Games, Sephora and Shell trust Contentstack to power their most critical content experiences. Famous for its Care Without Compromise™, Contentstack has the industry’s highest customer satisfaction. As a founder of the <a href="https://machalliance.org/" target="_blank">MACH Alliance</a>, Contentstack advocates for open and composable technology that is Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless. Learn more at <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/?utm_medium=press-link&amp;utm_source=prnewswire.com&amp;utm_campaign=contentstack-on-microsoft-azure-only-multi-cloud-saas-cms" target="_blank">http://www.contentstack.com</a>.
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Contentstack Offers Microsoft Azure, Becomes Only Multi-Cloud SaaS CMS: Q&A with CTO Nishant Patel

Image of Contentstack logo with headshot of Nishant Patel, CTO

News travels fast – and in this case, at MACH speed.
Yesterday, the rapidly-growing MACH Alliance <a href="https://machalliance.org/newsroom/aws-joins-mach-alliance" target="_blank">announced the addition of AWS</a> to its roster of Enabler members, joining <a href="https://www.mongodb.com/" target="_blank">MongoDB</a> and <a href="https://www.netlify.com/" target="_blank">Netlify</a> at an exclusive level of visibility. This is a huge point of validation for the movement as the world's largest Cloud infrastructure provider throws its weight behind the foundational principles of MACH.
As the banner in their press release observes, "Great MACH often runs on AWS," and it certainly seems to be the case for many MACH Alliance members tapping services from the Cloud behemoth.
"Since the launch of AWS in 2006, we have espoused the importance of employing a modern architecture for retailers that facilitates rapid change and innovation," said David Dorf, Global Head of Retail Industry Solutions at AWS. "This includes the use of microservices, APIs, and a built-for-the-cloud design. Having been at the very forefront of this movement, we at AWS are proud to join the MACH Alliance to advocate for MACH as an industry standard to deliver the best digital experiences for makers and users."
In December, the MACH Alliance expanded its charter to include the Enabler membership status: a new class of ecosystem partners that are sometimes used by MACH organizations to deliver a service or technology but are not a direct MACH solution provider. To that end, they are "enabling" MACH through their services, which is a key distinction – but also an evolution of the collaborative's fierce governance around certifying members to their cabal.
"Especially in today's volatile commercial environment, businesses must arm themselves to be agile, resilient, and future-proof," said Sonja Keerl, President at MACH Alliance. "Having a flexible, digital backbone plays a critical role in all of those things, as it helps companies adapt to meet ever-changing consumer demands and deliver superior buying experiences. It's a tremendous win to have AWS on board to help champion the MACH principle and its myriad benefits for businesses of all shapes and sizes."
<h2>The monoliths versus the MACHs</h2>
Forrester's <a href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/buy-an-integrated-platform-not-a-box-of-rocks/" target="_blank">Joe Cicman</a> fired a shot heard 'round the world when he described the <a href="https://machalliance.org/" target="_blank">MACH Alliance</a> as "the bouncers controlling the velvet rope at the entrance of the Coolest Tech in Town Club."
Sounds like a hip place to be, unless you're caught in a dance-off between the Jets and the Sharks... AKA the monoliths and the MACHs.
While the debate over the MACH Alliance's certification policies continues to be vigorous – particularly from monolithic enterprise players that don't fit their stringent criteria – there's no question that it has captured the market's attention, growing to over 40 members. These companies have all met the agile requirements of the not-for-profit's mantra: Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless (the "MACH" acronym).
According to their website, A MACH architecture gives companies a deeper level of agility so they can deliver new features to customers faster than ever. While this architectural approach started with <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/commercetools-acquires-frontastic-adds-composable-frontend-capabilities-to-headless-commerce/">commercetools</a> and their omnichannel approach to e-Commerce stores, it is now fundamentally changing the way enterprise software is developed and used across virtually every industry – not just commerce.
The "velvet rope" allusion could not be more apropos when describing the certification of MACH Alliance members. According to a <a href="https://machalliance.org/insights/why-only-companies-can-be-mach-certified-and-not-products" target="_blank">blog post</a> by Sonja Keerl from last October, one of the rules that helps the Alliance board determine certification is that vendors don't carry and promote legacy products along with their modern API-first and Cloud-native SaaS products. This steadfast rule keeps organizations from "MACH washing" their portfolios to achieve a level of readiness – but does not support their organization's mission or focus on the MACH philosophy.
In the same blog post, Keerl said that the MACH Alliance holds itself accountable for providing clarity to buyers, ending confusion, and guaranteeing the "future-proofness" of tech stacks. It's a bold claim, but a powerful one that seems to be resonating across the software landscape.
<h2>The composable revolution cometh</h2>
While the monolith/MACH dance-off continues, <a href="https://www.elasticpath.com/" target="_blank">Elastic Path</a> has responded to the fierce tenants of MACH, suggesting in an opinionated blog post that MACH technologies introduce additional complexity that can be challenging for organizations to manage.
Instead, the company spearheaded its own platform called the <a href="https://www.elasticpath.com/composable-commerce" target="_blank">Composable Commerce Movement</a>, an industry-wide initiative comprised of leading digital commerce technology and solution providers including Algolia, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/what-contentfuls-175m-investment-round-means-for-the-future-of-cms/">Contentful</a>, Amplience, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/bloomreach-acquires-exponea-secures-150m-investment-to-power-e-commerce-saas-expansion/">Bloomreach</a>, PayPal, and others – all with the goal of reducing the risk and complexity of using MACH-based technologies to deliver business outcomes for enterprise brands.
In addition to their industry collective, Elastic Path has also created a <a href="https://www.elasticpath.com/hub" target="_blank">Composable Commerce Hub</a> – an open exchange of composable commerce solutions. This includes a set of pre-composed solutions for B2B, B2C, and omnichannel commerce experiences. The hub also features accelerators for payment plugins, CMS and PIM integrations, and more.
<h2>What does the addition of AWS mean for the MACH Alliance?</h2>
<a href="https://aws.amazon.com/?nc2=h_lg&amp;aws-products-featured.sort-by=item.additionalFields.featuredRank&amp;aws-products-featured.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-analytics.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-analytics.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-cost-mgmt.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-cost-mgmt.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-compute.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-compute.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-containers.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-containers.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-databases.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-databases.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-fe-mobile.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-fe-mobile.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-iot.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-iot.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-ml.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-ml.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-network.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-network.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-security.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-security.sort-order=asc&amp;aws-products-storage.sort-by=item.additionalFields.productNameLowercase&amp;aws-products-storage.sort-order=asc" target="_blank">AWS</a> is a goliath. The mere mention of its name brings serious swagger to any brand's position – and this will pay dividends for the MACH Alliance.
While every member in the collective may not be directly tapping AWS services, there are few organizations that aren't leveraging some facet of Amazon's cloud architecture. This underscores the moniker of "enabler" when it comes to their level of commitment. It also drives greater awareness around the role of Cloud-native in the MACH delivery and how AWS supports that vision for vendors and customers.
MACH is serving a critical role in the market, shaping the voice for a free and open future in enterprise technology. Having AWS align with its principles will have a lasting impact on the organization's perception and growth.
The real test ahead: how current members remain true and steadfast to the core requirements – and avoid plunging into a more monolithic posture based on future acquisitions.
<h2>About the MACH Alliance</h2>
The MACH Alliance is a [501(c)(6)] non-profit organization, governed by an independent board and does not endorse specific vendors, members, or otherwise. The Alliance was formed in June 2020 to help enterprise organizations navigate the complex modern technology landscape. It aims to guide and show the business advantage of open tech ecosystems that are Microservices based, API-first, Cloud-native, and Headless. All MACH Alliance members meet certification principles that are published on the website.
The MACH Alliance welcomes technology companies and individual industry experts who share the same vision for the future. Learn more at <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3414374-1&amp;h=965007050&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fcts.businesswire.com%2Fct%2FCT%3Fid%3Dsmartlink%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fmachalliance.org%252F%26esheet%3D52478831%26newsitemid%3D20210818005487%26lan%3Den-US%26anchor%3Dmachalliance.org%26index%3D5%26md5%3Ddb9d7bdff8c8646152c1923d3ff4adc2&amp;a=machalliance.org" target="_blank">machalliance.org</a>, read here about <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3414374-1&amp;h=2369115186&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fcts.businesswire.com%2Fct%2FCT%3Fid%3Dsmartlink%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fmachalliance.org%252Fblogdetail%252Fbltfc0a3afbca44303e%26esheet%3D52478831%26newsitemid%3D20210818005487%26lan%3Den-US%26anchor%3DMACH%2Bcertification%26index%3D6%26md5%3Dba1c5d6e1bf42963a3a8bb59771d09da&amp;a=MACH+certification" target="_blank">MACH certification</a>, and follow us on <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3414374-1&amp;h=2025488620&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fcts.businesswire.com%2Fct%2FCT%3Fid%3Dsmartlink%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.twitter.com%252Fmachalliance%26esheet%3D52478831%26newsitemid%3D20210818005487%26lan%3Den-US%26anchor%3DTwitter%26index%3D7%26md5%3Ddfeea3f8422d14d51b860d90329a6837&amp;a=Twitter" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3414374-1&amp;h=1575511374&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fcts.businesswire.com%2Fct%2FCT%3Fid%3Dsmartlink%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.linkedin.com%252Fcompany%252Fmachalliance%26esheet%3D52478831%26newsitemid%3D20210818005487%26lan%3Den-US%26anchor%3DLinkedIn%26index%3D8%26md5%3Da1db2958e174d041221c1705e694b6f0&amp;a=LinkedIn" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.
<h2>About AWS</h2>
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully-featured services from data centers globally. Millions of customers – including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies – are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster.

