On December 11, I had the pleasure of attending the State of the Word (SOTW) in Madrid. This was a notable event, marking the first time it took place outside the USA, in Europe. Fortunately, we were able to attend and experience the entire event live.

Among the interesting and useful highlights presented on stage, the following caught my attention:

The new showcase section on the WordPress.org site: Ongoing concerns about WordPress’s performance and security exist, but nothing dispels doubts like demonstrating that institutions such as NASA use WordPress as their CMS.

Continued development of the Playground: While its vision and role are not entirely clear yet, many see significant potential in this project, and it continues to evolve.

Additional features and options in Gutenberg: Gutenberg is arguably the best thing to happen to WordPress. Its dynamic development is a key reason why WordPress is well-positioned today, and its future looks promising.

Redesign of the admin panel: This is a smart move, as the current panel can be unintuitive and its design feels outdated. Refreshing it, especially with UX improvements, is a positive step.

Data migration tools: This is still a project announcement, but it holds great promise. In many projects, data migration from other systems is a critical requirement. Until now, this process has often required starting from scratch. I hope the new tool will automate and simplify the content transfer process to WordPress, making it a more streamlined and efficient experience for users and developers alike.

Both the summary of 2023 and the sneak peek into what is planned for 2024 reinforce my belief that WordPress is on an exciting path and thriving. Clear goals on the horizon and the swift implementation of various improvements are solidifying WordPress’s role as a market leader in CMS. It’s not just about market share, which has long indicated WordPress as the most popular CMS. The achievements so far and the plans for future stages show that WordPress is maturing and becoming an increasingly interesting (and often the best) option, even for enterprise solutions. I am glad that several years ago, we at Osom chose WordPress as our technology for project development. Although there were moments of doubt over the years, I now have almost no reservations.

A huge thanks to all the contributors and those involved in the community 👏!