The Drop Times

**Does Drupal Have a Future? The Answer Lies in Its Identity Crisis**

The Drupal ecosystem stands at a crossroads. With Drupal 7’s end-of-life approaching and DrupalCMS still in its infancy, uncertainty looms over its future. The question isn’t whether Drupal will survive but what it will become.

Josh Koenig, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Pantheon, believes Drupal’s path forward depends on redefining its identity. “Yes, Drupal has a future, but the real question is *as what*?” he writes in an open letter to his peers. He argues that the platform must break free from the crumbling Digital Experience Platform (DXP) model and lean into what makes it truly unique.

The failure of the DXP category is one of the biggest hurdles facing Drupal today. Once pitched as a one-stop-shop for digital needs, DXPs have proven to be anything but. Instead of the market consolidating around a handful of large players, the opposite happened. Martech tools multiplied, giving businesses more choices, not fewer. Vendors that tried to dominate by offering everything in a single package—Acquia among them—are now struggling under the weight of their own complexity. “The hypothesis was wrong. In fact, the exact opposite thing happened,” Koenig says.

For Drupal to thrive, it must redefine its value proposition. Competing with WordPress for mass-market adoption is not the answer, nor is clinging to a model that has already failed. Instead, Koenig sees two areas where Drupal’s strengths shine. First, as an “agile business driver” that helps digital teams continuously improve customer experiences without the burden of a massive system overhaul. Second, as a framework that gives large organizations flexibility without forcing them into an all-or-nothing vendor lock-in.

With Drupal 7 reaching end-of-life and DrupalCMS still taking shape, questions about the platform’s future are gaining urgency ahead of DrupalCon Atlanta 2025. Industry leaders, including Pantheon’s Josh Koenig, argue that Drupal must redefine its identity and move beyond the failing Digital Experience Platform (DXP) model. Others highlight challenges in adoption, learning curve, and integration with modern frameworks. As perspectives vary across the community, one thing is clear: Drupal must evolve to remain competitive.

European Women in Technology returns to Amsterdam on June 25-26, 2025, bringing together over 5,000 industry leaders. Esmeralda Tijhoff, Joke Van Hamme, and Eva van Sloten will introduce a new no-code Drupal CMS, highlighting the power of open-source technology. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore AI, digital transformation, and the future of tech.

DrupalCamp Asheville 2025 is seeking trainers for hands-on sessions to enhance attendees' Drupal skills on July 11, 2025. Trainers will receive a free ticket and a stipend per attendee, with sessions available as half-day or full-day formats. The proposal deadline is April 7, 2025.

Dive into Backdrop LIVE on April 3-4—an interactive global unconference packed with CMS insights, development talks, and community-driven discussions. No recordings, just real-time engagement across time zones! Join the conversation and shape the future of Backdrop CMS. 🚀

All Things Open 2025 is back in Raleigh this October! The Call-for-Papers is open—ready to share your ideas with the open-source world? Don’t miss this premier tech event!

The wait is over! The Splash Awards Switzerland 2025 winners are here, celebrating the best in Drupal innovation. Who took home the top prizes? Stay tuned to find out!

FreelyGive unveils AI Agent Swarms in Drupal AI 1.1.0! Watch James Abrahams break down how multiple AI agents collaborate to enhance Drupal’s AI capabilities. Smarter, safer, and easier—don’t miss this game-changing update!

Get ready for an electrifying DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 with Pantheon! From high-energy demos to expert insights on GitHub Actions and a game-show-style Drupal debate—plus exclusive swag! Don’t miss the action at Pantheon’s booth!

Decoupled Days 2025 is accepting session proposals for its August 13-14 conference at The City College of New York. Topics span traditional and headless content and commerce, JavaScript and Jamstack, community issues, and business strategy. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM PST.

Adrian Pintilie has released the AI Content Translation module for Drupal. It integrates OpenAI models to automate high-quality translations while preserving content structure. Features include customizable prompts, batch processing for complex entities, and an enhanced translation UI. The latest version, 1.0.4, is now available.

DrupalCamp NJ 2025 takes place March 13-15 at Princeton University, featuring expert-led training, diverse conference sessions, and hands-on contribution opportunities. With insights from all event organizers, the camp offers a behind-the-scenes look at its planning, challenges, and impact on the Drupal community.

Suzanne Dergacheva, co-founder of Evolving Web, will lead a session at DrupalCamp NJ 2025 on March 14 at Princeton University. Her talk, 4 Big Ideas in UX and Content Strategy, will explore key trends in web design, digital storytelling, design systems, and navigation. The session is geared toward professionals involved in content and design decision-making.

Drupal Mountain Camp 2025 in Davos, Switzerland, promises a mix of tech and culture from March 11th to 13th. Highlights include the SplashAwards, a Swiss Fondue & Night Walk, a Speaker Dinner, and a Pub Quiz. The event wraps up with skiing and snowboarding on March 14th.

Covering an event like DrupalCamp England requires extensive preparation, collaboration, and immense support from dedicated individuals. From pre-event planning to live coverage and post-event wrap-ups, a great deal of effort went into ensuring this event was documented and shared with the community. Here’s a look at what went on behind the scenes and the amazing people who helped make it happen.

The Accessibility Club Summit 2025 is set for May 24-25 at THWS in Germany, uniting developers, designers, and advocates to explore web accessibility. Attendees can participate in a full-day BarCamp and community-driven workshops focused on collaboration and learning. Those interested in contributing can now submit presentation proposals.

DDEV has introduced the DDEV Add-on Registry, a centralized platform for searching, sorting, and contributing to DDEV add-ons. The registry includes real-time search, sorting options, and categorization into official and community-supported add-ons. Users can engage through GitHub-based comments and contribute via the open-source repository. More details are available at addons.ddev.com.

The Drupal Association is updating issue credit permissions as it transitions issue tracking from Drupal.org to GitLab. All project maintainers will now be able to grant credit, and credit can be assigned for all closed issue states. These changes align Drupal’s credit model with GitLab’s system, ensuring a smoother migration.

DrupalCamp NJ 2025, taking place March 13-15 at Princeton University, will feature sessions on UX strategy, enterprise web management, AI integration with OpenAI, and Drupal module development. Speakers include Suzanne Dergacheva, Nneka Hector, Vincenzo Gambino, and Mike Anello. Attendees will gain insights into content strategy, website governance, AI-powered search, and practical Drupal tools.

Drupal Mountain Camp 2025 is gearing up for its fifth edition, powered by top industry sponsors! With support from LIIP, Agiledrop, amazee.io, and more, the event promises innovation and collaboration. Stay tuned for a dynamic gathering of the Drupal community!

With the EAA compliance deadline approaching, a free webinar on March 13 will teach businesses how to conduct DIY accessibility audits. Experts Yacoob Woozeer and Usman Afzal will share key auditing practices to ensure WCAG compliance. Hosted on Zoom, the session is open for registration via Eventbrite.