Exploring What's New in Sitecore XP 10.4

Earlier today Sitecore released the latest update to Sitecore XP for all customers. The 10.4 release brings a number of enhancements and reinforces Sitecore’s commitment to their continued support and investment into Sitecore Experience Platform (XP) and Experience Manager (XM).

Let’s take a closer look at some of the highlights of this new release.

New Modules Make Personalization and Analytics Easier

The introduction of the Codeless Schema Extension module enables marketers to extend the xDB schema without the need for any code development, while the addition of an open-source module for extracting data from xDB opens up new avenues for analytics and integration with external tools like Power BI.

Sitecore says it’ll be easier to add new facets in order to enable segmentation, personalization, analytics, and marketing automation.

Increased Composability

The integration capabilities mentioned above help you connect XP into your composable marketing stack. You can more easily sync your Sitecore XP analytics data with your CRM, CDP, marketing automation tools, and other marketing systems.

Fortified Security and Enhanced Performance

A cursory glance at the release notes reveals a strong emphasis on security and performance enhancements. Sitecore has diligently updated JavaScript libraries throughout XP components, ensuring a robust defense against potential vulnerabilities. Moreover, the implementation of Solr soft commits guarantees that index changes are promptly reflected in searches, optimizing performance and ensuring a seamless user experience.

Empowering Accessibility

With XP 10.4, Sitecore has taken steps towards empowering authors with visual impairments to navigate the Content Editor. From ribbon navigation to content management actions, the user interface is enhanced with accessibility in mind, fostering a more inclusive digital environment.

Streamlined User Experience and Enhanced Usability

Sitecore XP 10.4 introduces a myriad of updates aimed at streamlining the user experience and enhancing usability. The addition of the Sitecore Client Content Reader role grants read access to Content Tree items, facilitating smoother collaboration and content management. Furthermore, the ability to create custom or regional languages directly within the Content Editor expands linguistic possibilities, catering to diverse global audiences.

Looking Forward

While XP 10.4 brings several enhancements, it's essential to note that there was no mention regarding the integration of Pages and Components features from XM Cloud into Sitecore XM/XP, potentially reserving them exclusively for the XM Cloud environment. Additionally, deeper integration between Personalize and Sitecore XM/XP similar to the integration of Personalize with XM Cloud is missing. Also, for businesses looking forward to moving to XMCloud, tools like the XM to XM Cloud Migration Tool and xDB to CDP Migration Tool were released to support transitions to new environments.

Sitecore XP 10.4 represents a step forward in the evolution of digital experience management. From enhanced security to streamlined usability and addition of new modules, every aspect of the release is geared towards empowering businesses to thrive in an increasingly digital world.