AWS Joins MACH Alliance as Enabler Member, Reflects Growth of Cloud-Native Solutions

Forks up! We've got one more slice of news as we leave November in the rearview.
Along with the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., it was a month full of "stuffing" at the CMS and DXP table. We shared the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/postman-releases-2021-state-of-the-api-report-shows-global-trend-towards-api-first-digital-era/" target="_blank">Postman "State of the API" report</a>, which further cemented the global trend towards an API-first digital era. We also covered <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-by-kentico-aims-to-take-enterprise-headless-cms-to-a-new-level/" target="_blank">Kontent by Kentico's continued efforts to transform headless CMS</a> for the enterprise through committed innovation.
From a mergers and acquisitions perspective, November was a bit cooler than in previous months. But there was one piece of news to dish about: <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/commercetools-acquires-frontastic-adds-composable-frontend-capabilities-to-headless-commerce/" target="_blank">commercetools devoured Frontastic</a>, adding composable frontend capabilities to its headless commerce offering. We'll be following the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-headless-commerce-platforms/" target="_blank">headless commerce</a> sector throughout 2022 as we expect to see more consolidation, investment, and expansion – particularly as Omicron reinforces the focus on digital transformation.
Finally, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/solodev-cms-for-kubernetes-now-available-with-contract-pricing-in-aws-marketplace-for-containers-anywhere/" target="_blank">Solodev launched its CMS for Kubernetes with contract pricing</a> options in the AWS Marketplace. Announced at <a href="https://reinvent.awsevents.com/" target="_blank">AWS re:Invent</a>, this heralds a new era of container offerings, allowing users to deploy in-cloud or on-premises in almost any environment. Solodev was the only CMS in the mix to offer the new capability.
Enough on the leftovers. Here are a few more tidbits to chew on:
 
<h2>MACH Alliance announces eight newly certified companies as Global Membership nears 50</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/11/mach-alliance-new-members.jpeg" alt="MACH Alliance new members logos" />
The <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3366290-1&amp;h=2364601792&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.machalliance.org%2F&amp;a=MACH+Alliance" target="_blank">MACH Alliance</a>, a group of independent tech companies dedicated to advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems, announced that it has certified eight new members in its ecosystem: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.actindo.com/" target="_blank">Actindo AG</a>, a digital operations platform enabling efficient e-commerce</li>
<li><a href="https://www.appnovation.com/" target="_blank">Appnovation</a>, a global digital consultancy specializing in the design, development, and support of engaging experiences</li>
<li><a href="https://www.builder.io/" target="_blank">Builder.io</a>, a platform to visually create and optimize high-speed app and website experiences</li>
<li><a href="https://www.convictional.com/" target="_blank">Convictional</a>,  a supplier enablement platform for retailers and marketplaces</li>
<li><a href="https://www.fast.co/" target="_blank">Fast</a>, a one-click and headless checkout solution making it easier to buy and sell online.</li>
<li><a href="https://graphcms.com/" target="_blank">GraphCMS</a>, the GraphQL Content Federation System</li>
<li><a href="https://www.objectedge.com/" target="_blank">Object Edge</a>, a consultancy that builds digital experiences for enterprise B2B/B2C/D2C commerce and content</li>
<li><a href="https://www.storyblok.com/" target="_blank">Storyblok</a>, a fast-emerging headless content management system. You can check out <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/interview-headless-cms-storyblok-expands-partner-program-with-u-s-agency-campbell-ewald/" target="_blank">our interview with Barry D'Arcy</a>, VP of Partners at Storyblok.</li>
</ul>
The Alliance estimates that roughly 100,000 tech professionals around the globe are now involved with MACH. This is based on the headcounts of member companies and in-house tech teams of enterprises deploying MACH initiatives. 
The Alliance's growth comes as IT budgets are expected to rise faster in 2022 than they have in over a decade – and spending in support of flexible, composable business and IT initiatives will be prioritized as organizations struggle to be digitally agile and meet consumer demands.
"We've reached a moment of reckoning where digital leaders are realizing legacy technologies pose greater risk than reward, and the pandemic has made it more clear than ever that composable architecture is the way forward for the enterprise," said Sonja Keerl, MACH Alliance president. "Even big tech has started slowly moving in this direction, which is all the more reason why the Alliance upholds its high certification standards since MACH-washing has become increasingly common. The Alliance exists to help organizations weed through that noise and be their guide throughout their MACH journey."
MACH stands for Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless. The move towards MACH has accelerated in the past few years, leading to the start of the <a href="https://machalliance.org/" target="_blank">MACH Alliance</a> in 2020. Founded by commercetools, Contentstack, EPAM Systems, Valtech, and 15 members at launch, the MACH Alliance is a non-profit cooperation focused on introducing a new, open, and best-of-breed enterprise technology ecosystem. 
Maintaining Exclusive Certification Standards
The MACH Alliance maintains the <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3366290-1&amp;h=2299048448&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fmachalliance.org%2Finsights%2Fmach-certification-a-seal-of-confidence&amp;a=highest+standards" target="_blank">highest standards</a> in order for companies to become certified. The high bar provides enterprises with essentially an insurance policy that guarantees future-proof technology. Choosing a certified MACH vendor helps ensure the following:
<ul>
<li>Connectability: other applications connect easily through API</li>
<li>Scalability: cloud-native SaaS ensures seamless rolling upgrades that don't require human intervention</li>
<li>Swapability:  companies can easily add and replace software and make changes on the fly without disrupting front end UX/UI</li>
<li>Adaptability: the functionality of the software can be used with multiple front ends</li>
<li>Flexibility and Transparency: prevents vendor lock-in, allowing companies to stay in charge of their own technology and be able to respond to any situation</li>
</ul>
Gaining Investor Attention
MACH Alliance vendor members have accumulated more than $2.5 billion in funding, and the valuation of the category just by its vendors is estimated at over $20 billion.
The Alliance has played a key part in fueling this interest, with the group referred to by Forrester analyst Joe Cicman as being "...the bouncers controlling the velvet rope at the entrance of the Coolest Tech in Town Club." In his July write-up, "<a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3366290-1&amp;h=3090673364&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forrester.com%2Fblogs%2Fbuy-an-integrated-platform-not-a-box-of-rocks%2F&amp;a=Buy+An+Integrated+DXP+Platform%2C+Not+Just+A+Box+Of+Rocks" target="_blank">Buy An Integrated DXP Platform, Not Just A Box Of Rocks</a>," Cicman noted how the MACH Alliance enforces the definition of modern technology. He also reinforced the importance of composable set-ups, stating the only practical playbook today is one that is cloud-native.
Learn more at <a href="http://www.machalliance.org/" target="_blank">www.machalliance.org</a>.
<h2>GoDaddy data breach impacts over 1.2 million WordPress accounts</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/11/binary-g2d4825f8f_1280.jpg" alt="Hacker and binary numbers" />
Alas, there are WordPress woes in the land of GoDaddy...
In a statement released by <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1609711/000160971121000122/gddyblogpostnov222021.htm" target="_blank">the Securities and Exchange Commission</a>, GoDaddy's Chief Information Security Officer Demetrius Comes said they discovered unauthorized third-party access to their managed WordPress hosting environment.
<div>Comes also stated that upon identifying this incident, they immediately blocked the unauthorized third party from their system. They have determined that beginning on September 6, 2021, the culprit used the vulnerability to gain access to the following customer information:</div>
<ul>
<li>Up to 1.2 million active and inactive Managed WordPress email addresses and customer numbers: The exposure of email addresses presents a risk of increased phishing attacks.</li>
<li>The original WordPress Admin password set at the time of provisioning: If those credentials were still in use, GoDaddy reset those passwords.</li>
<li>sFTP and database usernames and passwords for active customers</li>
<li>SSL private key for a subset of active customers: GoDaddy is in the process of issuing and installing new certificates for those affected.</li>
</ul>
<div>The investigation is ongoing and GoDaddy is contacting all impacted customers directly with specific details. If you're concerned, contact GoDaddy via their <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/help">help center</a>.</div>
 
