Sitecore DX Boston in May 2023
This year Sitecore chose to steer away from it’s yearly annual Sitecore Symposium. I always look forward to the conference and haven’t missed one since 2017 – in fact I’ve been a featured speaker at 3 of them. Instead of this year’s Symposium, Sitecore rolled out a series of regional Roadshow events. The first one (DX London) was last month and I heard it went well. Today was DX Boston. I learned a lot from the engaging presentations and it was great to see some folks I haven’t had a chance to hang out with since the pandemic started.
The DX Boston conference was hosted at the Westin Copley Square. Stepping outside, I wandered across the street to Copley Square itself, a historic site steeped in stories of days gone by. This public square, named after the renowned painter John Singleton Copley, has long served as a cultural and architectural hub in the city. Encircled by architectural gems such as the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church, Copley Square stands as a testament to Boston’s rich history and heritage.
Sessions were great and many started by highlighting the need for agility to adapt to shifting customer expectations and emerging technologies. Every session I attended highlighted benefits of composable software solutions. Just a few years ago the term composable software wasn’t familiar at all. From breakout workshops to main stage presentations, Sitecore experts offered tactical roadmaps and guidance to help businesses transition from monolithic architectures to Sitecore’s new composable solutions, and explained how these cloud-native modules can meet a brand’s growing demand for increased flexibility, agility, and customization.
Sitecore made a disruptive pivot over the last few years, shifting from an extensive monolithic Experience Platform to also offer an innovative suite of complimentary composable martech solutions. A composable approach is essential for businesses wanting to stay competitive in the digital landscape. DX Boston had a refreshing energy, with nearly every seat filled during the main stage opening sessions, and reflected the growing excitement and enthusiasm for new solutions like XM Cloud, CDP and Personalize, and Sitecore Search.
Avid’s CEO, Jeff Rosica
My favorite session during the DX Boston conference was undoubtedly the talk given by Jeff, the CEO of Avid. I’ve used Avid software (e.g., ProTools) for more than 20 years to create music and video projects. Every album I’ve ever released was recorded in ProTools and it was mind-bending to watch elements of my music and tech career collide. Jeff was an engaging speaker and he highlighted Avid’s role in production of the ambitious Avatar film series, emphasizing the scale and transformative nature of such productions. He also discussed the impact of generative AI on the media industry, including increased efficiency and the importance of IP protection.
A key theme of Jeff’s talk was the digital transformation journey that Avid is currently undergoing, with Sitecore playing a crucial role in their efforts. He described how he requested a $40 million investment from the company’s board to modernize its infrastructure, including its website, web store, and ERP systems. This transformation is crucial to meet the higher expectations of Avid’s users and customers, as well as to adapt to a more digitally-oriented world. The company aims to create a more efficient digital experience for its customers by leveraging Sitecore’s XM Cloud and exploring personalization features, reflecting the broader trend in the conference of moving towards composable software solutions. Jeff also stressed the importance of return on investment, innovation, and forward-thinking when evaluating new ideas and strategies presented by his leadership team, demonstrating the company’s commitment to staying on the cutting edge of the industry.
Dave’OFlannigan
In his engaging presentation at DX Boston, Dave O’Flannigan delved into the intricacies of Sitecore’s cloud-native strategy, highlighting the power of composable experiences and the company’s commitment to speed, agility, and simplicity. As Sitecore aims to make its portfolio more accessible, he explored the challenges posed by monolithic architecture and emphasized the importance of best-of-breed solutions. Sitecore’s acquisition strategy focuses on customer data management and personalization, paving the way for innovative products like XM Cloud, a headless CMS designed to empower marketers and reduce dependency on developers.
Dave O’ also touched upon Sitecore’s modernization of core content capabilities, including content search and analytics. He then discussed the significance of CDP personalization and testing, the new unified tracking and event-streaming capability, and Sitecore’s position as a market leader in B2B headless commerce platforms. Ultimately, Sitecore’s Connect approach offers seamless integration and migration, ensuring that building exceptional digital experiences remains a collaborative, team-driven effort.
Key takeaways
The DX Boston conference showcased the power and potential of Sitecore’s innovative offerings, such as XM Cloud, and how companies like Avid are harnessing these capabilities to drive digital transformation. The conference’s highlights included the CEO keynote, emphasizing the importance of product innovation, amazing ecosystems, composable architectures, and customer-centricity. Sitecore’s composable strategy, alongside the growing role of generative AI, is set to revolutionize the digital experience space and raise the stakes for businesses in their pursuit of new customers.
With Sitecore making significant strides in acquiring modern, MACH, best-of-breed solutions and building its flagship XM Cloud, the future is bright for organizations embracing composable software solutions. As the integration and proliferation of AI continue to transform the digital experience landscape, now is the time for businesses to invest in technology-forward strategies, ensuring they remain competitive and responsive to ever-evolving customer expectations. The exciting developments showcased at DX Boston serve as a testament to Sitecore’s commitment to powering the possible and driving digital innovation for organizations worldwide.
It was nice to get back home. My son started crawling last week. It took him ten months to learn, but now he won’t stop crawling. Within days he was climbing all over my wife and me, and then suddenly yesterday he pulled himself up to a standing position. I’m in Boston speaking at a conference and he recognized me on Facetime with a huge smile.