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MACH Alliance Article

<hr /> The <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-bolsters-commitment-to-buyers-providing-clarity-amidst-shifting-market-dynamics">MACH Alliance</a> is breaking out the balloons and stringing the streamers. Reaching 100 is quite an accomplishment by almost any measure – and today, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.machalliance.org/">organization</a> celebrates its own centennial benchmark as it surpasses 100 members.The group of independent tech companies advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems just announced the news as it welcomed eight newcomers to its community, spanning its various <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/application-member">membership categories</a>: Boutique System Integrators<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.cabiri.io/">Cabiri</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.kernpunkt.de/">Kernpunkt Digital</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://iona.fi/">Iona</a> </li></ul>System Integrator<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://xebia.com/am/">Xebia</a> </li></ul>Independent Software Vendors<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.mirakl.com/">Mirakl</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.inriver.com/">inriver</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.salsify.com/">Salsify</a> </li></ul>Startup Independent Software Vendor<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://ninetailed.io/">Ninetailed</a> </li></ul>The continued growth of the Alliance’s membership reflects an industry trend toward adopting modern, composable technologies. It also coincides with a surge in interest from established vendors who are actively building their MACH credentials through strategic acquisitions and innovative re-architecting of solutions. Newcomers Inriver, Mirakl, and Salsify are examples of such vendors that have fully aligned their entire product offering around MACH principles. "The MACH Alliance's growth to over 100 members is a testament to the industry's recognition of the transformative power of composable technologies,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a>, President at the MACH Alliance. “The increase in membership applications from SIs alone shows how the industry is maturing and changing. As we reflect on our achievements in 2023, we’re proud of the momentum and collaboration across our community. We are particularly encouraged by seeing established vendors shifting gears to embrace MACH principles," <h3>MACH captures more of the market</h3>Since its launch in 2020, the MACH Alliance has focused on defining and establishing the rapidly maturing MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, Headless) industry standard. In that time, 225 companies have applied for certification, with around 45% meeting the membership requirements. Many have re-applied several times, re-architecting their portfolios to achieve MACH status. The MACH Alliance creates clear guidance for enterprises, differentiating MACH technologies that foster future-proofing and vendor independence from those that don’t. That guidance is especially important for buyers given the rapidly shifting dynamics of the technology landscape.This past year, the MACH Alliance observed a significant paradigm shift, with established vendors recognizing the transformative potential of MACH principles. MACH is a coveted seal for companies building future-proof tech stacks, and adoption continues to grow. With MACH now perceived by many as “the standard” – along with evolving industry and vendor behavior towards that goal – the MACH Alliance <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/insights/mach-alliance-s-commitment-to-clear-guidance-amidst-big-tech-acquisitions-and-developments">announced in December</a> it is assessing how it can provide market guidance as more established vendors seek validation for their MACH strategies. <h3>Building on solid research</h3>As a body, research has long been a central function of the MACH Alliance. This includes both broad-market and member-focused analysis across all of the Alliance's categories. The 2023 MACH Alliance Global Research initiative – which polled 500 tech leaders – confirmed that 85% of organizations have increased the percentage of their MACH infrastructure in the past 12 months. Those companies cited several motivations, including the ability to respond to changes in the market faster, to build and implement new functionality more quickly, and the propensity to reduce costs. The respondents were also more likely to say that their investment in MACH has enabled their infrastructure to keep up with customer demands – and helped them stay ahead of competitors with lower MACH adoption rates. The fourth edition of this research will be published in March 2024.<h3>Last year’s highlights and what to expect in 2024</h3>Here are a few of the MACH Alliance's achievements in 2023 and some of the roadmap for the year ahead: <h4>Diverse Membership Growth</h4>With the continued rise in new members and increased applications from System Integrators (SIs), the Alliance is diversifying the representation of organizations eager to adopt and champion MACH technology. Early 2024 will also focus on how the Alliance can ensure holistic guidance to the market.<h4>Community Building Initiatives</h4>Networking events, forums, and an awards program organized by the MACH Alliance have facilitated extensive collaboration across the group’s vast community, allowing for the exchange of ideas and experiences that have accelerated MACH adoption. The Alliance will kick off 2024 at <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/events/nrf-nyc--mach-haus">NRF</a> in January, followed by a series of local market events throughout the year. MACH THREE, the Alliance’s signature annual event, will be held in June 2024 in New York City.<h4>Educational Initiatives</h4>The Alliance is fiercely committed to empowering established and emerging businesses with the knowledge, skills, and insights needed to navigate the MACH landscape successfully. To this aim, a dedicated education program will be launched in early 2024. The Alliance is also working on deep-dive projects around critical topics, including MACH interoperability and how companies can make the best use of AI in MACH implementations.<h3>Why it matters</h3>Over the last few years, the MACH Alliance has been a bellwether in the composable storm. As enterprises sought the benefits of building their own stacks, they faced significant challenges and confusion. The Alliance provided a collective compact of trust for best-of-breed solutions, giving organizations greater confidence in the technologies they choose – and breaking free from the stranglehold of monoliths and vendor lock-in. Evolving from its early posture as an exclusive cabal, the Alliance has garnered respect, trust, and even reverence by investing deeply in education across the market. That open narrative and engagement has reinforced its commitment to provide greater transparency around its membership practices, which many vendors and industry watchers have demanded of the organization. Still, the composable storm has been stirred by controversy, particularly as key terminology caught fire with single-vendor DXPs and became part of the marketing lexicon. <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-openly-invites-companies-claiming-mach-to-apply-for-certification">In a recent open letter</a>, the Alliance invited companies that are claiming to be “MACH” to undergo certification to help avoid market confusion for buyers as they evaluate software. Despite these headwinds and growing pains, the milestone of surpassing 100 members is a clear validation of the MACH Alliance's value to the market. It signals the continued desire for platforms to be associated with the organization's mission and to benefit from its governance and practices. This is amplified by its goals to introduce MACH certifications and other educational initiatives in 2024, which gives members a stronger position to compete with. As it continues to invest in worthy causes (which include stated commitments around diversity, inclusion, and sustainability), the MACH Alliance represents qualities that go beyond pure technology considerations. These attributes might help future-proof the training, employment, and nurturing of tomorrow's digital workforce – and ultimately scale the Alliance towards another big milestone.We'll keep the balloons handy.  <hr /><figure class="image"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/cms-kickoff-2024-banner.jpg" /></figure><h3>Join us at CMS Kickoff 2024 - January 16-17</h3>CMS Critic is a proud conference partner at this second annual edition of the prestigious international Boye &amp; Co conference, dedicated to the global CMS community. This event will bring together top-notch speakers, Boye &amp; Company's renowned learning format, and engaging social events.MACH Alliance members joining us at the CMS Kickoff 2024 include <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/agility">Agility</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/contentful">Contentful</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/consciaai">Conscia.ai</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kinandcarta.com/en-us/">Kin &amp; Carta</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/kontentai">Kontent.ai</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/uniform">Uniform</a>. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move forward in 2024. Hear from leading voices across the industry on a wide range of topics, including:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/andrew-kumar">Andrew Kumar</a>, GVP at Uniform</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/becky-brown">Becky Brown</a>, Content Strategy Lead at Johnson &amp; Johnson</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/speakers/marli-mesibov">Marli Mesibov</a>, Content Strategy at Verily</li></ul><h4> </h4><img style="width:39.13%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/11/don-cesar-hotel.jpg" /><h4>The Don CeSar: a world-class venue</h4>Is there a better location for a winter kickoff than Florida's beautiful, sugary sand beaches? CMS Kickoff 2024 will be held at the iconic Don CeSar, just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. Dubbed the “Pink Palace,” this majestic hotel and resort provides a stunning backdrop to the conference, along with access to the local food and culture of St. Petersburg Beach.  <h4>Get your tickets today</h4>CMS Kickoff offers an intimate, highly focused experience. Space is limited, and only a few seats remain. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity!<a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff24/tickets">Purchase tickets now &gt;</a>

