Do You Really Need to Upgrade from Drupal 6?

Safia.f.mohiuddin | Updated 09 Sep 2021 | 2 min read

You might be getting the most from your Drupal 6 website, but with versions 7 and 8 already on full gear, you might hurt your web presence sooner than later.

Drupal 7 And 8 Offerings You Cannot Disregard

It’s time to make a planned move to a more recent Drupal version now. Some of the features that make Drupal 8 move worthwhile include:

Better Content Management Experience

The content management experience is even more flexible and efficient with in place editing and advanced image handling.

200 New Features

The latest Drupal version takes care of every aspect of your digital experience, with the required mobile shift built into the architecture. Further, multilingual support adds value.

Reasons For Your Drupal Version Upgrade

Drupal 7 and 8 are designed thoughtfully to cater to the requirements of enterprises of all sizes:

Migration Modules

Drupal makes it easy for website owners to migrate through inbuilt modules.

Community Support

Community support for Drupal 6 has ended now that Drupal 8 has kicked in. With only bug fixes and critical security updates on hand, minus community support for older Drupal, it would be wise to upgrade and be part of an exciting Drupal community.

Technology Integration

Drupal 8 is seamlessly integrated with web trends, i.e. web accessibility, usability and support for technologies like HTML 5, CSS3 and JavaScript.

What’s Interesting Inside The New Drupal Black Box

On the inside, Drupal 8 is built using top of the rack robust technologies for maximum leverage to your web portal:

Refined Object Oriented code, Cron task scheduling, and Schema.org support
Web services to ride on and connect with any enterprise platform or cloud technology
Configuration management ideally suited for high-speed web releases
High security and authentication with better administrative support

So What Should Be Your Ideal Upgrade Path

Depending on your choice of functions and complexity, you might want to go in for a gradual or complete migration based on the choice of modules that will help you strategically.

You might also want to consider the development and technology costs.

Next, consider the risk involved. If you want to play safe, then v7 might sound like a viable option, only to be replaced with a gradual upgrade to version 8 in the near future. Version 7 is a good starting point owing to the 80.3% of websites on version 7 of Drupal.

However, if you decide to stay with version 6, then that might contain more pronounced risk (including the possibility of hitting the dead-end with an obsolete website).

Specialist expertise can help you evaluate your current requirements and optimally carve out an upgrade path that leads to sound web architecture for your enterprise. At Zyxware, we evaluate the cost, risk and time that can enable remarkable returns on investment for your enterprise and empower you to deliver a compelling web strategy. To know more, get in touch with us!