Drupal 7 end-of-life is approaching. This article considers the risks of sticking with a Drupal 7 intranet against the rewards of switching to an out-of-the-box solution.
Although it has had an extension, Drupal 7 will still reach its end-of-life phase in January 2025. So, organizations using the open-source platform to power their intranets face a dilemma.
Should they risk staying with Drupal 7 despite the withdrawal of community support and security updates, perform yet another intensive migration to a newer version, or work with intranet software specialists to migrate content to a no-code, out-of-the-box intranet?
Planning & deploying a successful intranet
Popular with advanced web developers, Drupal offers sophisticated configuration options and the ability to handle large amounts of data storage. Among users though, it has also received criticism for having a steep learning curve, being overly complex, and relying on poorly written or unsupported plug-ins which “can be a security liability.”*
* Based on user feedback on trustradius.com
The painless path to replacing your Drupal 7 intranet
With Drupal 7 entering its final supported phase, now is the time to consider whether the employee experience your intranet currently provides can be bettered through a solution with a proven history and continued support.
Instead of persisting with another potentially unpopular Drupal product with a protracted development timeline, your organization could benefit from immediate migration to a secure, user-friendly platform with a smooth and steady flow of new features and upgrades. With intranet specialists such as Interact, your new intranet can be launched in weeks, not months or years: enabling you to release the burden from IT and provide a new virtual home for all employees.
Interact supplies over 1,000 organizations with an award-winning employee experience platform that boosts productivity and drives engagement. Through enterprise-grade intranet software and decades of expertise, Interact provides Fortune 500, FTSE 250, and globally recognized brands such as Levi Strauss & Co., Domino’s, and Teva Pharmaceuticals with a powerful way to inform and connect their greatest asset: their people.
Why migrate to an out-of-the-box intranet as Drupal 7 approaches end-of-life?
Intranet specialists such as Interact will support you as you shift to a feature-packed, modern intranet that’s constantly evolving and improving. Here’s how it works:
Time to value: get started faster
Don’t waste time with another custom intranet build that may not be successful. Interact’s powerful intranet software and proven implementation process means your new intranet can be live in as little as four weeks.
Migration: ‘lift and sift’ your content
Migrating to new enterprise software is rarely simple, particularly with vast legacy content. Meet ‘Lift and Sift’ – Interact’s proven migration process that means you only take across what you need; leaving the rest behind.
Integrations: connect your digital workplace
Our vast set of click-and-go integrations with leading enterprise applications make it simple and secure to place Interact at the heart of your digital workplace.
Planning & deploying a successful intranet
Delivery: our expertise, your success
Technology is just one part of the equation. Our in-house experts have decades of experience and will handle your entire journey from migration to launch and beyond.
Brand: re-launch with style
Designed to delight users, our in-house UX/UI designers will create your personalized intranet and provide all users with a consumer-grade experience.
Growth: ever-evolving software
Interact is customer-driven software. Our frequent releases offer new features and functionality driven directly by customer feedback and our intimate knowledge of industry trends.
Security: enterprise-grade as standard
Interact is certified and audited to the ISO 27001:2013 standard; our intranet security meets the needs of even the most stringent IT departments.
Proven migration methodology
By working with experts who are highly experienced in migration from legacy systems of all kinds, you can ensure a painless upgrade to your new intranet so you can start re-engaging employees and bringing benefits for the whole business. At Interact, our experts will provide guidance on:
- Getting your data out of Drupal 7 and ensure it’s never lost
- Creating a custom content strategy rooted in best practice
- Rebuilding trust with your intranet
- Crafting an engagement campaign to get your employees excited
- Ensuring adherence to your InfoSec policies
Planning & deploying a successful intranet
Interact’s three-step methodology combines automated and expert manual processes to ensure you switch intranet platforms with minimal disruption:
Phase 1: Content migration
An obvious risk to any migration is the time it can take and one common question we hear is, “How long will it take to move across all our content?” To meet this challenge, Interact has developed a tried-and-tested process for moving content identified for migration; mapping it directly into Interact.
Phase 2: Cleanse and update
Inevitably, there are occasional requirements to refine content shifted from a legacy system to the new platform. Our experienced team will assist in finetuning your content: identifying what is essential and applying best-practice governance techniques in collaboration with you.
Phase 3: Surprise and delight
A new intranet is an opportunity to delight your employees with an upgraded experience. Our in-house experts will utilize their extensive experience and knowledge to ensure your new intranet launches for maximum engagement.
An enduring solution to Drupal 7 end-of-life
When it comes to choosing the right replacement as your Drupal 7 intranet reaches end-of-life, it’s important to pick a system that isn’t just proven, but that will come with enduring vendor support. With a customizable out-of-the-box intranet from Interact, you get the peace of mind that you and your team will get all the support you need at every step of the journey, and that support will not falter.