MACH Alliance Surges Past 100 Members, Caps 2023 as a Milestone Year

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<hr /> In a <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/insights/mach-alliance-s-commitment-to-clear-guidance-amidst-big-tech-acquisitions-and-developments">post </a>published on the <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/">MACH Alliance</a> website this morning, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-panella-b616911/">Jon Panella</a> – Group Vice President at Publicis Sapient and a MACH Alliance Chairperson – voiced the advocacy group's unwavering focus on the buyer. The short but poignant prose reinforced the MACH Alliance's commitment to clarity and its critical role in guiding enterprises through the complexities of an ever-changing market landscape. The post explicitly addresses the rise of composable and MACH architectural standards – and how many big industry players have “taken notice.” Some of these organizations have realigned their strategies and positioned intently around composability while others have acquired MACH startups, all in an effort to capitalize on the hype and awareness of this growing sector. As Panella pointed out, this is a positive testament to MACH's impact on the market. At the same time, he clarified that the organization's strict certification criteria apply to companies, not products – a long-standing commitment that underscores a vendor's claim to a more holistic MACH accreditation. According to the post, navigating the mixed marketing messages appears to be a key pain point for buyers. In a <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-openly-invites-companies-claiming-mach-to-apply-for-certification">recent letter</a> published on social media, the Alliance openly challenged vendors claiming to be MACH to apply for certification, noting the confusion these claims create for buyers. To help alleviate the burden and bring more clarity to the chaos, the Alliance is committing to a research sprint over the coming months. The goal: explore ways to improve the buyer's experience when navigating these complexities, and maintain the steadfast commitment to guidance. In the post, Panella also encourages readers to share their insights as part of the research initiative. The results will be published in March of 2024. <h3>Read the MACH Alliance post</h3>You can read John Panella's complete post below or on the <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/insights/mach-alliance-s-commitment-to-clear-guidance-amidst-big-tech-acquisitions-and-developments">MACH Alliance website</a>.<hr />With the MACH Alliance set to surpass 100 corporate members this year, and with MACH now decidedly “the standard,” the MACH Alliance is undertaking a wide-ranging and thorough initiative to explore what membership means in the coming years. We play a leading role in creating clear guidance for enterprises, delineating MACH technologies that foster future-proofing and vendor independence from those that don’t. That guidance is important for buyers given the rapidly shifting dynamics of the technology landscape over the past three and a half years.The rise of Composable technology and MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless) as an architectural standard more specifically, has not gone unnoticed by big players in the industry. They are following suit, and we can not be more pleased about that. They have made pivots to their strategies and product portfolios in this direction by rearchitecting products, by acquiring MACH startups etc. This is an amazing testament to MACH as a vision for the future — a future that empowers businesses with flexibility, control, and most importantly, future-proof technology that enables growth and differentiation. That has always been the goal of the MACH Alliance and is one we hold ourselves to every day.Our strict MACH Certification criteria are in place to uphold this promise to the market, so that the responsibility of navigating vendor marketing claims is not a burden to the buyer. The reason we certify companies, not products has always been and remains that established vendors with one product in their portfolio that qualifies, may claim MACH credentials across the board. That would be detrimental to the clarity we are here to secure. While that reasoning remains sound, our focus is on the buyers, and we want them to understand what they're investing in and to ensure that their chosen solutions meet the high standards set by the MACH Alliance. Providing the best and comprehensive guidance for buyers has been and will be our endeavor always.So today, I am confirming our commitment to researching improved ways to help the buyer best in navigating the landscape. We will dedicate substantial time over the next few months to that work and communicate our findings in March. We believe that as MACH grows and evolves, so too will its value as an industry standard, and with that, the quality that we need to deliver and the scrutiny we are under.If you feel you can provide useful insights for our research, please get in touch at <a href="mailto:info@machalliance.com">info@machalliance.com</a> with the subject line: Research Guidance. We'd love to hear from you! We know we owe the buyer clear guidance and that is what we are set out to do.

MACH Alliance Bolsters Commitment to Buyers, Providing Clarity Amidst Shifting Market Dynamics

<hr /> The <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/new-mach-alliance-admissions-playbook-brings-greater-clarity-to-certification-process">MACH Alliance</a> has never been known to “sit one out.” The industry organization has always been something of a firebrand, outspoken in its fierce advocacy of <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/insights/mach-at-different-levels">MACH</a> (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, Headless) principles.As MACH momentum grows – and more businesses attempt to ride the hype wave – the MACH Alliance is doubling down on its commitment to ensure buyer clarity by defending its core criteria. This means challenging organizations that openly claim to be MACH but are not certified. Today, MACH Alliance President <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a> published a candid letter on the organization’s <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/insights/open-invite-to-companies-who-claim-mach">blog</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/machalliance_open-invite-to-companies-who-claim-mach-activity-7127998847359823874-Fzgh/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop">LinkedIn</a>, inviting companies to apply for MACH certification to help avoid buyer confusion. The letter was prompted after MACH Alliance members flagged several software brands as falsely advertising MACH solutions without a validated certification. Being certified by the Alliance is the simplest way for a company to verify and showcase that its products meet MACH criteria, and give buyers confidence about what is – and is not – MACH. As noted in Casper's letter, the MACH Alliance will be contacting non-certified companies that are making MACH claims and asking them to apply for certification. These companies will also be asked to remove any MACH language or association until certification is achieved. <h3>An open invitation to apply for MACH certification</h3>Here’s the letter from Casper Rasmussen in its entirety:<hr />Open invite to companies who claim MACH: please apply for certification to avoid buyer confusionThe MACH Alliance exists to propel the future of technology, which is microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless. That is what MACH stands for, and our mission is to safeguard MACH standards for the clarity of buyers.Our certification criteria serve a very clear and important purpose. Providing clarity to the market of what is and what is not MACH, to help buyers build their future-proof application stacks. We guard this strict set of standards fiercely and rigorously benchmark all our members against them. As such, we are concerned to see more companies using MACH wording in their product marketing, promoting their solutions as MACH-ready when they are not MACH certified.It is a great thing that the market as a whole is quickly moving in the direction of Composable and connectivity through API’s. The MACH Alliance supports that wholeheartedly. Yet Composable is not MACH and being on a Composable track does not validate a MACH claim at all. The prerequisites for MACH Certification are very clear.We urge all vendors claiming to sell a MACH-ready solution to apply for certification. The criteria and the process are outlined here. Any company that claims to offer MACH should carry the seal.The Alliance can explicitly only guarantee the interoperability, ease of use and swapability of certified companies. MACH-labeled solutions where vendors don’t meet the certification criteria are undermining the industry standard and causing confusion for buyers at a time when they need our help. We strongly advise buyers to check theMACH Alliance website to confirm certification in case of any doubt. The MACH Alliance is contacting non-certified companies who are making MACH claims asking them to apply for certification, and to remove those claims until that is achieved.Furthermore, in some of the recent claims, specific legacy vendors suggest they are offering an enterprise version of MACH. Yet MACH was made in and for the enterprise from the start. MACH is an enterprise setup that requires a level of company maturity, and it has seen massive adoption from enterprise companies like Sephora, Costa Coffee, Mars, Boohoo, Puma, and the list goes on. MACH was made in the enterprise, let there be no misunderstanding.We will continue to take action to avoid buyer confusion and to protect the seal that we are here to guard. Prove your MACH credentials and get certified!If any vendor or buyer would like to speak with us about MACH criteria and principles, or requires clarification and support, we’re here to help.Casper Rasmussen President, MACH Alliance<hr /><h3>Why it matters</h3>Challenging the market is nothing new for the MACH Alliance. Peruse the LinkedIn profiles of its leadership board, and you’ll find epic threads and lively debates that have expanded the conversation around composable. Those ambassadorial efforts have helped enterprises gain clarity around the benefits of MACH and whether it’s a good fit for their technology and business imperatives. Key to the MACH Alliance’s success is safeguarding its core values. For its best-of-breed members, certification is a rigorous process that requires a significant investment in both time and resources. Likewise, buyers seeking MACH solutions are becoming increasingly confused by mixed messages and composable rhetoric. That’s why the organization has gone to great lengths to defend the sanctity of its platform – and the essence of the MACH movement. As Casper points out, the positive news is that the market is embracing the composable trend. This will create more opportunities for many technology vendors to offer solutions that align with the tenets of MACH. But he also clarifies that composable is not MACH, and the distinctions and prerequisites are abundantly clear. A certification is only as valuable as the organization that backs it up. This letter illuminates the lengths that the MACH Alliance is willing to go to maintain the value of MACH certification for its ecosystem of members and buyers.Many businesses have fought tooth and nail to defend their IP. Calling out false claims is a clear signal that the Alliance is doing its job to protect what it has built – and what it continues to build – for the benefit of everyone.

