Magento 2.2, the end is nigh!

Magento has announced that support for Magento Commerce 2.2 will end on the 31st December 2019.  The reason given by Magento for this decision is the ending of support for PHP Version 7.1 at the same time.  We have written extensively about the fragile relationship between PHP and the web applications that rely upon it.  If you want to know why this is so significant, please read this Insight. 

While the underlying reasons for this decision may be of interest to some, the fact is that the discovery that your current version of Magento is going to become obsolete during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year may well rather override your technical curiosity. 

At Inspire we have been active proponents of Magento for some time: it offers one of the strongest, fastest (Ed: when accompanied by a fit for purpose server solution) and most reliable eCommerce platforms out there, ensuring that your customers enjoy the very best experience when they shop with you online, while giving you the capacity to meet their needs and to adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace. 

We pride ourselves that we not only understand Magento itself but also the issues surrounding any eCommerce platform, and we have offered advice through our Insights on how to get the very best from Magento and the infrastructure necessary to stay ahead of your competitors. 

We have discussed the key differences between Magento 1.9 and 2.x – speed, responsiveness and the importance of not leaving your store prey to dangers of an unsupported version of PHP. 

Now this very issue has forced Magento to make the decision to withdraw support for the widely deployed Version 2.2.x  The choice faced by retailers is to persist with the current version, with all the attendant risks of unpatched security holes coming to the fore, or to migrate now to version 2.3 of Magento and ensure that your eCommerce site is stable, dependable and ready to go when the end-of-year shopping frenzy kicks off. 

As if that alone wasn’t enough to concern any eStore owner running version 2.2.x – it has been announced that PCI (Payment Card Industry) Compliance may be compromised even before the end of this year due to the withdrawal of PHP 7.1 support; on November 30th, 2019 to be precise. 

While the interim recommendation is that all merchants should ensure that they are running Magento 2.2.9 by then, it is clear that the sensible move is to make the jump to Version 2.3 as soon as possible.  Security issues and potential problems with card payments do not a happy store make! 

Magento is a complex platform as befits its flexibility and scalability.  Inspire has long advocated the value of having your eCommerce solution professionally hosted and managed.  We have the in-house expertise and resources to keep abreast of developments that can affect all aspects of maintaining such a mission-critical piece of software, freeing you to do what you do best-run your business. 

If you would like to know more about these important changes, or to discuss any aspects of your current Magento deployment, take advantage of our free consultation by getting in touch here.