January 13, 2020

Disruption. Not a word anyone running a mission-critical business wants to hear. And there’s no shying away from the fact that Magento has introduced disruption into the commerce market by sunsetting the Magento 1 platform and encouraging merchants to re-platform to M2.  

But what about when disruption creates opportunity and innovation?  When disruption brings about a transition to something bigger, better, different, and future-proof?  Well, we think about it in a different frame. Turning disruption into opportunity is how we here at Nexcess view the pending M1 End of Life in June of 2020.

Many companies like yours are having to make decisions about what happens next to Magento-based online stores. You’re likely seeing messaging that ‘the sky is falling’, wrapped around offers, tutorials, and guides on how to migrate as fast as you can before everything crashes down. But before you get worried, think strategically. This kind of shift will require a transformation – and transformation requires clear-headed thinking, planning, and solid change management.

This is a perfect opportunity to audit where you are and make good decisions about where you’re going. Planning for and executing strategically on this change is where Nexcess can help you transform challenge into triumph. 

Not every business is the same and knowing that this event was coming allowed us to expand our portfolio of solutions to meet you wherever you are. We’ve developed a brand new product called Safe Harbor for those who want to stay put for now. We also have Magento agencies ready to help you migrate to M2. And if you decide that a re-platform to M2 doesn’t align with your overarching business strategy, we’re prepared to offer extensive support for other platforms that allow you to drive growth.

Getting What You Need from Open Source

With the introduction of Magento in 2007, the commerce landscape was forever changed. What was originally called Community Edition turned into Magento Open Source a few years ago. Upon its arrival, it quickly became the de facto solution for anyone selling online. And we were there. In fact, the first instances of Magento were built on the Nexcess platform and we have been the #1 hosting provider for Magento stores ever since. 

But today’s landscape is far different than it was a decade ago. There are platforms aplenty for small and large businesses, both open and closed. And with so many options, it can be overwhelming to pare down and prioritize what features and functions are going to make your site the best it can be. Remember – easy doesn’t always mean best – especially if you’re considering a closed platform like Shopify for your foundation. As a SaaS platform, it limits customization, performance, and scalability. A lack of built-in features often requires add-ons that are costly, resource-intensive, and can slow down your site. Add to that restrictive product & SKU customization, a lack of flexibility for site design & modifications, and exorbitant subscription fees and what might seem like an easy path becomes unforgiving and expensive. Shopify’s transaction and payment gateway fees alone could cost you more than 5% of every sale you make

So if there’s one takeaway from this moment of transition, it’s that making open source your foundation for commerce directly aligns to achieving long-term growth. From its revolutionary beginnings to current day frameworks, open source optimizes people and technology. The value of rapid contribution from experts, the elimination of extra licensing and maintenance fees, and the ability to inherently know they can meet the needs of every customer is exactly why our industry-leading agency clients invest in open source with us. They know that they can meet the needs of every customer with confidence and without hesitation. We’re proud of our leadership in this space. And we’re committed to continuous investment here, developing the broadest possible community dedicated to open source ecommerce.

Taking Action 

Ready for next steps? We’re excited to share options that will provide a smooth transition for you and your clients: 

Option 1: Stay on Magento 1 with Nexcess’ Safe Harbor: 

After June 2020, Magento will stop providing core updates and security patches. Safe Harbor offers:

  • Updates and security patches that will keep your platform running, safely. 
  • Malware scans with visibility into malicious attacks and blocked requests by our WAF. 
  • A vetted list of modules we frequently update with recommend extensions that can be used without risk.
  • Simple integration that does not require dev support. 

This is a great option available for Q120+ which can avail you more time to work on your broader strategy.

Option 2: Move from Magento 1 to Magento 2: 

If you’re growing fast, have a migration plan already in place, and a high number of customers and SKUs, this option likely makes sense for you. While it requires re-platforming, we’ve made the transition to M2 as seamless as possible by serving up a stable platform with capabilities designed to elevate the consumer experience, while still ensuring your team is supported at every turn. We have a broad set of agency partners we can connect you with who are at-the-ready to help you re-platform.

Security

  • Apply security updates and patches
  • Create malware signatures and firewall rules

Look and feel and UX

  • Design themes
  • Data migration
  • Basic training
  • Product data loading

Support

  • Dedicated project manager
  • Ongoing support after migration is complete
  • Security and core patches
  • Store performance analysis and optimization
  • Support for most popular extensions for payments, shipping, tax, and email marketing

Option 3: Talk with Us About Alternatives:

We’re experts in open source ecommerce and we’re ready to work with you on building out your plan. Not sure if Magento is still a good fit? We have customers of all sizes on our Managed WooCommerce Hosting platform. One example is an enterprise with more than 5,000 SKU’s, processing 25,000 orders a month, and generating more than $10M in annual revenue. Marrying needs & budget with ongoing support that aligns to your long-term growth objectives is what we do best. 

We’ve learned a lot in the last decade: not only about Magento and the surrounding community, but about ecommerce. Now that you know our plans, we’re ready to hear about yours. Whether you’re staying on Magento 1, moving to Magento 2 or considering alternatives, our ecommerce partners are ready to help you with your next move. Contact us today for a review of where you are now, and how options like Safe Harbor will keep you secure as you determine next steps.

Interested in Learning about Safe Harbor?

Let us know in the form below

Carrie Wheeler
Carrie Wheeler

Carrie Wheeler is the President of the Liquid Web Family of Brands which include Liquid Web, Nexcess, StellarWP, and Modern Tribe. Carrie’s background has given her a unique perspective on how to combine excellent products and services. In her 30+ years of experience in technology, telecommunications, hosting, and cloud services (at MCI, AT&T, and Cbeyond, to name a few), she has served many roles in Information Technology, Strategy, and Customer Operations.

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