MACH Alliance Openly Invites Companies Claiming MACH to Apply for Certification

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<hr /> Over the past few years, we've steadily covered the rise of the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/new-mach-alliance-maturity-assessment-tool-helps-organizations-evaluate-their-mach-readiness">MACH Alliance</a> – an undeniable force of independent tech companies advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems. The cabal of member companies has reached almost 100, all dedicated to future-proofing within the composable movement. During the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">MACH Two event</a> this past June, I had an opportunity to engage with the organization's leadership, where they shared some of the challenges surrounding the member admissions process. These points were echoed in conversations I had with ISVs and SIs both inside and outside the MACH membership community. At the time, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen">Casper Rasmussen</a>, President of the MACH Alliance, acknowledged a greater need for transparency – and expressed a commitment to deliver it.True to his word, the organization just announced the publication of a new <a target="_blank" href="https://register.machalliance.org/hubfs/Admissions%20Playbook.pdf">Admissions Playbook</a>, adding rigor to its certification and admissions process. The timing reflects the overall market maturity, which previous MACH Alliance president <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/">Kelly Goetsch</a> crystallized in a comment during MACH Two: “MACH now feels like the default.”The criteria within the guide highlight the stringency and purity of certification and how the Alliance fiercely protects it – providing greater clarity and confidence for enterprise technology buyers who are building composable solutions. It also gives applicants a clear blueprint for certification and what the evaluation process entails.“We have always maintained the highest standards for certification," said Rasmussen. "All criteria are specification and fact-based, and we will continue to evolve the evaluation process while also ensuring all applicants are held to the same bar. This is our highest goal as the industry body, to ensure customers are clear they are buying true future-proof MACH solutions. We are intentionally 100 percent open about our admissions process as we strive for complete transparency and welcome feedback and questions.” <h3>Reflecting market maturity and growth of composable </h3>Since first rolling onto the tech scene in June 2020, the MACH Alliance's assessment criteria and scoring system have evolved, reflecting the organization's accrued knowledge and experience as new companies apply for certification. The volume of member applications has grown by more than 60 percent in three years, while the rejection rate for companies that fail to meet the criteria has remained stable at around 50 percent. According to the MACH Alliance, the increase in the number of member applications reflects a maturing market. As evidenced by the Impact Awards at the MACH Two event, more complex applications are being built by companies that have reshaped their portfolio and product strategy from monolith to MACH, as well as enterprises with multiple products in their stack. “The MACH Alliance is adapting to a maturing market and being realistic and inclusive of the reality that is out there as more vendors transition their product strategies for a composable future," said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benoit-rossignol/">Benoit Rossignol</a>, Head of the MACH Alliance Admissions Panel. "MACH is expanding from front-end to back-end solutions and into new industries, touching every component of an enterprise tech stack. We need to ensure a level playing field for all assessments.” <h3>A winning playbook for certification</h3>MACH certification is the cornerstone of the organization's promise to the market. It provides buyers with greater confidence that the products and services they select from MACH-certified members will enable a future-proof technology outcome. The full criteria for certification – consolidated and described in detail within the Playbook – are solely in place to ensure enterprises get the swappable, future-fit technology they expect when committing to a MACH strategy.To prevent confusion for buyers, the criteria were recently extended to accommodate companies that still maintain legacy products for existing clients, as long as the solutions being actively sold are 100 percent MACH compliant. The playbook itself clocks in at 46 pages and is packed with details. That said, it's well-paced and easy to digest. At its core, it clarifies the complete neutrality and transparency of the certification process to reinforce market trust in the MACH-certified status. It also shows potential members exactly what’s required to achieve certification. The PDF first delves into the distinct member categories and helps establish criteria for each – including ISVs, SIs, and Enablers. This includes clarification between boutique system integrators versus standard or global, detailing the specific thresholds for company size, engineering staff, and other details. The Admissions Process section dives deep, providing a visual flowchart for the applicant lifecycle. It covers the process step by step, denoting how to apply, what the rejection process entails, and how an organization can appeal. The playbook also drills down into the evaluation process, including critical insight around criteria scoring. <figure class="image image_resized" style="width:57.52%"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/10/mach-alliance-flowchart.jpg" /></figure> The technical assessment sheds further light on the tech scoring and analysis, specifying the need for qualified headcount, cloud partnership agreements, and relevant case studies that reflect an organization's MACH focus. These tech-oriented reviews vary based on the company's category. The playbook also provides more transparency into the executive board approval, and how special cases – such as multi-product or legacy applications – are identified and assessed fairly. This includes situations where a merger or acquisition impacts an organization's posture as a MACH solution. <h3>Ensuring continued compliance with MACH standards </h3>If there's one certainty regarding governance, it's that policies will evolve over time. As such, the MACH Alliance is also working on a program to ensure all existing members are re-evaluated against the latest criteria, so they continue to meet MACH standards across the applications they are actively selling. While this evolution requires vigilance, the core principles of the MACH Alliance remain unphased – and continue to drive the overall roadmap.“The objective behind the certification process hasn’t changed,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascallagarde/">Pascal Lagarde</a>, a member of the MACH Alliance Advisory Board and Admissions Panel. “What we’re doing now is maturing and adding rigor to the process as the number of applicants grows. We’ve also grown the pool of experts involved in admissions to enable us to handle the increasing number and complexity of applications. As the market evolves, we must ensure we evaluate everyone in the same manner, and the Playbook holds us to that commitment.” You can <a target="_blank" href="https://register.machalliance.org/hubfs/Admissions%20Playbook.pdf">download</a> the MACH Alliance Admissions Playbook in a PDF format. To learn more, visit <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/">www.machalliance.org</a>

New MACH Alliance Admissions Playbook Brings Greater Clarity to Certification Process  

<hr /> We’ve covered several stories about the unique Women in MACH program, most recently at the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year">MACH Two</a> Conference this past June in Amsterdam – where the MACH Alliance launched a new Women in MACH <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-women-in-mach-mentorship-program">mentorship program</a>.Without question, the initiative is growing and represents a continued commitment from the <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-launches-women-in-mach-mentorship-program">MACH Alliance</a> and its community of companies, ambassadors, and contributors to support diversity and inclusion – including gender equality. Last year, the organization celebrated its first Women in MACH flagship event in Madrid, Spain. The conference was an overwhelming success, and the momentum built over the last 12 months has been a testament to the program.Next week, the organization returns to Madrid for its 2023 flagship event, where it plans to go “Beyond Boundaries” with its stated <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/insights/women-in-mach-manifesto-for-gender-equality">Manifesto</a> – and begin transforming the MACH technology ecosystem into a diverse and inclusive space for everyone. <h3>Going “Beyond Boundaries” </h3>According to the program’s website, the purpose of the event is to inspire and support women in MACH to develop their own skills, competencies, and career paths – and take the next step toward equal opportunities.The one-day event will draw together 100 leading women in tech as well as select “male allies” to provide mentorship, education, and support. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, acquire new skills and knowledge, collaborate on ideas, and network with other professionals. “Beyond Boundaries” will offer a packed program of inspirational speakers, masterclasses, and workshops on a range of relevant topics. The event also promises to focus on the challenges that exist for achieving the tenants of the Women in MACH manifesto and will explore actionable solutions and programs. <h3>Where and when is the event? </h3>The Women in MACH 2023 “Beyond Boundaries” event will be held on September 21, from 9:00 a.m. - 11 p.m. at Club Alma Sensai in Madrid, Spain. For more details on the program – including the complete one-day agenda – you can visit the conference website at https://machalliance.org/women-in-mach-2023-beyond-boundariesAlong with the 100 leading women and allies, organizations can pay $5,500 to be part of the grass-roots movement. The investment provides two tickets, as well as opportunities for a company’s brand to be highlighted throughout the event.