<h2>WordPress 5.9 Release Date Gets Delayed to January 25, 2022</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/11/wordpress-59.jpg" alt="WordPress 5.9" />
Keeping up with WordPress version releases is a bit like playing pool with a rope. While Gutenberg gets new enhancements almost every two weeks, bigger releases are much less reliable. 
Case in point: the latest version of WordPress – 5.9 Beta – <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/5-9/" target="_blank">was scheduled for release</a> on November 16th. Apparently, that news was a bit premature, and the organization <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/11/17/wordpress-5-9-beta-1-delayed/" target="_blank">shifted the release to January 25, 2022</a>, to accommodate 5.9's new features.
Perhaps this is understandable given that WordPress is the most widely used open-source CMS on the planet. Maintaining standards is key, and even the most minor changes can impact users. That said, WordPress has a documented philosophy around development: <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2010/04/20/deadlines-are-not-arbritrary-theyre-a/" target="_blank">deadlines are not arbitrary</a>. Schedules can shift if results demand it, but there's a clear focus on making commitments and sticking to timelines. 
Such is life. We hope to see 5.9 on January 25th.
What is included in WordPress 5.9?
According to WordPress, 5.9 is expected to be a ground-breaking release. It will introduce the next generation of themes with <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2021/10/06/introducing-twenty-twenty-two/" target="_blank">Twenty Twenty-Two</a> joining the party and over 30 theme blocks to build all parts of your site.
Here's a sneak peek video of 5.9:
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XvEG9XWD4JI" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
 
<h2>commercetools Acquires Frontastic, adds composable frontend capabilities to headless commerce</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/11/commercetools_frontastic_featured.jpg" alt="Composite image of the commercetools and frontastic logos on a blended background" />
commercetools, a leading headless e-Commerce platform, recently <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/commercetools-acquires-frontastic-adds-composable-frontend-capabilities-to-headless-commerce/" target="_blank">announced</a> the acquisition of Frontastic, a composable frontend platform.
The purchase comes just a few months after commercetools announced a $140 million <a href="https://commercetools.com/press-releases/commercetools-secures-140m-series-c-funding-round-to-accelerate-global-growth" target="_blank">Series C funding round</a>. The company hopes it will broaden the reach of its game-changing commerce technology for creating differentiated user experiences.
"We've been partnering with the Frontastic team since the very beginning and see a huge market opportunity for their Composable Frontend Platform around the world," said Dirk Hoerig, CEO and Co-Founder of commercetools. "With this powerful combination, we're bringing the MACH (Microservices, API, Cloud, and Headless) movement to the mid-market as well as to digital business teams so that more companies can benefit from modern commerce experiences."
It's worth noting that commercetools was one of the earlier headless commerce platforms on the scene, helping to shape the modern standards for headless commerce. Their decoupled environment now enables a multitude of commerce capabilities across an ever-growing network of channels and endpoints. Like other platforms in the composable field, commercetools also embraces the <a href="https://machalliance.org/" target="_blank">MACH principles</a> – providing a truly open, modular environment that enables businesses to embrace innovation and respond to change quickly.

CMS Monthly Recap: MACH Alliance Announces New Members, GoDaddy Data Breach, commercetools Acquires Frontastic, and More

Monthly Recap featured image with title text against a photo of a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream

