Comparing Sitefinity Version Features

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Why businesses should upgrade their Sitefinity version

Sitefinity Content Managmenet System

Technology is responsible for transforming the way people think of interacting on the internet, and it is changing the digital landscape. Upgraded software solutions are integral to any online business. The modern consumer demands efficiency and functionality. Therefore, software like Sitefinity needs to keep up with the market demands to stay relevant.

Progress Sitefinity is a Microsoft .NET based content management system (CMS) developed by Telerik. It is a giant in the CMS industry and a favorite amongst developers and business users. The reason for this is the platform’s endless array of features, functionality, ease of use, and continual updates. Sitefinity has several versions that are released periodically, and all of them have specific characteristics and performance enhancements. The following article covers Sitefinity’s version history and the details of the newest updates.

Why businesses should upgrade their Sitefinity version
  • Businesses rely on the self-sufficiency and collaboration provided by CMS in the workplace to reduce the workload burden on IT and developers and maximize efficiency. The features in the newest Progress Sitefinity allow more automation and self-service.
  • Sitefinity introduces updates for relevance and to stay competitive in the market. Therefore, the latest Sitefinity versions have features that can compete with those of competing CMS. Businesses need to upgrade to use these features.
  • Progress Sitefinity CMS focuses more and more on customer satisfaction and improving the end-user experience with every update. Users running the latest Sitefinity will have a better and easier time creating and managing content on the software.
  • Users will be able to access more features and have greater flexibility and control in their organizational operations by upgrading to CMS’s latest version. They will also be able to take advantage of the increased compatibility with newer servers and databases.
  • Innovation is a crucial part of software solutions. CMS Sitefinity introduces new features with every update, including SEO optimization. Upgrading will allow businesses to maximize their productivity and become leaders in their industry.
  • The newer versions have the most technical support. They are equipped with security updates and bug fixes, so there are fewer technical problems.
Sitefinity version history and their features

Comparing Sitefinity Versions

Progress Sitefinity introduced four latest versions of the content management system in the past year. Each of these versions included upgrades from previous versions and a more extensive range of applications and functions. The Sitefinity system requirements also varied with the version. For example, the database changes in Sitefinity CMS depended on what version businesses were upgrading from and to.

Sitefinity 12.0

Released on May 7, 2019

This version of Sitefinity saw a shift towards MVC software design from Web Forms, which led to a more seamless experience for users. MVC is the preferred technology for modern platforms, as it’s more practical and useful. Default templates were introduced for the MVC or hybrid frameworks to cut down the time spent on management since users don’t have to start work from the beginning each time with Sitefinity 12.0.

The new page management interface also led to a more straightforward website and page navigation for content editors and managers. Additionally, SiteSync was improved for quicker and better content sync. With this version of the CMS, administrators could control and review what was synced. They could view the sync details in real-time without waiting for IT. This was helpful in terms of bettering the logistical experience and increasing accessibility for non-technical users.

Furthermore, the rule-based forms helped maximize personalization for end-users and streamline the website browsing process. Sitefinity 12.0 also had more efficient email settings management. This was responsible for creating an easily manageable, integrative, and omnichannel experience.

Sitefinity 12.1

Released on August 1, 2019

Sitefinity 12.1 added a visual email template editor to the platform. This editor allows users to customize and personalize emails sent by Sitefinity, including essential notifications such as those for form completion. Personalized emails can help establish connections between organizations and their clients in ecommerce. This version of Sitefinity lets users of the platform also send customized confirmation emails, which leads to better connections with customers of a business.

On top of that, Sitefinity 12.1 allows developers to configure settings for protection against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF). Therefore, this version of Progress Sitefinity will give users better security and fewer technical issues. Increased search capability also allows back-end searches to retrieve customer data and assign roles. This lets organizations develop their contact database and give personalized experiences to their customers. This version enables users to configure data to relate to media or related content. Administrators can also define roles and designate content providers for efficiency, fostering collaboration between various content editors.

Sitefinity 12.2

Released on November 6, 2019

The second latest version of Progress Sitefinity was Sitefinity 12.2. It had several new upgrades, including reducing startup time and page loading times by at least 80%. This was a big plus because it meant increased efficiency during the development and deployment of the software due to less startup time. A quicker loading time maximized productivity through faster editing and content management and a better end-user experience.

Users also have the option of creating custom error pages for their websites. This gives them more control over the site and more executive authority in cultivating a better end-user experience. Custom error pages also improved the security of the websites. The best part was that users without technical expertise could create these error pages themselves, too, as no code was required.

This Sitefinity version’s reworked UI design provided greater flexibility in back-end user preferences. Users could set several individual CMS preferences and take advantage of the advanced Progress Sitefinity cognitive capabilities. Once again, this promised a better experience for the back-end user, who could mold the CMS to their specific organizational or individual needs.

Sitefinity 13.0

Released on May 14, 2020

Sitefinity 13.0 is the most recent version of the Progress Sitefinity CMS. It builds upon its predecessors’ upgrades to give the most functional and feature-rich version of the platform yet. The improved image and digital asset management result from the reconfigured Images module for better filtering and categorization of large groups of data. This feature is especially helpful for websites that rely on cataloging.

The most recent version in Sitefinity version history also emphasizes customer groups’ creation to personalize customers’ browsing and shopping experiences. This is an essential part of having a targeted marketing strategy to engage customers. Furthermore, building on Sitefinity 12.0’s focus on MVC, Sitefinity 13.0 has moved fully towards MVC-first platforms and Bootstrap 4 for mobile accessibility and more adaptable websites. The importance of this lies in how it caters to larger organizations by making more scalable websites.

Lastly, there have been additional SiteSync enhancements on the platform. This has made the content more accessible and usable by content editors. They can now easily sync content from the content edit page. Content editors can also review and revise the details of the promoted content in the revision history column.

How Clarity can Help

Clarity Sitefinity Experts

Progress Sitefinity is one of the most successful content management systems available for users right now. It offers services at a competitive rate and is continuously improving its functionality. The upgrades of Progress Sitefinity aim to cater to the consumer’s changing needs- to help them make the most out of their content management. Businesses and organizations need to update their Sitefinity version to not miss out on useful features and the full set of benefits the platform has to offer.

Clarity Sitefinity CMS Experts

Additional Features & Resources