Women in MACH’s 2023 Flagship Event Plans to Go “Beyond Boundaries” in Madrid

In a recent interview, I invoked the original Star Wars film as a thematic backdrop. It seemed an apropos analogy for exploring the galactic frontier of composable – and, hopefully, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-heros-journey-to-composable-a-conversation-with-uniforms-mark-demeny/">made for a fun read</a>.Now, at great risk of crossing my sci-fi streams, I’m going to channel Star Trek.I know, I know. What is he thinking? These are distinct mythologies, each with a fiercely devoted fan base. But rest assured, my goal isn’t to stir up debate over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/star-wars-vs-star-trek-which-one-is-better/">which is better</a> – I’ll leave that to you. Think of me as Switzerland… if it was a planet in the Dagobah system.So why am I doing this?Because every time I read the words “content federation,” I can’t help but think of Star Trek’s unmistakable “United Federation of Planets.” Key to the franchise canon, this futuristic authority has unified species and cultures across the expanse, enabling a utopian coexistence built on collaborative exploration and the betterment of humanity.In so many ways, this mirrors the mission of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/graphcms-rebrands-to-hygraph-launches-new-federated-content-platform/">Hygraph</a> – a headless CMS designed for the purpose and promise of content federation. Its captain, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/critics/michael-lukaszczyk/">Michael Lukaszczyk</a>, is seeking out ways to chart this frontier by uniting content data from different sources with one universal API.It’s not science fiction. Much like Star Trek’s Federation, Hygraph is pioneering a new quadrant of headless space as the first “Federated Content Platform,” ushering in a new reality for content management. It’s a strange new world where a headless platform is both frontend and backend agnostic, and data can be joined across multiple sources using a single <a target="_blank" href="https://graphql.org/">GraphQL</a> query.With so much change and commoditization in the headless category, I connected with Michael to learn more about the benefits of Content Federation, why he’s betting the future on it, and how it's powering the warp drive behind Hygraph’s market acceleration.<h2>A digital experience explorer</h2>For some DX professionals, the path to a platform is often incongruous. But for Michael, it seemed his destiny was always in the stars.Joining me from his home base in Germany, about an hour north of Frankfurt, he chronicled his origin story. At age 11, he was already adopting the mantle of a digital wunderkind, building websites for friends and family. He pursued this passion at the university level, studying abroad in Spain and Sweden.After completing his master’s degree, he began his career at a company called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.canto.com/">Canto</a>, a digital asset management (DAM) vendor. While challenging, it wasn’t entirely his cup of early grey tea.“I was in professional services, but I didn’t enjoy it,” he confessed unabashedly. “I was building integrations, but I always wanted to work on the core product and in distribution.”It was at Canto in 2015 that Michael met <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-winter-403059118/">Daniel Winter</a>. The two would become thick as thieves – much like Kirk and Spock – sharing a common sentiment on architecting and delivering software. By early 2016, the pair had already built a prototype for their own DAM solution.“But then, on a Friday night,” Michael recalled vividly, as if only yesterday, “I was scrolling through my Twitter feed before going to sleep, and I stumbled onto a post called <a target="_blank" href="https://css-tricks.com/what-is-a-headless-cms/">‘What is a Headless CMS’</a> by Chris Coyier from CSS Tricks. I didn’t know what a headless CMS was. No one did [in those days]. But as I read the post, I was impressed.”As Michael shared, the durability and sustainability of the headless CMS product model is what really appealed to him. “Whatever comes next in terms of digital channels, wherever you want to distribute your content to – AR, VR – you’re already set. Headless lets you build a sustainable content strategy.”After sharing the article with Daniel, they took a risk and pivoted from DAM to headless CMS, with one unique etch: the introduction of <a target="_blank" href="https://graphql.org/">GraphQL,</a> a new query language for APIs. They had already been experimenting with it in their DAM prototype and knew its potential for improving the developer experience. The rest, as they say, is history.“The next day, we started to build the first GraphQL native CMS out there,” he said. “[We introduced] the product in early 2017, got some angel funding, and grew to a company of 90 people across the globe, from San Francisco to Manila.”What followed can only be described as a meteoric rise. After an initial raise of $13 million, the company closed on a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/hygraph-secures-30-million-in-series-b-funding/">Series B of $30 million</a> in March of this year. They christened the vessel “GraphCMS,” but later rebranded to “Hygraph” to avoid any confusion or biases around page-building capabilities or publishing workflows. It also sounds cool and futuristic – exactly where the company wants to be. <h2>The voyage from headless CMS to federated content platform</h2>Over the last few years, Michael and his team have been chasing the answer to a very simple question: what will the next generation of CMS actually look like?As you might guess, that question isn’t so simple to answer. The evolution of CMS has been a long one – and with the explosion of the device ecosystem, things changed significantly. Demands shifted from a single web channel to multiple channels. This paradigm gave rise to the headless CMS, rendering the CMS frontend agnostic and turning it into a one-to-many relationship of content sources and destinations.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/hygraph-diagram-1024x432.png" alt="Hygraph diagram of content federation evolution" />“What we launched last year – what we call the federated content platform – is turning the promise of the headless CMS around,” he said. “Now, it’s not just frontend agnostic, but also backend agnostic, meaning you can source the content and data that lives in your backend stack on the other side of the API.”Bottom line: Hygraph has transformed the headless CMS from one-to-many to many-to-many across content sources and destinations. Developers and product builders can turn all backend systems into one universal API, allowing users on the frontend to work in any way with their data.This plays directly into the concept of federation. As Michael pointed out, the term originated in the GraphQL community, with the basic idea of merging multiple APIs together in a sort of “Super API” (powered by dilithium crystals?)“It was a very easy progression to being a GraphQL headless CMS to adding federation capabilities to the mix,” he added. “We were already so strong on GraphQL that it just made sense.”I asked Michael what else was driving this change, aside from the obvious. That brought us back to the core question about the next generation of CMS, and a key word: composable.<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center">We’re adapting to a new reality where content and data aren’t residing in one source anymore... content federation is content management for a new reality.</h4><hr />“We’re adapting to a new reality where content and data aren’t residing in one source anymore,” he professed. “The typical stack now is modular. With composability, the monolith is going away, and companies are establishing more modular architectures in their tech stack and picking the best tool for the job.”While building so-called “best-of-breed” stacks sounds great, composable has its share of side effects. As Michael reinforced, things aren’t integrated as tightly, and this can cause huge problems and delays. Enterprises are left tending to these integrations, and man… it’s hard.“Before content federation, the biggest challenge we saw was building middleware,” he said. “It’s really expensive and painful to develop. You have to design, maintain, authorize, secure, make fast, wire up with CDNs. Each time there’s a new component or system coming in or new business requirement, you have to adapt the code base. It’s an innovation bottleneck.”This is where Hygraph fires its photon torpedoes to eliminate that bottleneck, allowing you to configure all your systems downstream and easily tap all content sources and destinations with a single API. It solves the customization and integration challenges that hold back innovation or slow time to market.As Michael punctuated, “Content federation is content management for a new reality.” And it certainly feels like a Star Trek-level next generation of headless CMS.<h2>Charting the composable frontier</h2>Hygraph is a member of the <a target="_blank" href="https://machalliance.org/members">MACH Alliance</a>, a not-for-profit organization focused on open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems – and the defacto voice of the composable movement. As I shared in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year/">previous posts</a>, I had the opportunity to judge entries in the MACH Two Impact Awards this past June.During our conversation, I shared with Michael how inspiring and intimidating some of the project examples were. The system integrators behind these transformations were creative and ambitious. In some cases, the resulting stacks felt a bit like Frankenstein’s monster coming to life – miraculous, but potentially scary. Could content federation help change this?“I actually think Frankenstein is a good term for it,” he replied. “What led us to content federation is that we would see the integration requirements and what kinds of Frankensteins [our customers] would build. One reason why it’s hard to maintain is that very often, the people who can build these Frankensteins can be strong characters – very experienced enterprise architects. There’s a human factor, and there can be a lot of arguing about how things are built.”The human factor. Of course. One of the biggest risks to the success of a modular, composable architecture is the mindset – which, by its very nature, is about people and processes. Larger organizations have the resources to support both, but I wondered if Hygraph might be looking downstream as it removes many of the challenges from going composable.“We want to make complex architectures feasible, not just possible,” he said. “Even for the mid-market. A lot of vendors in the MACH space address [that segment], so there has to be some way to get those technologies together more easily.”<h2>A warp engine for content-rich applications</h2>In the expanding universe of digital experiences, content is fueling opportunity – hence the continued explosion of CMS, DXP, and other technologies in the ecosystem. Some estimates put the market potential at over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/04/11/1802414/0/en/Global-Content-Management-Software-Market-Will-Reach-USD-123-500-Million-By-2026-Zion-Market-Research.html">$123 billion by 2026</a>, with a CAGR of 17 percent.At the same time, the headless CMS market is approaching a Neutral Zone of commoditization, with composable forcing greater downward pressure on price and parity. Most platforms provide similar functionality, and some are feeling the pinch to add new features that challenge their MACH posture as pure-play composable solutions.I asked Michael what gives Hygraph an edge in this battle.“A lot of CMS vendors focus on websites and marketing personas. But we’ve built powerful capabilities that have attracted different kinds of use cases to our platform, the kind that we were surprised to see a CMS being used for and not a database.”Michael referred to these as content-rich applications, where the content itself is the main asset of the product being sold. Like Netflix for streaming movies or Peloton for workout classes, content creators only need tools to maintain those experiences. In these cases, it’s not marketers using Hygraph, but domain experts that don’t require page builders or WYSIWYGs.On the channel side, Hygraph is partnering with SIs and collaborating with other MACH vendors to build deeper API-based integrations. While much of this attention is focused on enterprise, there’s some solid mid-market in the mix, where it’s easier to find early adopters of their technology. Regardless, organizations stand to gain significant benefits from content federation.“It can help consolidate the legacy stack within an organization,” he explained. “You integrate all the services under the hood, and you get a fresh façade, like a renovation for all the APIs you have. All of a sudden, a company can attract better developers because they can work with modern tools. If you want top talent, you have to keep iterating.”Content-rich applications are one dimension. Enterprises are also wrestling with multiple CMSes under on roof. “We’ve seen enterprises have as many CMSes as teams or divisions, and they need to stay there for a couple of years. Content federation is enabling this to work, making it easy to consolidate and build new digital experiences.”<h2>Phasers locked on growth</h2>As Michael noted, the biggest challenge to growth in composable is that no one knows how to Google the problem they have. It’s a bit like being trapped on an alien planet with no universal translator.“Headless CMS is mature, and people are aware, but we are so early with composability and building the tooling that a lot of education still needs to happen,” he proclaimed. “I’m happy the MACH Alliance is around, as it’s a joint effort to educate and position to other vendors. It’s the category creation process that needs to be innovated.”For Michael, the role of the MACH Alliance can’t be understated. I recall <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/">Kelly Goetsch</a>, one of its co-founders, saying that if the Alliance does its job, it might become less necessary in the future. That said, the rise of new certifications brings greater certainty and confidence to technology buyers.Michael said he wouldn’t be surprised if the MACH Alliance became a marketplace to bundle those services under one umbrella. Driving that belief is the challenge of procurement.“With monolithic vendors, you have all the tools with one vendor, one renewal process, one customer success manager. In a composable stack, you have ten solutions you have to deal with ten times a year. At some point, market consolidation may happen – and the MACH Alliance might be in the best spot to do this.”There are a lot of challenging headwinds, to be sure. Composable is growing, perhaps more in Europe right now, but I asked Michael how his approach to growth as a leader is setting Hygraph up for success.“It’s challenging economically, but we’re still growing at a good pace,” he said confidently. “We’ve built four strong pillars of growth: product-led strategy, a good sales team and quotient, the right ecosystem partners, and a commitment to customer success – so our customers buy again. It’s important to go the extra mile to make sure they implement successfully. Otherwise, after three or four months, it’s a safe churn.”<h2>Scotty, beam me up…</h2>Whether you’re a Star Trek fan or not (and really, who isn't?), you can’t argue its impact on pop culture. Content federation might be on a similar trajectory within the CMS industry as it evolves the composable landscape.  As Michael reflected on our conversation, he returned to that tipping point of opportunity and the importance of having a solid vision and a good story to pitch. “Innovation and differentiation are so important. If we hadn’t pivoted to GraphCMS, we wouldn’t be here. Everyone told me not to go fundraise for a Series B, but the whole process took 90 days to being at the notary and signing the round. A differentiated, unique story is incredibly important in that aspect.”I asked what’s ahead for Hygraph as 2023 warps toward a new year. I also inquired about AI, as peer platforms continue to add functionality to their toolsets.“We’re very focused on federation and larger releases, but what we see with a lot of vendors is that they’re wrapping ChatGPT around a UI plugin and giving you ChatGPT tools in their CMS. Is there a real value add? In reality, you can say you’re a CMS with AI capabilities, but you’re just copying and pasting from ChatGPT with better integration.”Michael suggested there are stronger use cases for AI in content management. For example, in the future, companies may be able to define schema and allow AI to build out the rest of an application – reducing the fail rate for software projects. There are clearly boundless opportunities for automation that still put users in control.As Hygraph continues to explore the DX galaxy under Michael's leadership, it’s clear that content federation is the prime directive. It’s the kind of innovation that could very well shape the next generation of content management and drive significant growth.I’m betting it will live long and prosper.

