By Janus Boye
My main message to the TYPO3 community yesterday at the T3CON25 conference in Düsseldorf:
Your ecosystem is growing, which is impressive in 2025, but your websites are getting dirtier.
Customers still expect faster, lighter and more responsive digital experiences, yet across the industry we continue to produce heavier sites and more complexity than most teams genuinely need. This is not just a TYPO3 problem. It is a marketplace challenge that spans both commercial vendors and open source communities.
My opening presentation focused on how customers are making decisions today. Their world is shifting quickly. AI and automation are becoming standard expectations, accessibility is no longer optional, privacy pressures are increasing and changing traffic patterns are forcing new thinking. Looking towards 2026, digital sovereignty is emerging as a major strategic priority, especially across Europe. All of this influences how customers choose platforms, assess partners and define long-term success.
What customers want is not another feature comparison. They want partners who understand these broader dynamics. They look for clarity in discovery, confidence in decisionmaking and someone who can turn market noise into meaningful direction. When you do this well, they notice.
My takeaway for the community was simple: TYPO3 has real strengths, but understanding the marketplace is now part of your craft. It builds trust, shapes better recommendations and strengthens long-term partnerships.
A packed room for the TYPO3 v14 release presentation by Benni Mack
Benni Mack’s closing keynote underlined this well. TYPO3 is making real progress on improving the editorial experience and reducing time-to-market. The upcoming release, codenamed Camino, shows strong potential when it comes to delivering value faster for customers.
I also want to acknowledge the TYPO3 community for creating space for relevant conversations. Many vendor events focus solely on themselves. TYPO3 did the opposite. They put work culture, diversity and wider industry context on the programme, which made the discussions richer and more honest.
Another thing that stood out was the presence of Drupal and WordPress leaders in the room, like Jeffrey McGuire, Joost de Valk and Karim Marucchi. They recognised many of the same shifts, including the impact of AI on websites. Their participation highlights something important about TYPO3: a willingness to look beyond the bubble and invite broader perspectives. This is rare in our industry and deserves real credit.
Thank you to everyone who joined my session on understanding the marketplace. New vendors will continue to arrive, but few have the depth of community and leadership that TYPO3 brings. This will be key as the ecosystem moves into 2026, including opportunities in North America.
Learn more about the next generation of CMS
The conversation naturally continues in our peer groups at conferences in Europe and North America. Why not join us and be a part of it?
The European CMS Experts community meets next in January in Germany and then there is CMS Kickoff 26 held in January in Florida - the vendor-neutral industry conference.