Just as we're recovering from a Thanksgiving turkey coma, the cloud is served with all the trimmings at the annual <a href="https://reinvent.awsevents.com/" target="_blank">AWS re:Invent</a> conference in Las Vegas.
If you haven't attended their annual "winter wonderland" of new services, it's an early Christmas delivery of new technologies from the reigning cloud leader. This includes everything from new AI and IoT services to satellite "<a href="https://aws.amazon.com/ground-station/" target="_blank">ground station-as-a-service</a>" capabilities (which can presumably track Santa as he traverses the globe).
While much of the fare at re:Invent is the domain of developers and DevOps professionals, the <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace" target="_blank">AWS Marketplace</a> has grown to include a much deeper bench of digital experience players – specifically in their new <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/campaigns/dcx/" target="_blank">DCX (digital customer experience) category</a>. This collection of marketing and advertising technologies includes a stack of content, ad tech, CRM, customer 360, and other platform providers that fill a business app void that AWS has struggled to fill. Now, it seems that lump of coal is producing a few diamonds.
At re:Invent, content management and digital experience platforms aren't typically the focus of attention. But the first day featured an innovative new offering with just a handful of launch partners – and among them was <a href="https://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">Solodev</a>, an enterprise CMS and cloud app platform built for AWS. The company announced that customers can now procure <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-s7tpcn3m7fuf6?ref_=srh_res_product_title" target="_blank">Solodev CMS for Kubernetes</a> – its popular enterprise content management system – in the AWS Marketplace as part of Amazon's new "Containers Anywhere" program. 
According to Solodev, the new contract pricing provides customers with greater choice over their infrastructure options, allowing them to quickly and easily subscribe to Solodev’s CMS software and deploy in their own AWS account or in a pre-existing on-premises Kubernetes cluster. This helps reduce the cost and friction associated with purchasing a cloud-first enterprise content management system regardless of the infrastructure – whether it’s a Kubernetes cluster on AWS or a pre-existing infrastructure such as HP or VMware. 
By providing a more seamless buying experience in AWS Marketplace, Solodev now offers an easier way to add their CMS almost anywhere – giving marketing teams rich tools for building websites, apps, and API-driven solutions for running omnichannel content operations at enterprise scale.
<h2>Containers continue to drive digital transformation</h2>
As both commercial and public sector organizations invest in digital transformation, the cloud represents a significant opportunity for enhancing security, scalability, and redundancy while modernizing legacy systems. However, due to regulatory governance and other persistent requirements, some software must remain on-premises to meet compliance.
Containers have presented a new channel for making software more transportable to different environments, starting with local and moving to production in clusters. But developers and organizations need more – and with cloud providers like AWS, this has been a challenge with on-prem customers who want the ease of purchasing software in the AWS Marketplace while spinning up container images wherever they want.
Now, administrators can procure Solodev CMS for Kubernetes – a fully-containerized solution that customers can deploy to Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), Amazon EKS Anywhere, or any Kubernetes cluster – and manage their subscription through AWS Marketplace in the environment of their choice.
For a CMS player, Solodev has been pioneering a lot of innovation in both containers and serverless. Recently, the company <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/solodev-selected-as-cloud-consulting-partner-of-the-2022-special-olympics-usa-games/" target="_blank">announced the deployment of a completely serverless infrastructure</a> built on AWS for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, which will power a fan engagement app that serves thousands of concurrent users next June. Solodev's container solution leverages <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/fargate/" target="_blank">Amazon Fargate</a> and other services to enable a stateless app to run on multiple containers without virtual instances – reducing the overall costs while enabling unprecedented scalability.
<h2>Managing software licenses in the cloud at scale</h2>
According to Solodev, the new contract pricing in the AWS Marketplace is facilitated by its Solodev License Manager for AWS. This is a new product that's powered by the <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/license-manager/" target="_blank">AWS License Manager</a> and helps customers gain control over their cloud app license management – which helps reduce costs and provide governance over usage.  
Solodev CMS for Kubernetes will also deliver more predictable monthly pricing. Users can procure either cloud or on-premises options per node, with contract pricing in four tiers: monthly, annual, 24-month, or 36-month terms. This marks a significant shift in AWS utilization pricing for container products, which have only been available in hourly or annual options. The new pricing model gives administrators greater visibility around their budgeting and planning, aligning with more traditional models for procuring enterprise software.
“The new contract pricing in AWS Marketplace makes self-service enterprise CMS a reality,” said Shawn Moore, Chief Technology Officer at Solodev. “Offering Solodev CMS in-cloud or on-prem puts the power back in the hands of our customers, giving them a CMS that works anywhere and is built on container technology that’s designed to scale. We’re excited to add this incredible service to our AWS Marketplace listings, where enterprise and public sector organizations can procure everything on their own terms and build amazing websites, applications, and digital experiences.”
<h2>From content to crypto</h2>
Solodev’s new product joins a host of options available in the AWS Marketplace, including their <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/seller-profile?id=8e11c912-6253-41b8-b065-bf32bd27911b" target="_blank">Solodev CMS Lite, Professional, and Enterprise Editions</a>. All three are available with free trials and can be spun up in an AWS account in minutes via AWS Cloudformation. 
The evolution of Solodev as a pure CMS platform to a "cloud app ecosystem" has been more pronounced as of late. The company still appearsto be focused on supporting its core content management system and enabling users to build digital experiences with a <a href="https://www.magnolia-cms.com/blog/what-is-a-headless-cms.html" target="_blank">headless hybrid</a> set of features. However, the evolution continues with the launch of its new <a href="https://www.solodev.com/marketplace" target="_blank">Solodev Marketplace</a> in 2021 – an e-Commerce-like shopping experience that features a deep bench of cloud and digital marketing services that can be procured and connected in one place.
The new Solodev Marketplace also features <a href="https://www.solodev.com/news/solodev-now-offers-managed-blockchain-for-cardano-and-ethereum-for-building-high-utility-blockchain-and-crypto-apps-in-the-cloud.stml" target="_blank">blockchain and crypto services for Cardano and Ethereum</a>, two new additions that appear to signal their push into utility-based apps for smart contracts and custom cryptocurrencies. 
Solodev's launch in the AWS Marketplace for Containers Anywhere was announced at AWS re:Invent, and represents the company’s continued innovation in both product development and cloud infrastructure. As an AWS Advanced Technology Partner, Solodev has previously announced launch partnerships at re:Invent for the AWS Marketplace for Containers, as well as the <a href="https://www.solodev.com/news/solodev-achieves-aws-public-safety-disaster-response-competency-status.stml" target="_blank">AWS Public Safety and Disaster Response Competency</a>.
For more details, <a href="mailto:matt@solodev.com" target="_blank">contact Solodev today</a>.  
<h2>About Solodev</h2>
Solodev is an enterprise CMS and digital ecosystem for building custom cloud apps, from content to crypto. With Solodev, developers and organizations can launch amazing customer experiences, power omnichannel strategies, build and deploy blockchain apps, and collaborate on digital transformation. Solodev also provides DevOps, training, managed services, and 24/7 human support to help users succeed on their cloud journey. Solodev products – including CMS, Kubernetes, and Personalize – can be purchased on-demand in AWS Marketplace, through State and Federal contract vehicles, or online at <a href="http://www.solodev.com">www.solodev.com</a>

Solodev CMS for Kubernetes Now Available with Contract Pricing in AWS Marketplace for Containers Anywhere

Image of AWS reinvent logo and Solodev logo against a black background

As the U.S. heads into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, we've got some fireworks on display across the digital experience stack. 
Let's light things up with some of the biggest news we've been following this month.
 