Content Management for a New Reality: A Conversation with Hygraph CEO Michael Lukaszczyk

This week, <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fkontent.ai%2F&amp;esheet=52780079&amp;newsitemid=20220713005621&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Kontent.ai&amp;index=1&amp;md5=c56e95cdd90647703ac78689ada036c6">Kontent.ai</a> – a <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless CMS</a> – announced the expansion of its Most Valuable Professional (MVP) program, which recognizes the contributions of industry experts who have worked to support the Kontent.ai community.
The expansion features two new categories: Strategy MVP and Ambassador MVP. These join Kontent.ai's existing Technical MVP program, which has successfully operated for several years and elevated technical personas and developers in the company's community.
Along with the expansion, Kontent.ai announced seven new MVPs joining the new Strategy &amp; Ambassador programs. According to the company, these individuals will play a crucial role in shaping the future of Kontent.ai's platform and help drive innovation in the field. 
<h2>Strategy MVPs</h2>
The Strategy MVP category recognizes and celebrates valuable members of the Kontent.ai community who demonstrate a strong understanding of modern digital strategies. These individuals highlight how Kontent.ai can deliver successful outcomes for brands in an evolving technological landscape by sharing their technical knowledge and consultative expertise with the market. The new MVPs include:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgriffith/" target="_blank">Adam Griffith</a> (Luminary - Australia)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshaysura/" target="_blank">Akshay Sura</a>* (Konabos - United States)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmckeiver/" target="_blank">Brian McKeiver</a>* (Bizstream - United States)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katywhitedept/" target="_blank">Katy White</a> (DEPT® - United Kingdom)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/klaasjanmeijer/" target="_blank">Klaas-Jan Meijer</a> (ACTUM Digital - Netherlands)</li>
</ul>
*Transitioned from the Technical MVP Program
<h2>Ambassador MVPs</h2>
In addition, the newly formed Ambassador MVP category recognizes Kontent.ai customers that are considered experts in the deployment, management, and orchestration of Kontent.ai’s headless CMS. This category focuses on how the platform delivers superior content management experiences in a highly-competitive digital landscape. Ambassador MVPs are champions of Kontent.ai and advocate for what brands can achieve in their own complex digital and content management journeys. The new MVPs include:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-lamothe-87b78686/" target="_blank">Marc Lamothe</a> (American Bath Group - United States)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiremebecause/" target="_blank">D’Arcy Heath</a> (UNUM - United Kingdom)</li>
</ul>
It's worth noting that Akshay Sura and Marc Lamothe were part of the team that received a 2023 MACH Impact Award for the American Bath Group project – a composable solution that featured the Kontent.ai headless CMS. The project featured the migration of 10 websites with over 50,000 products in only 8 months.
The award was announced in June during the MACH Alliance's <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year/">MACH Two event</a> in Amsterdam. 
<h2>About Kontent.ai</h2>
Kontent.ai is a leading modular content platform that enables marketers and developers to plan, create, and deliver content at scale. Business teams collaborate daily in the intuitive authoring experience designed for governed content production and management, real-time reviewing and approvals, and modular content reuse. In parallel, developers leverage the total flexibility of the headless solution, best-of-breed technologies, and composable AI to deliver digital experiences via API to any channel. With hubs in New York, London, Amsterdam, Brno, and Sydney, Kontent.ai helps companies like Zurich Insurance, Algolia, Vogue, AC Milan, and Oxford University unlock the full potential of their content and connect with customers worldwide.

Kontent.ai Expands its MVP Program with Two New Categories

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<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/new-mach-alliance-maturity-assessment-tool-helps-organizations-evaluate-their-mach-readiness/">The MACH Alliance</a> continues its unabated upward trajectory in 2023.
The not-for-profit group, which advocates for open and best-of-breed enterprise technology ecosystems, has <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/stripe-joins-mach-alliance-bringing-organization-to-nearly-90-members/">added multiple technologies and system integrators</a> to its ranks since the beginning of the year. This includes some noteworthy brands like Stripe and Paypal. 
Now, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/playing-to-win-in-the-headless-cms-game-interview-with-joel-varty-cto-at-agility/">Agility</a> – an API-first <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/top-free-headless-cms-platforms/">headless CMS</a> – has joined the prestigious industry organization.
This week, the company announced that it is now a certified member of the MACH Alliance, highlighting its commitment to utilizing modern, modular, and scalable software architectures to provide innovative digital experiences to its clients. 
"We are thrilled to be a part of the MACH Alliance community," said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonvoigt/" target="_blank">Jon Voigt</a>, CEO of Agility. "At Agility, we’ve always had the belief that customers should use best-of-breed solutions and bring them together to create the best experience for their teams and their customers. Joining the MACH Alliance just shows external verification that we’ve always been on the right track." 
<h2>Building the composable future on the principles of MACH</h2>
The MACH Alliance is a community of technology companies and enablers dedicated to promoting the adoption of MACH architecture principles for building flexible, interoperable, and future-proof digital ecosystems. MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless) represents the foundational principles that Agility was designed on from its conception – making it an ideal fit for membership.
"By leveraging MACH architecture principles at Agility, we empower our customers and partners to build and deliver personalized, omnichannel digital experiences that drive engagement and loyalty," said <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/playing-to-win-in-the-headless-cms-game-interview-with-joel-varty-cto-at-agility/">Joel Varty</a>, CTO of Agility. "I look forward to collaborating with other members of the MACH Alliance to drive innovation and advance the adoption of modern architectural standards." 
As a composable platform, Agility CMS allows clients to easily manage and distribute content across multiple channels and seamlessly integrate with other services. Additionally, its API-first approach enables clients to create content once and then distribute it anywhere, seamlessly integrating it with their existing technology stack.
From an infrastructure perspective, Agility is cloud-native, running on the latest technology and making it easy for clients to scale their solutions as their business grows.
Finally, Agility's headless approach – a key component in MACH architectures – allows clients to easily separate content from the presentation layer, giving them the freedom to deliver customized experiences across a variety of channels. 
<h2>Gaining agility in a rapidly-changing marketplace </h2>
Agility's membership in the MACH Alliance will give the company access to a network of leading technology companies, enabling it to stay at the forefront of technology innovation and continue delivering outstanding digital experiences to its clients. 
"At Agility, we always strive to provide the best possible digital experiences for our clients," said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jina-zohori/" target="_blank">Jina Zohori</a>, Head of Customer Experience at Agility. "By joining the MACH Alliance community and leveraging modern, modular, and scalable software architectures, we will continue to innovate and provide our clients with exceptional digital experiences that engage and delight their customers. Our membership in the MACH Alliance will also provide us with access to a network of leading technology companies, enabling us to stay at the forefront of technology innovation and deliver even more value to our clients." 
Agility's <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/agility-unveils-refreshed-design-system-in-ui-delivering-enhanced-user-experience-and-accessibility/">recent announcement</a> of a new UI also reinforces its commitment to delivering a best-in-class customer experience. The upgrade reflected 18 months of research and innovation that improves the overall usability of the headless platform, along with new features and modernizations. 
<h2>About Agility</h2>
Agility is an API-first Headless CMS that enables organizations to build and deliver personalized digital experiences across multiple channels. With a Headless Architecture and White Glove service, Agility empowers its clients to easily manage and distribute content while seamlessly integrating with their existing technology stack. For more information, visit<a href="https://agilitycms.com/"> https://agilitycms.com/</a>

Agility Joins MACH Alliance, Bringing its Headless CMS to the Industry-Leading Composable Ecosystem

