Your new website has been launched. You are proud and happy that you can close 'project website'. The reality is different; After all, a good website needs constant attention. Updating is a must!
For continued success, it is necessary that your website is always up to date. Both the content and the technology. Umbraco is continuously developed and new functionalities are regularly added to the content management system (CMS). To enjoy these improvements, you will need to faithfully run the updates that Umbraco offers.
For an optimally functioning website, it is therefore advisable to have the most recent version of the Umbraco CMS. If you keep your CMS up to date, you will benefit from the latest features and the latest bug fixes. Ranging from buttons moved to logical places, resolved system errors to a completely new look and feel. Besides fixing and fine-tuning, security is the most important reason to update.
Security is the main benefit of updating. This is not only about the security of your website, but also about the security of your users. Umbraco is a top choice in that regard. It is a very reliable and secure CMS that complies with all GDPR guidelines. But this also applies: keep your software up to date to ensure the highest achievable security levels, because your digital enemies also continue to develop in their search for vulnerabilities.
Umbraco is known as an easy and user-friendly content management system. Releases are intended to permanently safeguard these core objectives and to increase the value of the product for the end user. With a release, Umbraco makes updates, patches or upgrades available. We explain the difference between the different terms.
Updating is the interim updating of your content management system. It is a minor revision of the software. Small improvements, adjustments and additions to the basics are made, but the version of the program does not change. An update is shown as a subversion, for example Umbraco 10.1. Every six weeks Umbraco publishes a minor release that releases an update.
A patch is a special update that only focuses on fixing errors and security issues. Every week Umbraco releases patches to fix system errors; bug fixes. You can recognize a patch by an extra number after the subversion, for example Umbraco 10.1.1.
An upgrade, unlike an update, involves a completely new version of the software. Umbraco then replaces the latest version of the content management system with a new one with a higher version number. An upgrade requires a major release . Major releases appear twice a year.
Details of all adjustments are neatly maintained by Umbraco per version and can be found here .
Every fourth major release is an LTS version (Long Term Supported Version) and receives long-term support. An LTS version is actively supported for 2 years (updates or patches will be released) and then receives security updates for another 1 year. After 3 years, the LTS version reaches the end of its life and you are forced to upgrade to the latest version.
Updating is a must, but it cannot be done indefinitely. For example, the latest version of Umbraco 7 is 7.15.7. After this you need to upgrade to the next version. When transitioning to a new version, it is important that the content of your CMS also migrates correctly and completely. Such a move of data from one system to another is a complex process that requires good preparation. Sometimes a rebuild (refilling the content) is cheaper considering the investment that may be required to upgrade to a newer version.
Using an outdated version of software can cause many problems. The options are often limited compared to modern versions and support is no longer guaranteed, which compromises the security of your website. Older versions also often do not comply with new legislation such as the GDPR. To reduce the risk of failure, regular updating is the motto. This way you prevent high maintenance costs and hacks. In short: updating is better than cure!
Your Umbraco website may still run 'fine' on an outdated version. You now know what consequences this has and what risks you run. Would you like to have an update performed or know which version your website is running on? Please feel free to contact us. We are happy to make your website up-to-date, safe and future-proof!
We carry out minor updates based on a support agreement. For larger updates or rebuilds, we first communicate a price indication.