<h2>Constant Contact to acquire SharpSpring</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/constant-contact-sharpspring-1.jpg" alt="Constant Contact and SharpSping logos " />
<a href="https://www.constantcontact.com/" target="_blank">Constant Contact</a>, the e-commerce focused marketing platform, announced it has signed a <a href="https://news.constantcontact.com/2021-06-22-Clearlake-Capital-and-Siris-Backed-Constant-Contact-Agrees-to-Acquire-SharpSpring" target="_blank">definitive agreement to acquire</a> SharpSpring. Backed by Clearlake Capital Group and Siris Capital, the all-cash transaction is valued at approximately $240 million.
<a href="https://sharpspring.com/" target="_blank">SharpSpring</a> is a cloud-based marketing automation platform that improves the effectiveness of marketing strategies for small businesses (SMBs). A preferred toolkit for digital agencies, SharpSpring helps generate leads, improve conversions to sales, and drive higher returns on marketing investments. 
Nearly a household name across the digital marketing community, Constant Contact is a legacy platform that provides a full suite of marketing tools catering mainly to small businesses, freelancers, and nonprofits. Constant Contact continues to be one of the most recognized services for managing email marketing campaigns but has more recently added <a href="https://www.constantcontact.com/website" target="_blank">website building features</a> and social media marketing capabilities. 
With the integration of SharpSpring, Constant Contact's users will be able to easily engage customers throughout their journey and deliver better marketing-driven results. SharpSpring also brings a layer of CRM capabilities to the mix, allowing Constant Contact to elevate and evolve the customer experience.
"Constant Contact and SharpSpring share a mission to help small businesses succeed, and this acquisition represents a powerful opportunity to combine our best-in-class email and e-commerce offerings with SharpSpring's strong suite of revenue growth and marketing automation tools," said Frank Vella, CEO at Constant Contact. "Today's Constant Contact retains the customer-first culture that defined our heritage, and I am excited to expand upon that with a commitment to innovation that will accelerate our growth and build upon the passion and agility that has made our brand a leader in digital marketing for so many years."
<h2>WP Engine launches Premier, its new enterprise WordPress platform</h2>
<img style="max-width:899px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/wpengine-premier.png" alt="WPEngine Premier" />
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wp-engine-releases-worlds-first-study-of-the-wordpress-economy-cites-awe-inspiring-numbers/" target="_blank">WPEngine</a>, a digital experience platform for WordPress, has <a href="https://wpengine.com/blog/wp-engine-launches-premier-enterprise-wordpress-platform/" target="_blank">announced</a> the launch of Premier – a new enterprise platform that delivers improved security, performance, and scalability. 
An established <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wp-engine-releases-worlds-first-study-of-the-wordpress-economy-cites-awe-inspiring-numbers/" target="_blank">leader in managed WordPress hosting and services</a>, WP Engine powers the top 200,000 websites by traffic, making it one of the most trusted brands on the market. Now, with the addition of Premier, the DXP will offer enterprise-grade security for WordPress – a sought-after requirement for many organizations concerned about the risks posed by WordPress. 
As part of their enterprise strategy, WP Engine completed a <a href="https://www.imperva.com/learn/data-security/soc-2-compliance/" target="_blank">SOC 2 Type II</a> examination to ensure that Premier met the highest standards of security and availability. It also features protection from unauthenticated file system access, managed web application firewall (WAF), DDoS mitigation, and encrypted global network routing.
For WP Engine customers, Premier is an island of stability in a sea of open source. The new platform boasts a 99.99% uptime SLA, a global network of data centers, managed CDN, <a href="https://wpengine.com/evercache/" target="_blank">WP Engine Evercache</a> (proprietary front-end caching), and automatic PHP and WordPress updates. This mix could have a dramatic influence on organizations as they consider modernizing and re-platforming on WordPress for enterprise applications. 
"Enterprises need more time focusing on their customers and growing their business, rather than worrying about the security and scale of the technology they use," said Lisa Box, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise for WP Engine.
To learn more about WP Engine's Premier Enterprise WordPress platform, visit the <a href="https://wpengine.com/enterprise/" target="_blank">Premier web page.</a>
<h2>Salesforce and AWS expand partnership with key integrations</h2>
<img style="max-width:770px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/aws-salesforce.jpg" alt="AWS Salesforce logos" />
<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/reviews/salesforce-cms-review-evolving-a-crm-powerhouse-into-a-dxp-challenger/" target="_blank">Salesforce</a>, the world's leading CRM platform – and <a href="https://www.aws.com" target="_blank">AWS</a>, the industry's undisputed champion of the cloud – <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2021/06/23/salesforce-aws-partnership-expansion/" target="_blank">announced</a> a significant expansion to their global partnership. 
While the two tech giants have had an existing relationship for some time, they are now offering an enhanced set of capabilities that will make it easier for developers to build and launch custom applications in Salesforce that natively leverage AWS services. This tighter integration will also connect data and workflows securely across both ecosystems.
Custom coding has long been a requirement for integrating AWS and Salesforce, but this expanded offering will enable customers to use both platforms seamlessly through a set of unified capabilities. The companies have also collaborated on new low-code tools to help customers build innovative applications that connect data in real-time between Salesforce applications and AWS services. 
"For more than five years, our customers have benefitted from a tight relationship between AWS and Salesforce. Now, we are taking the partnership to the next level by integrating our offerings so developers using both AWS and Salesforce can build unified applications much faster and simpler than ever before," said <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/andy-jassy-amazons-new-ceo-signals-bold-future-for-loud-and-digital-experiences/" target="_blank">Andy Jassy</a>, CEO of Amazon Web Services. "With this partnership, we are significantly simplifying developers' lives and empowering them to develop applications however they want, from wherever they want globally, at any scale."
You can read all the details of the new capabilities in the <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2021/06/23/salesforce-aws-partnership-expansion/" target="_blank">Salesforce press release</a>.
<h2>Joomla 4 RC 1 and Joomla 3.10 Alpha 8 are here</h2>
<img style="max-width:870px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/joomla4-400-rc1.jpg" alt="Joomla 4" />
The Joomla! Project <a href="https://www.joomla.org/announcements/release-news/5839-joomla-4-rc-3-and-joomla-3-10-alpha-8-are-here.html" target="_blank">announced</a> the availability of the first <a href="https://joom.la/4rc3" target="_blank">Joomla! CMS 4.0 Release Candidate 3</a> and <a href="https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/releases/tag/3.10.0-alpha8" target="_blank">Joomla 3.10 Alpha 8</a>. These releases are aimed at extension and template developers so they can prepare their products for the stable release of Joomla! CMS 4.0. 
Here are a few of the standout features:
Joomla4Accessibility: Accessibility is a must with every modern digital experience, and Joomla! 4 delivers some marked improvements from the ground up. The platform aims for <a href="https://www.w3.org/" target="_blank">W3C Accessibility Guidelines</a> (WCAG) 2.0 with AA compliance – and the layout, contrast, and infrastructure all have accessibility built-in at a foundational level.
Joomla4Speed: Whether a website is focused on e-commerce or static content, speed is one of the top factors impacting conversions. With Joomla! 4, users can benefit from increased load time and performance, which can improve the overall customer experience. 
Joomla4Workflows: Combined with a number of improvements in the media manager, Joomla!'s new workflow and media manager are designed to streamline processes and help users work more efficiently with their content operations. 
Joomla4Emails: From a marketing automation perspective, Joomla! now lets you craft and deliver customized emails with its new templating system, allowing for greater control over branding and formatting.
Joomla4Search: With advanced filtering and indexing, Joomla! 4 boasts a boost to search with its enhanced capabilities.
<h2>OpenText and Hyland named "Leaders" in Content Platforms by Forrester</h2>
<img style="max-width:600px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/forrester-wave-content-platforms-2021.gif" alt="Forrester Wave Content Platforms 2021" />
It's hard to believe that it's already Q2 of 2021. Like clockwork, Forrester has issued its quarterly Wave Report for Content Platforms, and both <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/opentext-adds-new-content-services-to-power-modern-work-in-the-cloud/" target="_blank">OpenText</a> and <a href="https://www.hyland.com/" target="_blank">Hyland</a> are battling out the pole position with <a href="https://www.microsoft.com" target="_blank">Microsoft</a>. 
OpenText <a href="https://www.opentext.com/about/press-releases?id=D5A0D9EE2F914B948C0C0722E5F2B23B" target="_blank">announced</a> that its Extended ECM has been named a "Leader" in the <a href="https://www.opentext.com/info/ecm/forrester-wave" target="_blank">Q2 2021 Wave Report,</a> receiving the highest possible scores in the criteria of support for team or project workspaces, packaged applications, integration and interoperability, and lifecycle management.
OpenText's product strategy and focus on enterprise applications have been amplified by its multi-year cloud investment. In April, OpenText also launched its cloud-native SaaS offering, <a href="https://blogs.opentext.com/introducing-opentext-core-content/" target="_blank">Core Content</a>, built on its OT2 platform. All of this is shifting the dynamics in its favor, and Forrester is clearly taking notice – as they are only trailing Microsoft. 
Likewise, Hyland has also been <a href="https://www.hyland.com/en/learn/it-programs/forrester-wave-content-services-Q2-2021" target="_blank">named a "Leader"</a> in the report, buoyed by its cloud and innovation strategy and its vertical focus. If you recall, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hyland-enters-agreement-to-acquire-nuxeo/" target="_blank">Hyland purchased Nuxeo</a> in March of this year, giving the platform some extra juice with both enterprise content management (ECM) and digital asset management (DAM) capabilities. 
Hyland is clearly driving digital transformation with a modern and forward-thinking approach, leveraging a cloud-first vision and a variety of scalable cloud offerings – including the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hyland-acquires-alfresco-focuses-on-cloud-and-global-expansion-of-enterprise-cms/" target="_blank">Alfresco Digital Business Platform.</a> Additionally, Hyland is gaining ground with its wide array of options, including open platform development, low-code toolkits, and repeatable, specialized industry and departmental solutions. 
<h2>Firecrackers, anyone?</h2>
We prefer bottle rockets, but that's just us. From the entire staff at CMS Critic, we wish you a safe and happy Independence Day.