One of the biggest challenges with adopting <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-technology" target="_blank">MACH</a> (Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native SaaS, Headless) is understanding what you’re in for. After all, going composable and embracing MACH patterns and architectures is not for the faint of heart.
So if you’re seriously considering MACH, is your company prepared for what’s ahead? What resources will you require? And what does success look like?
To help answer some of these foundational questions, the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-expands-advisory-board-launches-new-mach-book-resource/">MACH Alliance</a> – a not-for-profit group that advocates for open and best-of-breed enterprise technology ecosystems – has developed a new <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-maturity-assessment" target="_blank">MACH Maturity Assessment Tool</a>. This five-minute "quiz" focuses on high-level business considerations instead of just the technical landscape, giving you a quick snapshot of your organization’s MACH readiness.
The online self-assessment provides a step-by-step Q&amp;A that scores your overall readiness to make the MACH shift. The questions focus on six key pillars: Strategy and Transformation, Organization and Governance, Process and Metrics, People and Culture, Technology and Architecture, and Business Intelligence.
I previously chatted with <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">Casper Rasmussen</a>, President of the MACH Alliance, to ask why this assessment tool is so important.
“What we set as an objective for 2023 is to help buyers make the right decisions,” he said. “We want to clarify the role of MACH and whom it’s for – and this tool plays a vital role in doing that. It allows an organization to gauge its readiness to adopt MACH, but it’s not a technology evaluation. This is a 360-degree view of the actual organizational aspects.”
It’s worth noting that MACH Alliance member Deloitte Digital led the development of this tool, along with a group of Alliance member volunteers and SI reps. The consortium included professionals from commercetools, Capgemini, Apply Digital, Orium, Vuestorefront, Big Commerce, Scaleflex, Vercel, talon.one, Cloudinary, Intive, Bold Commerce, Epam, and Valtech.
<h2>The six dimensions of a MACH-ready business</h2>
The Maturity Assessment questions align with what Casper described as six dimensions of a MACH-ready business – the same dimensions the Alliance has been consistently focused on.
But, as he points out, there’s always a journey element to MACH. Part of that transition is evaluating readiness, but it’s also identifying the gaps to help improve it.
“We’re not expecting companies to be perfect,” he clarified. “Not only do we score based on the answers that brands provide us, but we help them figure out, rectify, and actually improve across the dimensions that might be troublesome or problematic for them. This helps them navigate the journey they are about to embark on.”
The MACH Alliance also released a <a href="https://machalliance.org/thought-leadership/mach-maturity-assessment-whitepaper">white paper</a> covering the six pillars, which pair up to each self-assessment stage. Here’s a brief summary of each dimension:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/07/mach-maturity-diagram-pillars-1024x757.png" alt="MACH Maturity Assessment Diagram" />
<ul>
<li>Strategy and Transformation: As an organization considers a MACH transformation, clearly understanding its business objectives is essential. This initial step of the assessment highlights where a MACH approach may be applicable based on an organization’s current view of transformation across domains and as a whole.</li>
<li>Organization and Governance: This assessment step focuses on the decision-making process and how organizations support rapid change cycles and integrate with multiple external suppliers. MACH may require a business to adapt its operating model or delegate governance around an agreed-upon set of principles. These practices are foundational to supporting an effective MACH transition.</li>
<li>Process and Metrics: As noted in the white paper, any approach to MACH will have “knock-on” effects to process and metrics to support a distributed system of smaller components. Organizations may need to adopt an Agile project management framework, new reporting to span multiple business domains, and business processes for procuring, provisioning, and onboarding external systems.</li>
<li>People and Culture: Having the right distribution of people and frictionless communication between teams is key to a successful MACH transition. These questions focus on an organization’s culture and dynamics, where empowering greater autonomy, collaboration, and personal ownership of decisions can drive success – along with the development of new digital skills.</li>
<li>Technology and Architecture: While the assessment focuses more on business considerations, technology is a cornerstone of MACH and plays a big role in the transition. These questions focus on the shift from large, multi-function systems to more granular components, assessing whether an organization’s engineers and architects are prepared for microservices, APIs, cloud-based systems, and decoupled services.</li>
<li>Business Intelligence: The final stage of the assessment is concerned with optics and KPIs. To achieve and maintain MACH, organizations require tools for analysis and visualization that enable data-driven decisions at technical, operational, and business levels. Also, business intelligence best practices encompass the role of advanced analytics, AI and machine learning, and near-real-time data transparency.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Taking the MACH Maturity Assessment</h2>
Like any objective knowledge-seeker, I took the MACH Maturity Assessment myself.
As billed, I spent just a few minutes from start to finish and found the experience clear, frictionless, and kind of fun. Each question was multiple choice (A/B/C), peppered with intuitive options that use words like “firepower” and “big bang.” This makes the flow easy and highly accessible to business users.
A few questions did meander into techspeak (CI/CD processes, APIs, etc.). As a cloud guy, I easily understood the concepts, but you can pause the assessment and even back up if there are any specific details you need to hunt down. Once completed, you can enter your email address and have the assessment sent to you (not a requirement, BTW).
The final report generates a slick performance chart that maps your maturity as Weak, Immature, Moderate, or Mature. I included mine below:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/07/mach-maturity-performance-chart-1024x1018.png" alt="MACH Maturity Assessment diagam" />
I pulled a “Moderate” based on some of my answers, and was given a set of suggestions for improving my performance in the areas that required the most attention. For example, I was stronger in People and Culture but weaker in Business Intelligence – so the tool suggested I invest in improving my ability to track metrics across applications and experiences.
Again, this is a high-level snapshot, so not enough detail to prescribe specific solutions. But certainly enough to plan next steps.
Reviewing my results reminded me of how Casper framed success in our discussion. “The more we can emphasize the potential areas that will end up being problematic and really improve, the better,” he said. “Because it means brands are walking into it eyes wide open.”
<h2>MACHinating the journey ahead</h2>
If you’re considering a transition to MACH – and want an eye-opening experience – I would wholeheartedly recommend the MACH Maturity Assessment. It takes just a few minutes, but it’s a great place to start your journey.
You can access the tool online at <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-maturity-assessment">https://machalliance.org/mach-maturity-assessment</a>

New MACH Alliance Maturity Assessment Tool Helps Organizations Evaluate Their MACH Readiness

Big leadership changes are afoot at the <a href="http://www.machalliance.org/" target="_blank">MACH Alliance</a>, the group of independent tech companies that advocate for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems. The organization just announced changes to its Executive Board and leadership team, coming on the heels of its successful <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year/">MACH Two Conference</a> in early June. 
As composable technology adoption increases globally, the MACH Alliance provides vendor-neutral resources, education, and guidance through industry experts, helping to support companies on their journey to <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-releases-study-on-adoption-of-mach-technologies-by-tech-leaders-qa-with-sonja-keerl/">MACH</a> (Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native SaaS, Headless). As a movement, having transparent and democratic governance is vital, and the new board intends to fulfill the Alliance's commitment to diverse representation across member categories, geographies, genders, and areas of expertise.
According to the press release, the Alliance now touts more North American representatives than European. This reflects an accelerated adoption of MACH in markets like the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, the board has shifted its primary technology focus to concentrate more on business, marketing, and strategy. This transition will aid in advancing its mission, promoting the overall movement, and further supporting its expansion into North America within the next 12 months.
<h2>New Executive Board appointments 
</h2>
The MACH Alliance Executive Board comprises representatives from ISV, SI, and Enabler members within the Alliance, with an almost equal split between female and male members. Board elections take place every year, each term lasting two years, and Executive Board members are permitted to serve a maximum of two terms.
The new Executive Board appointments include:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/naragon/" target="_blank">Kristin Naragon</a> – Chief Strategy &amp; Marketing Officer at Akeneo</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankwalker/" target="_blank">Brian Walker</a> – Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Bloomreach</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/krithikaganesamoorthi/" target="_blank">Krithika Ganesamoorthi</a> – Senior Manager, Solutions Architecture at Amazon Web Services (AWS)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenerale/" target="_blank">Jen Jones</a> – Chief Marketing Officer at commercetools</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmin-guthmann-a463a766/" target="_blank">Jasmin Guthmann</a> – Head of Corporate Communication at Contentstack (re-elected)</li>
</ul>
This new crop of members will join the existing MACH Alliance Executive Board, which includes:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/casper-aagaard-rasmussen/" target="_blank">Casper Rasmussen</a> – President and Global SVP Technology at Valtech</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-panella-b616911/" target="_blank">Jon Panella</a> – Group Vice President at Publicis Sapient</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianbachdk/" target="_blank">Chris Bach</a> – Co-founder and CSO at Netlify</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dom-selvon-1488958/" target="_blank">Dom Selvon</a> – Chief Technology Officer at Apply Digital</li>
</ul>
<h2>Outgoing members of the Executive Board </h2>
As the new board appointees cycle in, the Alliance is parting with three very large pairs of shoes to fill:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/" target="_blank">Kelly Goetsch</a> – Chief Strategy Officer at commercetools</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjwilliams/" target="_blank">John Williams</a> – Chief Technology Officer at Amplience</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordana-vuckovic/" target="_blank">Gordana Vuckovic</a> – Advisor, TAZI AI Systems</li>
</ul>
Goetsch has been – and remains – an important changemaker within the MACH Community. He has played a critical role in the development of the Alliance since its inception and served as its founding president. During his two-year board tenure, he significantly contributed to furthering the industry’s understanding of MACH and will continue to be a very active member.
Similarly, Williams and Vuckovic have left an indelible mark on the Alliance and bolstered the MACH movement during their time on the Executive Board.
<h2>2023 Elections introduce new Heads of Councils</h2>
The Alliance announced the appointment of several new Heads of Councils during its 2023 elections. Voting took place between June 28th and 30th. Candidates from member companies nominated themselves and campaigned for MACH Alliance member votes, which were cast as part of a transparent, democratic process.
The new appointments include: 
<ul>
<li>Growth Council: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetalofer/" target="_blank">Tal Ofer</a> – Partnerships Director at Cloudinary</li>
<li>Marketing Council: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewwadsworth1/" target="_blank">Andrew Wadsworth</a>, Senior Director Business Development at Apply Digital, joined by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinabotea/" target="_blank">Irina Boteo</a>, VP Marketing at Uniform</li>
<li>Tech Council: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartguestsmith/" target="_blank">Stuart Guest-Smith</a>, Lead Principal Architect at BigCommerce, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertocarreramaldonado/" target="_blank">Roberto Carrera</a>, Strategy Architect at Apply Digital</li>
</ul>
<h2>New Education Council focuses on business and technical foundations</h2>
This year, the Alliance also announced the establishment of a new Education Council. The initiative will be led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tareknseir/" target="_blank">Tarek Nseir,</a> SVP of Digital Engagement EMEA at EPAM Systems, who has been an active member of the Executive Board for the past year.
With this new council, the Alliance aims to turbocharge its efforts in the educational space, ensuring it remains at the top of the agenda. During the MACH Two Conference, Casper Rasmussen detailed some of the roadmap for the Alliance's ambitious education plans. The council will be critical in meeting that horizon, launching business and technical foundation tracks later this year.
<h2>Celebrating MACH Milestones</h2>
The board changes and election appointments come on the heels of several milestones for the MACH Alliance. Most notably: the celebration of its third anniversary. The organization recently attained 90 members, including <a href="https://machalliance.org/newsroom/mach-alliance-announces-paypal-is-the-first-company-to-join-new-supporter-membership-category" target="_blank">PayPal</a> and other global financial service providers – all while maintaining the purity of the MACH Alliance certification.
As previously noted, the MACH Two Conference – which was held from June 13-14 in Amsterdam – was a resounding success. The event brought together more than 600 leaders across the MACH community, providing a wealth of education workshops and sessions with real customer use cases and success stories.
“It has been an exciting and fun experience to strategically lead this organization for the last 12 months,” said Casper Rasmussen, President of the MACH Alliance. “We are looking forward to onboarding fresh thinking, new energy, and to welcome new individuals to our executive team. With this leadership team in place from August, we have the exclusive opportunity to really propel awareness, education and the advancement of MACH to the next level. My sincere thanks to our board for having been such an essential part of all our achievements to date.”
<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 SaaS 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.

