Oracle Content Management End of Life: Why Enterprises Are Migrating to CrafterCMS

Oracle announced that its Content Management Cloud Services will sunset on December 31, 2025. For Oracle customers, migrating to another version of the platform isn’t as easy as it seems, as there is no indication that Oracle will continue to provide content-related solutions. 

Luckily, enterprises needing a robust content management system to control their digital experience can migrate to CrafterCMS. In this blog, we’ll explain what Oracle’s end-of-life means, why a modern headless CMS is the right migration path, and why many enterprises are specifically migrating to CrafterCMS as the best approach.

Oracle End of Life and Statement of Direction

In a Statement of Direction made to Oracle customers, cloud application provider Oracle announced that it would no longer be providing Oracle Content Management Cloud Services and the end of life for those offerings. 

The Content Management Cloud Services will no longer be operational on December 31, 2025, at 11:50 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. After that date, Oracle customers will have 60 days to retrieve their data/content and migrate to another solution. The closest alternative to the Content Management Cloud that Oracle will continue to offer is the Oracle WebCenter. 

Before Oracle Content Management Cloud reaches end-of-life, customers will need to migrate to another enterprise-grade solution that allows them to manage content experiences effectively. 

Why Migrate to CrafterCMS

CrafterCMS is an enterprise-grade, Java-based headless CMS for managing content-centric digital experiences. Companies can build large-scale and secure corporate websites, apps, e-commerce stores, portals, intranets, media and entertainment sites, including live streaming and video on demand, digital signage, and much more. 

CrafterCMS offers a number of capabilities and benefits that make it the ideal choice for enterprises in search of an alternative to Oracle Content Management Cloud Services:

Java-based CMS

CrafterCMS, like Oracle, is built on Java and leverages multiple Java libraries and tools, including Spring. This allows CrafterCMS to provide the platform independence, compatibility and support, ease of use, performance, scalability, and security that enterprises need, while developers working with the CMS can use a language they are familiar with. 

Decoupled Headless Architecture

CrafterCMS offers a truly decoupled architecture, that separates the content authoring interface Crafter Studio from its API-first headless content delivery engine Crafter Engine. Unlike other headless platforms that equate decoupling solely with separating the UI from the content repository, CrafterCMS takes it further. This decoupled approach delivers enhanced security, reliability, and scalability for modern content management needs.

Best-in-Class Content Authoring

CrafterCMS offers a user-friendly interface for content authors. With features like WYSIWYG editing, in-context previews across multiple digital channels, drag-and-drop functionality, and more, Crafter Studio equips today’s content teams with everything they need. Its extensibility also empowers enterprise businesses to tailor the authoring experience to their unique needs and incorporate advanced features as required.

Developer-Friendly 

CrafterCMS can help boost software development and QA productivity by over 40% with a powerful, open-source Git-based headless CMS. Developers can build websites and apps using REST or GraphQL APIs, leveraging any frontend framework, including React or Freemarker. Customize and extend the backend with Groovy, JavaScript, or modern frameworks like Next.js.

Git-based CMS

With CrafterCMS’s Git-based repository, developers gain access to powerful features like advanced workflows, multi-file versioning, and branching. Content authors also benefit from Git’s robust tracking, versioning, and security capabilities—without needing to understand its technical intricacies. 

Open Source

CrafterCMS is distributed under the OSI-approved GPL license, making it freely available for download and use. Users can review, modify, and extend the source code, supported by a vibrant community of contributors who continually enhance the platform to meet diverse needs.

As an open-source solution, CrafterCMS offers freedom from vendor lock-in, allowing CMS users and enterprise customers to rely on community support if desired. Compared to proprietary, closed systems, open-source software has consistently demonstrated its long-term advantages, including greater reliability, enhanced security, and cost-effectiveness.

Composability

CrafterCMS is a composable CMS that features a powerful plugin framework and Marketplace of open source blueprints and plugins. These enable developers to seamlessly enhance both web experiences (such as sites and mobile apps) and the content authoring interface. Whether adding a contact form, chatbot, or analytics to an existing web app, plugins make it simple to integrate new functionality. 

CrafterCMS’s plugin framework is built for flexibility and reliability. It leverages composable APIs, enforces strong version compatibility, and supports multi-tenancy. Plugins can be reused across multiple projects and sites, allowing each to have a tailored, composable authoring experience.

DevContentOps Enhances Productivity

Organizations need to develop software applications rapidly to meet growing customer demands. DevOps enables this by streamlining the delivery of new features and functionality without disrupting ongoing development activities.

CrafterCMS extends these advantages to content-driven applications, products, and digital experiences through its DevContentOps approach. This innovative methodology synchronizes code and content seamlessly—code flows from development to production, while content moves back from production to development via push and pull operations. The result is a collaborative environment where content and software teams can efficiently publish updates, launch new features, and deliver engaging customer experiences without delays.

Both Client-Side and Server-Side Rendering

Most headless CMS platforms focus solely on client-side rendering, but CrafterCMS goes further by supporting server-side rendered (SSR) applications. With native support for Groovy and Java, along with seamless integration with modern frameworks and JavaScript-based SSR platforms like Node.js and Next.js, CrafterCMS provides unmatched flexibility.

Its robust RESTful APIs, GraphQL capabilities, and platform-specific SDKs allow developers to use their preferred tools for each project. Unlike other platforms that push single-page applications (SPAs) for all use cases, CrafterCMS also offers native support for HTML5 through Freemarker (SSR). This makes it ideal for building microsites, landing pages, and other experiences where HTML5 delivers the best results.

Flexible Deployment

Every business has unique goals and requirements, and enterprise organizations need the flexibility to deploy a headless CMS that aligns with their specific needs. CrafterCMS delivers that flexibility with deployment options ranging from on-premises to private or public clouds, including leading providers like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. In addition, Crafter Cloud offers an agile, cost-effective, and enterprise-ready private SaaS platform built on AWS for those seeking a fully managed solution.

How to Migrate to CrafterCMS From Oracle

CrafterCMS’s open architecture, XML file formats, and Git-based repository make it straightforward to migrate away from a legacy system like Oracle. Using low-cost Migration Services, CrafterCMS can help you migrate all your websites and digital experience apps without downtime in three steps. 

1. Create a Migration Strategy: Define your migration strategy, including targets and deadlines for each aspect of the process and the stakeholders involved. 
2. Migrate Content into XML and Git: Ensure all content is exported correctly, refactored, and reformatted into standards-based XML files. Importing into CrafterCMS’s Git-based repository is is then super simple.
3. Move Your Sites and Apps: Seamlessly migrate existing websites, apps, and third-party integrations onto CrafterCMS’s APIs, which can even be customized (using server-side Groovy) to mimic Oracle’s APIs to streamline site/app migration.

Learn more about migrating to CrafterCMS using our Migration Services.