Now that the Sitecore Symposium has wrapped up for another year, it’s time to share some of the highlights and key takeaways. Spoiler alert: there was plenty that caught our attention!

Big Announcement: Sitecore Stream

The biggest news was definitely Sitecore's new “Sitecore Stream” brand. Rather than a new product, Sitecore Stream is a set of tools and enhancements designed to work with their existing offerings. These include AI-driven workflows that help users make the most of their data, copilots that offer guidance, and add-ons that integrate these features into the products you already use.

Roger Connolly, now in the CPO role, highlighted how Sitecore Stream helps businesses “Strategise, Brief, Create, Build, and Optimise.” One cool example is their brand assistant tool in Content Hub, which learns about your brand’s assets and guidelines. It can then create drafts for campaign briefs or suggest UI components that align with your brand style. A key selling point is that it does all of this without using your private data for training, which they claim offers better security.

What’s Next for XP Users?

Sitecore made it clear that they’re committed to supporting XP (Experience Platform) users for the long term, with plans extending into 2032 and beyond. They aim to keep XP as a top single-tenant solution, while making it easier to integrate with their cloud services.

Some of the upcoming updates include new releases for different versions, cloud migration tools, and support for moving custom-built systems to more modern setups. This means that users who haven't upgraded yet have a bit more time, and those considering the cloud have more options. Sitecore Stream's integration with XP will also bring AI-powered features like generative copilots and A/B testing tools, which could be a game changer for content creation.

Focus on Developers

One standout speaker for us was Liz Nelson, who discussed improvements for developers using Sitecore. The focus is on simplifying the developer experience, especially for those working with the XM Cloud. For example, they’re working on a new version of their JSS (JavaScript Services) that’s lighter and more adaptable, and they plan to release simpler starter kits for different frameworks.

The developer tools for the XM Cloud are also getting a boost, with new features to make coding easier and faster. This includes better support for .Net and a more customizable interface that will make it easier to tweak and extend.

A Look at XM Cloud’s Growth

Sitecore shared that XM Cloud is growing fast, with over 200 customers and 1.3 billion requests per week. They’ve been rolling out updates at a rapid pace—over 100 new features this year alone! These include compliance improvements, better multi-site management, and new tools for marketers and designers.

Looking ahead, they’re introducing a “Design Library” where you can manage and test UI components. And down the line, their new "Content Service" will change how content is managed and published, aiming to make processes faster and more seamless.

OrderCloud's Agile Approach

The OrderCloud team took a different approach, emphasizing their flexibility and responsiveness to customer needs rather than a fixed roadmap. However, they did mention some new features on the horizon, like support for group ordering and better tools for managing user registrations. They’re also adding integrations that will make it easier to connect OrderCloud with other systems and improving their security measures.

Final Thoughts

While we’ve covered some of the highlights, there’s a lot more to explore from the conference. Overall, it’s an exciting time to be part of the Sitecore community, with plenty of new tools and updates to look forward to. As Dave O'Flanagan put it, Sitecore has been laying the groundwork for bigger things—and now we're starting to see that payoff. For those of us at UNRVLD, it’s a thrilling time to see where these changes will take us!