MACH Alliance Appoints New Members to Executive Board, Focuses on Diversity of Expertise and Growth in North America

<a href="http://www.machalliance.org/" target="_blank">MACH Alliance,</a> the not-for-profit industry body that advocates for open and best-of-breed enterprise technology ecosystems, just announced the launch of its new Women in MACH mentorship program. 
In previous articles, we've covered the Women in MACH initiative, which has become integral to the MACH Alliance’s roadmap. Mentorship has been earmarked as one of three core pillars for the Women in MACH movement in 2023 and will be offered as a unique benefit to MACH Alliance members.
The new program was on center stage at the recent <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-two-conference-wrap-six-takeaways-from-the-composable-event-of-the-year/">MACH Two Conference</a> in Amsterdam, where more than 100 people signed on as mentors during the event. This groundswell of interest reflects the community’s appetite to promote change and increase diversity and inclusion.
“From the very beginning, the MACH Alliance has been committed to encouraging companies across the MACH ecosystem to strive for best-of-breed architectures,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jguthmann/" target="_blank">Jasmin Guthmann</a>, Vice President &amp; Executive Board Member of the MACH Alliance. “Why stop there? We saw a golden opportunity to expand our advocacy mission to nurture the professional growth of women, and the Women in MACH mentorship program is the perfect avenue to do that. Our intent is to grow the Women in MACH mentorship program into an overarching mentorship program for increased diversity, equity and inclusion by early-2024.”
<h2>MACHifying mentorship</h2>
The MACH Alliance has been a champion of mentorship since its founding in 2020. The new mentorship program builds on the MACH Alliance’s fall 2022 <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-publishes-women-in-mach-manifesto-for-gender-equality/">Women in MACH event</a>, where over 100 high-profile attendees collectively authored its <a href="https://machalliance.org/insights/women-in-mach-manifesto-for-gender-equality" target="_blank">Women in MACH manifesto,</a> urging companies to prioritize gender equality.
According to the organization's press release, its mentor/mentee matching will be 1-1 and cover six key areas:
<ul>
<li>Sales and marketing</li>
<li>Career development</li>
<li>Product and R&amp;D-related topics</li>
<li>Change management</li>
<li>Leadership</li>
<li>Team building</li>
</ul>
“We’ve said it before and we continue to emphasize that MACH is a modern category, and that calls for an equally modern approach to drive forward a new era in enterprise tech,” said <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">Casper Rasmussen</a>, President, MACH Alliance. “That requires rethinking the faces and voices that are leading the charge. We’ve seen firsthand what tremendous leaders and contributors women are in this space. This mentorship program is just one way we’re working to pave the way for the success of women and other diverse individuals to continue to succeed.”
To learn more, visit <a href="https://machalliance.org/women-in-mach-mentoring" target="_blank">Women in MACH Mentorship program.</a>
<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 SaaS, 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 with the same vision for the future. Learn more at <a href="https://machalliance.org/" target="_blank">machalliance.org</a>, <a href="https://machalliance.org/insights/mach-certification-a-seal-of-confidence" target="_blank">read here </a>about MACH certification and follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/machalliance" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/machalliance/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.

