The Year of Drupal
2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Drupal! Both Drupal 7 and Drupal 9 are reaching end-of-life, along with the official release of Drupal 10 that took place in December last year.
Drupal 7 and Drupal 9 End of Life
On
Left
In November 2023, Drupal 7 and Drupal 9 will reach their end-of-life (EOL) dates, and while the Drupal Association has extended the D7 EOL date before, we don’t anticipate it happening again.
For those on Drupal 7, this will be the last major upgrade required for a simplified path forward. Drupal 9 users will have an even more streamlined upgrade path with no need to complete a rebuild.
In both cases, Drupal users can expect to see a more modern version with several advancements. Now is the time to start planning for the move if you haven’t already.
What Is EOL?
- EOL means there will be no official support from the Drupal community and Drupal Association. This includes security updates, platform enhancements, and upgrades.
What If I Don’t Upgrade?
- Your site may no longer function as expected.
- You will miss out on newer features and functionalities that may benefit your website users.
- Your site will not be secure and may be flagged by third-party scans prompting IT concerns in your organization.
Right
Benefits of Drupal 10
The Drupal community has continued to advance the platform, helping people create powerful, flexible, and interactive open-source digital experiences and applications. Some of the key benefits users will get to look forward to include:
New themes
The Claro administration theme was first introduced in Drupal 8.8 and is a vast improvement over Seven which had a UI reminiscent of a mid-2000 interface. Additionally, Olivero, first introduced in Drupal 9.1, replaces the Bartik theme and supports many new features, including a modern user interface and WCAG AA compliance.
Starterkit
Replacing the Classy theme, Starterkit allows for bespoke theme creation.
Automatic Updates
Soon to be released as a contributed module, Automatic Updates will help simplify upgrades by applying patch-level updates to Drupal core, allowing you to continue running your live application until the upgrade is ready to be deployed.
Additional Features of Drupal 10
- CKEditor5
- Symfony 6: Drupal 10 is based on Symfony 6.2—a leap forward that will allow Drupalers to catch up on almost three years of innovation on Symfony's side
- Simplified future upgrade path
- API first / headless opportunities, COPE publishing
- Layout builder, core support for component-based design
What to Expect From Drupal 10
Check out our blog for more details on what to expect with Drupal 10 including tips on how to get started.
Our Drupal Expertise
With 200 digital specialists, the execution of hundreds of Drupal websites, and over a decade of Drupal experience in-house, your project is in good hands. Northern is a recognized leader in training and mentorship in the global Drupal community. Our projects are often ambitious in scope, encompassing a variety of channels and technologies: websites, social media platforms, analytics, CRMs, ERPs, and third-party apps. We have a stellar reputation in the Drupal development space.
Learn more about our Drupal services
Acquia Certification
Many of our development team members have Acquia certifications in their relative areas of expertise.
Drupal.org Certified Partner
Drupal has acknowledged Northern as an agency of the Drupal.org project.
Drupal Open Source Contribution, Corporate
Northern participates in Drupal.org contributions and leverages the power of open source by building on previously-created solutions.
Drupal Open Source Contribution, Local
Northern sponsors the London, Ontario, Canada Drupal User Group meetup known as LonDUG.
Triple Certified Drupal Experts
To have anyone reach the highest level of Drupal certification is rare. But, at Northern, we have three Acquia Triple Certified Drupal Expert specialists who demonstrate a high level of Drupal expertise.
Our Drupal Awards
Ready to start planning?
With the end-of-life dates of November 2023 coming quickly, it is critical to start planning your upgrade to Drupal 10 today. With so many things to consider, consulting a Drupal implementation expert like Northern can ensure a seamless upgrade experience. From user experience research and planning to the execution of award-winning content management systems, we can help you get on the right track.