CMS Monthly Recap: WP Engine Launches Enterprise WordPress Platform, Salesforce and AWS Expand Partnership, and More

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Monthly Recap with fireworks in background

A short while after Amazon said hello to <a href="https://tamebay.com/2021/02/amazon-breaks-a-100-billion-quarter-with-record-sales.html#:~:text=Jeff%20Bezos%20chose%20Amazon's%20best,%24100%20billion%20quarter%20sales%20barrier.">$100 billion in a single quarter</a>, it said goodbye to its founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos.
After 30 years, the internet retailer announced that <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/02/jeff-bezos-to-step-down-as-amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-to-take-over-in-q3.html">Bezos would step down</a> as chief executive officer and transition to the role of executive chairman. The plan will take effect in Q3 of 2021, with Bezos continuing to work on initiatives like his namesake Earth Fund, <a href="https://www.blueorigin.com/">Blue Origin</a>, The Washington Post, and other passion projects.
Bezos will leave an astounding legacy. What started as a small online bookstore has become the template for e-Commerce and digital innovation. It has changed industries, challenged supply chains, redefined distribution, and ushered in the modern concept of the digital customer experience.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon provided a lifeline to millions of sheltered citizens toiling for toilet paper in a contactless world. It also created jobs around the globe that were deemed essential during an economic crisis.
While those positive attributes persist, the Bezos regime has left an indelible red mark on the retail industry. For better or worse, the Amazon Effect has had a profound <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/insights/amazon-effect-us-economy/">impact on our economy</a>, and is often linked to the dreaded "retail apocalypse" playing out in shopping malls around the U.S.
In physical retail realm, Amazon has been met with a range of successes and failures, which include the purchase of high-end grocer Whole Foods to the <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retailers-wary-amazon-com-closing-150500266.html">shuttering of nearly 100 pop-up stores</a> in 2019. This manic foray is still nascent, but they have a lot of money to experiment with.
Bezos has not been without controversy both in his personal and professional lives. And while the exploits of the world’s richest man will continue to be fodder for media over-analysis, what’s more interesting – and speaks volumes about Amazon’s future – is his replacement: Andy Jassy.
<h3 id="who-exactly-is-andy-jassy">Who exactly is Andy Jassy?</h3>
Jassy, who currently heads the Amazon Web Services (AWS) division, has been a fixture at the retail juggernaut nearly as long as Bezos. Over the course of his 24-year tenure, he is credited with building AWS into the world’s most profitable cloud computing brand – and charting a new course for the internet giant in an evolving, highly-competitive digital world.
When Amazon <a href="https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-web-services-launches-amazon-s3-simple-storage-service">launched AWS in 2006</a>, it happened with very little fanfare; the cloud computing division was, after all, designed to support the growth of their online bookselling empire. They needed a modern infrastructure to meet customer demand, adapt quickly to changes, and manage resources around the seasonal buying habits of shoppers.
It’s fair to say that AWS was born out of Amazon’s need to “scratch its own itch.” Yet within a decade, it had created a tectonic shift in the technology landscape.
As the Amazon mothership diversified and expanded its retail offerings, so too did AWS. And it was under Andy Jassy’s leadership and vision that the cloud computing division was groomed as its own profit center – to the point where <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/02/aws-earnings-q4-2020.html#:~:text=AWS%20continued%20to%20drive%20much,same%20period%20a%20year%20ago.">AWS has become the growth engine for its parent company.</a>
<h3 id="a-brief-history-of-jassy-at-aws">A brief history of Jassy at AWS</h3>
Like Bezos, Jassy’s own career with Amazon is a legend in its own right. Shortly after graduating with an MBA from Harvard Business School, he joined the fledgling startup in 1997. After a stint in marketing, he and Bezos collaborated on the concept for AWS, leveraging the company’s growing footprint of data centers to building a virtual ecosystem for hosting business services and applications.
What started as a small initiative with less than 60 employees has ballooned to over 25,000 worldwide and $40 billion in revenue – and Jassy’s fortunes have skyrocketed in lockstep. As CEO of AWS, he now earns the kind of money that buys a stake in the <a href="https://www.nhl.com/kraken">Seattle Kraken hockey club</a>.
As the new CEO of Amazon, he might be buying an entire team. Or a league.
In the early days, AWS (run by then Amazon CTO Allan Vermeulen) offered a limited spectrum of services within their e-Commerce-as-a-service model. The tools were mostly disparate, and the offerings still primitive.
When Jassy started managing the portfolio at <a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a> Web Services (as it was called) in 2003, he laid out a vision for an “Internet OS” after seeing their own teams struggle with infrastructure issues. He outlined key areas like database, storage, and compute as foundational components, all based on how <a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a> was leveraging them in a scalable, cost-effective manner.
Fast forward, and AWS has perfected this model across hundreds of services that support every kind of application – from storage to satellites. Customers can outsource their computing and infrastructure needs in regions around the world, allowing them to run and scale applications while controlling capacity at every turn.
The other big concept that Jassy helped pioneer was AWS’ subscription-based pricing. Trading CapEx for OpEx allowed businesses to part ways with expensive hardware and maintenance and instead focus on operations. This pay-as-you-go model has eliminated costly long-term contracts, reduced dependency on data centers, and democratized the cloud by lowering the barriers to entry.
<h3 id="the-impact-of-aws-on-digital-experience">The impact of AWS on digital experience</h3>
As digital experiences have evolved, so have their reliance on cloud infrastructure. For e-Commerce websites, running a digital business application that’s “cloud-first” or purpose-built for AWS provides an unmatched set of advantages like rapidly scaling resources, enhancing redundancy, and reducing capacity costs through optimization.
The cloud has had a profound effect on applications that leverage these capabilities, including content management (CMS), digital experience (DXP), customer relationship (CRM), marketing automation, and customer data. Solutions that are “cloud-first” or purpose-built for AWS can connect and scale in ways that were previously unimaginable, and this has influenced how enterprises select platforms as part of their stack.
Software that's designed for the cloud will have the advantage in a cloud world. When considering a CMS, DXP, or CRM platform, organizations will rely on security artifacts, deep learning algorithms, and other advanced cloud services that can be orchestrated through these platforms. Add the complexity of compliance (such as GDPR and CCPA) and the cloud becomes a governance watchdog.
What's exciting is that many of these solutions can be procured in the <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace">AWS Marketplace</a>, a virtual shopping mall for applications designed to run on AWS. As they continue to pioneer new services, AWS is enhancing these platforms with AI and machine learning capabilities like <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/personalize/">Amazon Personalize</a>, which provides a subscription-based recommendation engine using the same technology that powers <a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>.
Under Jassy’s leadership, digital experience has been thrust to the forefront of business imperatives. Exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, more organizations are relying on the cloud and digital transformation to adapt to a new world of “digital-first” commerce – and AWS is powering the transformation.
<h3 id="what-does-jassy-s-role-as-amazon-ceo-signal-for-the-future">What does Jassy’s role as Amazon CEO signal for the future?</h3>
This is a brave, new world – and it’s Andy Jassy’s for the taking. As he assumes command of the Amazon flagship later this year, all eyes will be on him.
Amazon’s selection of Jassy was based heavily on his track record at AWS. But what this move signals is the global shift in consumer habits, and how the cloud will be instrumental to unlocking the future.
During his keynote speech at <a href="https://youtu.be/xZ3k7Fd6_eU">AWS re:Invent</a> in December 2020, Jassy said that the Covid-19 pandemic “accelerated cloud adoption by several years.” This reality will serve as his greatest opportunity, but also his greatest challenge. Competitors are rising from all corners of the globe with a focus on owning the digital consumer, and that means innovation will be essential to his success.
From the beginning, Jassy has been leading AWS to innovate rapidly and push the boundaries. Technologies like <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/containers/">containers</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=aws+serverless+computing&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS763US764&amp;oq=aws+serverless+computing&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l6j69i64l2.4454j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">serverless computing</a> – widely seen as the next wave of digital transformation – are beginning to power everything. By leveraging Jassy’s expertise around these cutting-edge innovations, Amazon can draft a roadmap for offering advanced services across their channels.
The lesser-known AWS Marketplace might be one area where Jassy blends cloud services through Amazon. While traditionally a DevOps-focused shopping experience, the AWS Marketplace is already offering more business applications that are built for the cloud. This could be expanded to include SaaS technologies sold more broadly across the Amazon ecosystem.
<h3 id="the-challenges-ahead">The challenges ahead</h3>
For Bezos, Amazon has always been a sandbox for invention. Maybe its greatest invention is the grooming of Andy Jassy as its leader.
Time and again, Jassy has executed a cohesive vision, generating billions and growing Amazon into a titan.
But where do you go when you’ve already reached the top?
One place to start might be the relationship with large retailers – the very brands that Amazon has eaten away at for years. Borders, Toys ‘R Us, and other legacy brick-and-mortar players struggled and lost to the convenience and delivery of Amazon. Needless to say, when it comes to Amazon, trust is a rare commodity among many retail brands.
But as Walmart (arguably Amazon’s biggest challenger) continues to expand their own offerings, many retailers like Nordstrom and Nike have turned to AWS to juice their digital experiences by running mission-critical workloads in the cloud.
As the early moves begin to crystallize, what’s already clear is the rising challenge from competitive clouds (think <a href="https://cloud.google.com/">Google</a>, <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/">Microsoft</a>, and even <a href="https://us.alibabacloud.com/">Alibaba</a>), the ever-present threat of Walmart and its breadth of physical locations, and the looming governance around data privacy. There are also lingering issues around the company’s reputation as a "business killer," despite having over a million businesses operating on their platform.
Perhaps the only certainty that Andy Jassy faces is change. 2020 accelerated digital, but 2021 may bring an unexpected fork in the road. Jassy is inheriting an empire he helped build, so he knows it more intimately than almost anyone. That gives him an unmatched insight to adapt and thrive in a changing world.
With millions of products and services under the Amazon/AWS umbrella – from cloud to streaming video to <a href="https://www.housingwire.com/articles/49260-you-can-now-buy-your-house-on-amazon/#:~:text=Now%2C%20Amazon%20is%20making%20this,some%20are%20selling%20like%20hotcakes.&amp;text=Amazon's%20got%20you%20covered.,of%20292%20square%20feet.">prefabricated houses</a> – there's a vast kingdom to oversee. What could possibly go wrong?
You read that right: you can buy a house on Amazon.
Maybe Jassy’s next trick will be giving you an address on the moon.