MACH Alliance Launches Women in MACH Mentorship Program

In Hollywood, sequels are a roll of the dice. Few manage to capture the magic of an original film, and most burn up on re-entry. I won’t partake in any “sequel shaming,” but the list of losers is long.
But then there’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” a film that surprisingly managed to <a href="https://boardroom.tv/highest-grossing-sequels-of-all-time/">earn $1.4 billion globally</a>. While not the biggest franchise follow-up (that still belongs to Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame”), it cemented its place at the top.
At this year’s <a href="https://the.machalliance.org/machtwo/">MACH Two Conference</a> – the sequel to the <a href="https://machalliance.org/">MACH Alliance’s</a> inaugural event in 2022 – Tom Cruise wasn't piloting any box office blitz. But as the final session wrapped, there was more Maverick in MACH than anyone could have predicted.
I had the opportunity to attend the much-anticipated event in Amsterdam this week at the swank <a href="https://delamar.nl/en/">DeLaMar Theater</a>. And while dodging airport delays with international connections was nerve-racking, it was well worth the effort.
Because MACH Two was, in a word, awesome.
Don’t take my word for it. As <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/netlify-to-host-headless-commerce-summit-for-talks-on-building-world-class-e-commerce-experiences/">Netlify</a> co-founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianbachdk/">Chris Bach</a> observed, it was the “crème de la crème of events, and I wanted to talk to everyone.”
While the MACH Alliance is still a relative newcomer to the tech landscape, its signature conference has already attained world-class status. Along with an impressive lineup of 36 speakers, the event featured expert practitioners, technology vendors, integrators, and brands willing to share their MACH journeys.
Betwixt the lively keynotes, there were numerous workshops, a co-lab zone, learning circles, social groups, afterparties, and more. Even the tasty plant-based bites provided by Food Line-up – Europe’s first <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/" target="_blank">B Corp</a> caterer – were <a href="https://the.machalliance.org/machtwo/?overlay=Sustainability-pledge">sustainably produced</a> (and you know how boring conference food can be).
Over the two days of the conference, I connected with Alliance leaders, sponsors, and attendees to discuss MACH and how it’s shaping the composable landscape. While innovation and technology were central to the content, it was evident that the “Art &amp; Science” of this event’s theme had more to do with people and community.
I met so many great people and there are too many stories to tell, so I tried to compress everything into six big takeaways that made MACH Two a winning sequel.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-1.jpg" alt="MACH Two presentation" />
<h2>1. Interest in MACH and composable is growing in a big way</h2>
During Tuesday’s opening keynote, the lower bowl of the DeLaMar Theater was solidly packed. This echoed what MACH Alliance president <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">Casper Rasmussen</a> said during his opening remarks: “The footprint has grown.”
To be sure, last year’s shindig was smaller – which makes sense when you’re throwing a party for the first time. During the planning phase for MACH One, a few Alliance members admitted to me that they weren’t sure if anyone would show up.
But that wasn’t the case this year. With just over 600 attendees from numerous countries, things sometimes got elbow-deep.
Since last year’s event, the Alliance has grown to nearly 90 members, with a pipeline of new applications streaming in. <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/aws-joins-mach-alliance-as-enabler-member-reflects-growth-of-cloud-native-solutions/">AWS joined</a> as an Enabler in 2022, bringing industry-leading brands to the ecosystem ­– and that trend has continued. In fact, as the show was opening, it was <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/stripe-joins-mach-alliance-bringing-organization-to-nearly-90-members/">announced that Stripe</a> had joined the ranks.
At one point during the opening session, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-diliberti-73801140/" target="_blank">Danielle Diliberti</a> of Sommsation (who shared MC duties with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nialledwards/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">Naill Edwards</a> of Lego Group) asked for a show of hands to see who was attending their first MACH event. It looked to be around 60% – evidence that interest is swelling, and the market sees more potential than it did just 12 months ago.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-2-1.jpg" alt="MACH Two ASICS presentation" />
<h2>2. MACH has moved from early adoption to real impact</h2>
One of the most notable transformations from MACH One to MACH Two is the shift from ideas to successful implementations. Across both days, the event featured customer stories from an array of verticals, all told through the voice of the internal MACH champion. In every example, we saw the realization of the MACH journey through working architectures and KPIs.
Each use case was brilliant, from Interflora to IKEA to M&amp;M. But as a runner, I was a bit partial to ASICS, the international sportswear brand. With a global omnichannel platform serving Japan, Europe, North America, and Australia, it was a perfect example to showcase the potential of MACH at scale.
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjmontgomery/" target="_blank">Mindy Montgomery</a>, Associate Director of Product Management at ASICS, gave a fantastic overview of how her company evolved beyond a purpose-built eCommerce solution and broke its monolithic dependency. Starting with a change in mindset, her team built a modern DXP to support loyalty, search, promotions, design systems, and other functions across its digital business. She’s now looking to make parts of the stack available via headless for other company initiatives.
One concept that kept surfacing with ASICS and other brands is the concerted move to a product-led philosophy. As Montgomery explained, removing the small, feature-based approach was critical to embracing MACH. She also emphasized the importance of having a trust-based relationship between product and engineering to improve delivery.
AI made its way into numerous stories, and ASICS was no exception. Montgomery admitted that the emergence of <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/from-chatbots-to-contentops-how-ai-is-coming-to-your-cms-whether-you-like-it-or-not/">ChatGPT</a> forced them to pause and rethink their product search initiative. The company is now considering a generative AI application to augment its shoe finder experience.
One key takeaway: while AI might be changing the game, composable could make the pivot much less painful.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-3.jpg" alt="MACH Two Media Q&amp;A" />
<h2>3. More education, tools, and transparency are on the way</h2>
During a dedicated media Q&amp;A on Tuesday, I had an opportunity to engage with a panel of Alliance leaders and ambassadors. In addition to Casper Rasmussen, the group included <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygoetsch/" target="_blank">Kelly Goetsch</a>, MACH Alliance Chair &amp; CSO of commercetools; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jguthmann/" target="_blank">Jasmin Guthmann</a>, Alliance VP &amp; Head of Corporate Communications at Contentstack; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/balakrishnancs/" target="_blank">Balki Subramanian</a>, VP Digital Experiences, Mars; and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anca-iordanescu-phd-computer-science-3756971/" target="_blank">Anca Iordanescu</a>, VP Engineering at IKEA.
When asked about what’s changed since MACH One, Rasmussen said, "MACH is at an intersection, " leading to more opportunities. He suggested that it also requires a carefully managed expansion that relies on improving interoperability and standards for new and current members.   
Kelly Goetsch also reflected on the last year of growth, saying MACH “now feels like the default,” and that “we’re no longer advocating from the sidelines.” Jasmine Guthmann also suggested that the MACH philosophy will play a bigger role moving forward, helping reinforce the organization's spirit.
There was a clear consensus around the need for more education, a key requirement for improving adoption. Along with a cache of thought leadership content and other knowledge resources, the Alliance just launched a new MACH TCO tool, and plans to release a maturity assessment tool that focuses on 6 key pillars, such as governance.
Later this year, we can expect new educational programs for brands and members, and Rasmussen hopes to offer some degree of certifications based on different levels of MACH expertise. This would include foundational programs, developer and architecture modules, and even a “MACH Expert” certification.
Rasmussen also talked about the evolution of MACH principles. He said that two years ago, we didn’t talk about MACHifying operations or enterprise resource planning. To that end, the framework needs to be flexible, as definitions and criteria will continue to change over time.
The panel shared a few other insights worth mentioning. First, there’s been a noticeable growth of MACH requirements in RFPs. In fact, one brand mentioned that MACH membership had become a baseline requirement when picking technologies – positioning MACH as a standard for the future.
The other topic was transparency. At both evening mixers, I heard from multiple ISVs and SIs about their concerns regarding the membership selection criteria and wanting more visibility into the process. According to Rasmussen, 53% of membership applications are rejected – but the majority resubmit. He noted a clear evolution in those resubmissions, suggesting that companies understand the gaps and adjust to meet the criteria. That said, the panel recognized this need for even more transparency and expressed a commitment to deliver it.
<h2>4. Relationships and trust continue to drive value</h2>
One of the persistent gaps in composable strategies is the responsibility model. Monoliths provide one throat to choke, while composable architectures might require seven.
Researching, procuring, and managing multiple technology partners can be challenging and time-consuming. More importantly, when things go sideways – and they always do – who takes responsibility? Who owns the issue?
For vendors like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/contentstack-launch-aims-to-simplify-front-end-hosting-interview-with-dean-haddock-senior-product-manager/">Contentstack</a>, its “Care without Compromise” provides an SLA-like template for handling problem resolution. But not all vendors have that kind of framework in place.
Over the last few days, I spoke to numerous SIs and ISVs about their composable partnerships and how they handle the hard stuff. I kept hearing the importance of their human relationships and the clear reliance on trust.
In one such example, an agency praised a headless CMS and its dedicated customer service manager, crediting them for their ongoing success. In another conversation, I used the word “vendor” to describe a platform, and was politely asked to use “partner” instead.
I heard several attendees talk about the need for more guidance when handling these partnership challenges. There may not be a common template or SLA yet, but it’s evident that MACH members are investing in the quality of their relationships to deliver and maintain high-value customer outcomes.  
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-4.jpg" alt="MACH Two Impact Awards" />
<h2>5. The Impact Awards is a win for the MACH movement</h2>
It was an honor to help judge the MACH Two 2023 <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-impact-awards" target="_blank">Impact Awards</a>. Over the last month, I read through dozens of detailed entries, each with a compelling story of composable transformation. They were bold, ambitious, innovative… and sometimes downright scary.
I say that with the greatest reverence, but I won’t pull any punches on the level of complexity in some of these use cases. But that’s just it: MACH isn’t for the faint of heart. Building a composable stack requires the right use case and a thoughtful implementation strategy. As Kelly Goestch once said on LinkedIn, “I love MACH, but regularly tell people 'MACH is not for you' – and then promptly refer them to Shopify.”
American Bath Group, winner of the "Best Overall Change Project,” truly brought the rain from an innovation perspective. Not only did they embrace MACH tenants at a foundational level, but they embodied the MACH mindset from planning to best practices. From an architectural perspective, this was all reinforced by its agency partner, Konabos, and its headless CMS, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/kontent-ai-raises-40-million-to-bring-the-power-of-ai-to-content-management/">Kontent.ai</a>.
The <a href="https://machalliance.org/mach-impact-awards">winners in each category</a> were all well-deserved. At the same time, the bulk of the 150+ entries showcased how far MACH has progressed. <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-releases-study-on-adoption-of-mach-technologies-by-tech-leaders-qa-with-sonja-keerl/">Sonja Keerl</a>, former president of the MACH Alliance, spoke about the importance of demonstrating real change when selecting the Impact Awards – and American Bath Group delivered the most compelling results from end to end. You can read the <a href="https://kontent.ai/customers/american-bath-group-success/">complete case study here</a>.
Even if you didn’t take home a statue, the Impact Awards represent a win for the MACH movement. With this much adoption and successful implementation, we can only expect more entries next year.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/06/mach-two-image-5.jpg" alt="MACH Two mentoring program presentation" />
<h2>6. Women in MACH, mentoring, and other initiatives are becoming top of mind</h2>
Above all, the MACH Alliance is a community that strives to put people first. That was made abundantly clear throughout MACH Two, just by watching the networking and interactions between attendees – many of whom were experiencing a MACH event for the first time. Even the Whova conference app encouraged social engagement, with groups sprouting organically around various business and personal interests.
Aligning with this cornerstone of its mission, programs like <a href="https://machalliance.org/women-in-mach">Women in MACH</a> took on an elevated level of visibility within the physical event space and throughout the MACH Two communications. The group is still relatively new but has already established an important role within the Alliance community.
While credit is due for making this effort, there’s still work to be done across the tech industry to shatter the silicon ceiling. We need more allies to support programs like this – and for businesses to truly walk the talk.
Surely, we can do better by emphasizing STEM education and career mentoring at the earliest stages. But here and now, we need more female tech leaders in MACH and a continued focus on diversity. In his closing session, Casper Rasmussen called for more female representation, and this is where the Alliance is acting as a conduit for change. 
In addition to people, there’s our planet, and several attendees inquired about the roadmap for weaving sustainability and green technology initiatives into the fabric of the MACH Alliance. Rasmussen also touched on this in his final presentation, suggesting that more can be done with partners like AWS to enable greater sustainability in the cloud – and that more is coming.
<h2>Accelerating ahead to MACH Three</h2>
I'm still feeling the sonic boom of MACH Two. It might be hard to top the success of this sequel – but with so much growth and potential ahead, MACH Three could be an even bigger story.
As more brands evaluate MACH and composable strategies, hearing successful use cases from actual stakeholders might be the best way to overcome reluctant executives. Couple that with a community of ambassadors and members – many of whom are willing to share their time and expertise – and you might build consensus at MACH speed.
While no specific date or location has been publicized, MACH Three is tentatively planned for 2024 in North America. We’ll keep you posted on the details as they emerge.

MACH Two Conference Wrap: Six Takeaways from the Composable Event of the Year

MACH Two featured image with photos from the event in a collage

Yesterday, the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-releases-study-on-adoption-of-mach-technologies-by-tech-leaders-qa-with-sonja-keerl/">MACH Alliance</a> – a group of independent tech companies dedicated to advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems – <a href="https://machalliance.org/newsroom/stripe-joins-the-mach-alliance">announced that Stripe</a> had joined its membership ranks. This noteworthy addition brings the organization to nearly 90 members.
<a href="https://stripe.com/en-nl">Stripe</a>, a leading internet payment processing platform, is trusted by enterprises around the globe to accept payments, send payouts, and manage their businesses online. This includes leading brands like Amazon, BigCommerce, Ford, Zara, Maersk, and more.
“Stripe serves as an excellent example of a company that’s built upon a modern technical infrastructure,” said <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/the-future-is-composable-a-conversation-with-new-mach-alliance-president-casper-rasmussen/">Casper Rasmussen</a>, MACH Alliance president. “They’ll be strong champions for the Alliance across their vast network of users and partners, which will influence broader embrace of MACH across the fintech category.”
As noted in the MACH Alliance press release, organizations of all backgrounds – from startups to digital natives to traditional enterprises – require MACH principals to grow. According to its <a href="https://machalliance.org/newsroom/mach-global-research-2023">annual survey </a>of global IT decision-makers, the inability to innovate stifles competitiveness. This is further compounded by the need to accelerate time to market. Adding Stripe to the MACH Alliance provides another trusted technology layer for building composable architectures to meet the demands of an evolving market – allowing businesses to respond to change and deliver customer experiences faster and at scale.
“MACH Alliance is enhancing the online commerce space and is a leading standard for the industry,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorothycopeland/">Dorothy Copeland</a>, global head of partnerships at Stripe. “Becoming a member was an obvious choice – many existing Alliance members are already Stripe users and partners, which demonstrates the importance of this ecosystem to accelerate digital experiences." 
The Stripe announcement comes as the MACH Alliance begins its <a href="https://the.machalliance.org/machtwo/">MACH Two Conference</a> in Amsterdam. The event – dubbed “Art and Science” – offers two days with expert practitioners and C-suite leaders as they discuss the future of composable technology. Speakers from the Lego Group, Harry Rosen, and other respected industry brands will provide insight through their successful MACH and composable use cases. The conference will also feature MACH technology ISVs and system integrators from the Alliance member community building MACH and composable solutions.
<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 SaaS 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://machalliance.org/">machalliance.org,</a> read here about <a href="https://machalliance.org/insights/mach-certification-a-seal-of-confidence">MACH certification</a> and follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/machalliance">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/machalliance/">LinkedIn</a>.
<h2>About Stripe</h2>
Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies – from the world’s largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups – use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities. Headquartered in San Francisco and Dublin, the company aims to increase the GDP of the internet.

Stripe Joins MACH Alliance, Bringing Organization to Nearly 90 Members

MACH Alliance and Stripe logo for announcement

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