How long will Magento 1 be supported? This has been a question that has been on every Magento store owner’s mind since Magento 2 was released in November 2015. Magento initially announced it will terminate support for Magento 1 platform on November 17, 2018. Later on May 30th, 2017, the Magento SVP of Product & Technology – Jason Woosley, stated Magento 1 will continue to be supported for the foreseeable future. He also committed on a minimum 18-month notice before making any changes to the support levels. This was not a surprise since many eCommerce companies right now use the Magento platform. All these companies will look to utilize Magento 1 to the fullest before migrating since they have invested a considerable amount of money and effort in its development.
On September 6th, 2018, Joe Ayyoub, Director of Support Operations, Magento, announced the End of Life (EOL) date for Magento 1 as June 2020. Since then, the Magento eCommerce site owners have started thinking about when and how to commence the migration to Magento 2. Read on for more clarity!
MIGRATING TO MAGENTO 2 IS NOW UNAVOIDABLE
Magento 2 uses a completely new and improved architecture, which provides many advantages to customers. It is faster and more secure. But, because migrating to Magento 2 is close to a re-platforming exercise, it is not a simple painless process. It calls for partners with proven migration capabilities. Since the benefits far outweigh the liabilities migrating to Magento 2 is a wise choice. Here are a few reasons why!
Magento 2 is highly scalable.
It is ideal for your growing business and it also offers a wide range of add-ons and extensions so it can be tailored to specific needs. It is suitable for both B2B and B2C web-stores.
Magento 2 page load time is lesser than the usual 2-3 seconds.
It’s product pages load in less than half the time of the earlier versions even without caching. This is just what your storefront needs in these times of fleeting attention spans where page load times drastically affect conversions
Magento 2 works seamlessly across a variety of devices
The buyers are using newer technologies to place their orders and Google algorithms nowadays favour mobile-friendly websites. So, web-stores need a platform that’s seamless on a variety of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops and voice-activated devices. The latest version of Magento is a well-crafted solution that suits all platforms.
Magento 2 dashboard simplifies user administration
Magento 2 offers a simpler admin panel with various new features such as Ajax loading, configurable attribute, new filter options, adding video to a product and many other improvements. The dashboard offers added tools to provide a more detailed analysis of your business. Data like lifetime sales, top search terms, most viewed products, new customers, etc. are in one place.
Magento 1 will not get upgrades
Despite Magento offering extended support for Magento 1, it is highly unlikely that it will receive new upgrades. Magento 1 will only get software patches and updates for bugs and security risks. Your Magento 1 e-commerce stores will be unable to keep up with other sites in meeting your buyer’s expectations.
The clock is ticking
There is already a rush to contact a quality solutions partner since the 18 month notice period was issued. The demand for proven partners will intensify as we get closer to 2020. We foresee an escalation in costs due to the high demand on a limited set of solutions partners, who will be unable to handle the workload of all the required migrations in the market simultaneously.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Does extended support mean postponing migration is a good choice? No, the earlier you complete Magento 2 migration, the more you will benefit. Not acting swiftly could put your eCommerce web-stores in a very disadvantageous position, where it struggles to compete in the marketplace.
It is clear that Magento 2 is Magento’s primary focus and it will receive all the new upgrades, extensions and add-ons. Not Magento 1. Many leading companies have already made the shift. E-commerce is a growing business domain with new competitors entering the field every day. Everyone wants your existing and potential customers. Stay proactive!
Not sure how to go about planning your migration? Have doubts about scheduling and budgeting? Talk to us now to get in touch with our in-house experts with proven Magento migration capabilities.