Andy Jassy, Amazon’s new CEO, signals bold future for cloud and digital experiences

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Orlando, FL (December 3, 2020) – Solodev, the Digital Customer Experience platform built for Amazon Web Services (AWS), announced today that it has achieved the AWS Public Safety &amp; Disaster Response (PSDR) Competency status. This designation recognizes that Solodev provides both a proven cloud technology and human expertise in helping customers leverage the power of AWS to protect the public and prepare, respond, and recover from natural or man-made emergencies and disasters.
Achieving the AWS PSDR Competency further differentiates Solodev as an AWS Advanced Technology Partner, demonstrating their long-standing commitment to serve the public interest for mission-focused organizations such as government agencies (state, local and education) and not-for-profits. The Competency highlights Solodev’s technical proficiency and proven customer success in developing technology solutions that support PSDR emergency communications with rapid, scalable website management and content distribution. To receive this designation, AWS Partners must possess deep expertise to design AWS Well-Architected solutions delivered seamlessly on AWS.
“Solodev is proud to have achieved the AWS Public Safety &amp; Disaster Response Competency,” said Shawn Moore, Chief Technology Officer at Solodev. “Our platform – and more importantly, our people – have proven themselves time and again while serving customers during a crisis. We’ve been with them at the most critical moments, when content and communications have saved lives by connecting hospitals with vital blood donations or informing communities about a hurricane’s impact. By helping organizations embrace their digital transformation in the cloud, we’ve been able to accelerate their time to mission while expanding the focus on public safety. This is important work, and we’re thrilled to be working with a company like AWS that’s invested in our shared vision and values.”
In a year that has seen historic disasters – from epic wildfires to record hurricanes – the need for digital transformation around public safety has never been more urgent. Solodev’s customers have relied on their cloud-first CMS to coordinate communications from emergency operations centers (EOC), allowing low-code/no-code users to distribute evacuation alerts and switch to “dark sites” with critical instructions in a matter of seconds. Solodev also enables API integrations with third-party solutions, allowing organizations to expand their PSDR stack while maintaining governance around data privacy, ADA accessibility, and other compliance requirements.
Leveraging the power of AWS, Solodev brings a flexible, multi-layered, cost-effective solution for addressing redundancy, disaster recovery, and instant scalability during a crisis event. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these types of solutions, AWS established the <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/partners/competencies/">AWS Competency Program</a> to help customers identify Consulting and Technology AWS Partners with deep industry experience and expertise in key areas.
The AWS PSDR Competency is the fourth AWS Competency designation that Solodev has achieved, reinforcing the company’s trusted role as an AWS Advanced Technology Partner – and one of the few that has achieved this milestone in the CMS and digital experience space. Solodev’s also achieved the AWS Government Competency, AWS Education Competency, and AWS Digital Customer Experience Competency designations, each requiring a rigorous technical validation and demonstrable expertise to achieve.
To learn more about Solodev’s Public Safety &amp; Disaster Response solutions on AWS, visit <a href="https://www.solodev.com/aws/public-safety-and-disaster-response/">https://www.solodev.com/aws/public-safety-and-disaster-response/</a>
<h3 id="about-solodev">About Solodev</h3>
<a href="http://www.solodev.com/">Solodev</a>, the Digital Customer Experience Platform for Amazon Web Services (AWS), empowers individuals and teams to work together on digital transformation in the cloud and create amazing customer experiences. Built from the ground up on AWS, Solodev provides enhanced security, scalability, and redundancy with 24/7/365 U.S. based support. Recognized as a leading “High Performer” on the G2 Grid for Web Content Management, Solodev is a past winner of the AWS “City on a Cloud” Innovation Challenge. An AWS Advanced Technology Partner that has achieved the AWS Government Competency, AWS Education Competency, AWS Digital Customer Experience Competency, and AWS Public Safety &amp; Disaster Response Competency designations, Solodev products can be purchased on-demand in AWS Marketplace, through State and Federal Contracts, or online at <a href="http://www.solodev.com/">www.solodev.com</a>

Solodev CMS Achieves AWS Public Safety & Disaster Response Competency Status

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Last week, the Solodev team attended Amazon Web Services re:Invent, where some 30,000 engineers, startups, executives, consultants, partners, and techies from around the world converged on the Las Vegas Strip to hear the latest and greatest innovations from the brilliant minds at <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon Web Services</a>, the world’s #1 provider of cloud computing services.
Immediately after our arrival in Las Vegas we found ourselves at an airport covered in AWS Branding, the most notable of which was their new SaaS Subscriptions Program, which Solodev was selected to participate in among a select number of partners. After a five-hour flight across the country, we were greeted with the Solodev logo at every turn from the airport all the way to the conference. What an arrival.
Our direction was clear at re:Invent, show the power of Solodev, and how AWS strengthens that power, to the world. Being the 5th booth once entering the exhibition hall, it was difficult to avoid our booth and within seconds of the doors opening, our booth was packed. I observed how energetic and excited everyone was and most of all, curious about all of the AWS Partners and what they did that was so special. For Solodev, the answer to “What do you do?” was simple.
<blockquote>“We’re the only web development platform (CMS) fully optimized for the AWS Cloud and its entire product suite, giving you unparalleled levels of security, scalability, and redundancy while you build, launch, manage, and host amazing websites and mobile apps in the cloud with Solodev.”</blockquote>
AWS CEO Andy Jassy and Amazon CTO Werner Vogels announced a series of new products and services to add to their already impressive product suite, the most game changing of which are the newly announced <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/codebuild/" target="_blank">AWS CodeBuild</a>, a fully managed build service that compiles source code, runs tests, and produces software packages that are ready to deploy, and <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/xray/" target="_blank">AWS X-Ray</a>, which makes it easy for developers to analyze the behavior of their production, distributed applications with end-to-end tracing capabilities. In addition, AWS made tremendous announcements in the Big Data, Serverless Computing, and Artificial Intelligence spaces with the product launches of AWS Glue, Amazon Rekognition, Amazon Athena, Amazon Lex, and Amazon Polly.
On a less technical level, the focus of the conference was on how AWS Partners like Solodev can provide better products and services by leveraging the tremendous power of the AWS Cloud and its entire product suite and the implications this rapidly evolving infrastructure in the cloud can provide both existing, new, and emerging startups and organizations. Several AWS Partners spoke at the conference about how leveraging the AWS Cloud empowered their businesses to scale, streamline their cloud infrastructure, and provide better experiences to customers and expand their businesses faster with the power of Amazon Web Services.
The relationship between AWS and its partners isn’t a one-way street as Werner Vogels, Amazon CTO, stressed the fact that all partner relationships with AWS are mutually beneficial and how important partner feedback is to continuous product innovation at Amazon. “The reality is, we are going to direct business to our partners who are committed and who really understand the platform because our customers want partners who understand the details of our platform.” said AWS CEO Andy Jassy.
With the leading minds of tech at a conference held by the leading provider of the most important piece of the engineering puzzle, cloud infrastructure, in the same place at the same time there was a sense of urgency that agility, artificial intelligence, big data, migration to the cloud, the importance of partnerships, and pushing the cloud to its limits through added layers in cloud infrastructure were at the forefront of the messaging coming from AWS speakers and executives.
Although attending re:Invent was extremely informative we were able to accomplish much more than learning about technology trends, new AWS products, and how our fellow AWS partners had leveraged Amazon’s infrastructure to scale and iterate. Being the only web experience platform for the enterprise built for the AWS Cloud makes us stand out and as a result, we were able to meet with Jeff Barr, Chief Evangelist for Amazon Web Services, who kindly tweeted our Amazon Marketplace listings after finding out about Solodev from a co-worker.
AWS re:Invent also gave us a chance to expand existing partnerships (AWS, New Relic, Atlassian, Cloudability, DataDog, Zenefits) and explore new ones. An unexpected amount of web development shops were falling over each other to learn about how they could use Solodev to manage their clients hundreds and even thousands of websites while others were looking for new CMS platforms to migrate to. The end result, Solodev was named one of the most talked about products debuting at AWS re:Invent 2016 in <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/3144911/cloud-computing/cool-tech-at-aws-re-invent.html#slide47" target="_blank">“Cool tech at AWS re:Invent” by Network World</a> within 24 hours of landing.
The major takeaway from the event is that the world has embraced cloud computing and much like the space race of the 1960s, it seems like everyone in tech is competing to build the best cloud products and services available and leverage the power the cloud provides to build amazing products. So it can be broken down like this.
<ul>
<li>If you’re still on premises, you’re behind</li>
<li>If you’re considering the cloud, it’s time to pull the trigger</li>
<li>If you’re already in the cloud, make sure you’re in the best cloud environment</li>
<li>If you’ve mastered the cloud, leverage its power to build new amazing products and services on top of cloud infrastructure</li>
</ul>
Solodev is honored to have gained so much recognition in 2016 from winning a series of web design awards to clinching the <a href="https://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">People’s Choice Award for Best Cloud CMS</a>. 2016 also saw Solodev named among America’s fastest growing private companies by the Inc. 5000 for the second year in a row as well as being among a select number of AWS partners to join their newly announced SaaS Subscriptions Program. Going into 2017, Solodev has 5 listings on the AWS Marketplace, including our latest build of Solodev for Windows on the AWS Marketplace.
About Solodev
<a href="https://www.solodev.com/" target="_blank">Solodev</a> is the world’s first on-demand web experience platform created by developers for developers. It allows organizations to create amazing websites with unparalleled levels of security, scalability and total design freedom.

AWS re:Cap: Solodev goes “all in” at AWS re:Invent  2016

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