News Analysis
The Gist
- XM Cloud matures. Sitecore’s SaaS platform eliminates upgrade headaches and accelerates delivery — but migration and governance challenges persist.
- AI moves to the forefront. The launch of SitecoreAI builds on XM Cloud’s architecture, positioning AI as the connective tissue across marketing operations.
- Execution is everything. Experts say Sitecore’s success hinges on extensibility, pricing transparency and proving that AI can drive measurable marketing outcomes.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Do marketers need help with marketing or content creation?
It seems like it’s each arena, but Sitecore’s doubling down on the former. And they promise artificial intelligence can do it.
No shock here, but at this week’s Sitecore Symposium at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, the digital customer experience software provider launched something very AI-ey: SitecoreAI.
What does it intend to do? Help marketers with marketing tasks.
Built on the foundation of Sitecore XM Cloud, the company's SaaS-based content management system, SitecoreAI is a “composable SaaS platform.” At its core is Agentic Studio, a workspace where marketers and AI collaborate via 20 AI-powered agents that automate workflows from campaign planning to content migration, production and testing. Marketers can customize their own agents.
Two quick examples from Sitecore:
-
Berkeley Homes and AFL use Contextually Aware Content Agents to create audience-targeted content across the right channels.
-
Regal Rexnord and Hexagon use Migration Tooling Agents to automate content and schema conversion, moving dozens of legacy sites to SitecoreAI.
And here comes the age-old question at play (or maybe 3-year-old question; wink, wink, ChatGPT): do we even need as many marketers with this kind of technology?
“This isn’t about replacing marketers, it’s about empowering teams to deliver more value with fewer resources, at scale, while maintaining brand consistency,” said Mark Ursino, principal at Sitecore partner Perficient. “The companies that lean into AI through platforms like Sitecore will set the pace for the next era of customer experience. This is absolutely the right time for Sitecore to embrace an AI-first strategy. … We’re at a pivotal moment where organizations are eager to adopt AI but often lack a clear activation path. Sitecore’s DXP suite can serve as that activation layer, enabling marketers to integrate AI into personalization, content creation and campaign optimization seamlessly.”
Are Practitioners Ready for SitecoreAI?
Another big question at play here: how can Sitecore convince marketers to go all-in on AI in the Era of the Great AI Promise and Hype? (Has anyone crushed AI search yet?)
And are marketing organizations actually ready?
“Readiness is uneven,” said David San Filippo, senior vice president, digital content & experience, for Sitecore partner Altudo. “Some organizations have been experimenting with automation for a while, but many still see AI as a content-generation tool. Once we frame it around specific use cases, for example, automated content approvals or personalization tuning, most teams start to see how it fits into their existing processes. The technology is ahead of adoption right now.”
Customers are increasingly open to using AI but still need hands-on guidance to make it part of their daily operations, according to Robbert Hock, AI solutions architect at Sitecore partner uxbee and a 16-time Sitecore MVP. Many have moved beyond experimentation and now expect tangible results — quicker launches, stronger personalization and clear ROI, he added.
Many customers and partners are just beginning to grasp how AI-driven workflows can produce real business results — from higher ROI to faster content delivery and richer personalization, according to Ursino.
While most agree that AI adoption is inevitable, many want evidence from early adopters before diving in. Sitecore’s role is to provide those proof points — offering success stories, practical frameworks and seamless tools that help organizations move from AI-curious to AI-confident.
“While there’s broad agreement that the current state must evolve and AI adoption is inevitable, many organizations are seeking proof points from early adopters before committing fully,” Ursino said. “This is where Sitecore can play a critical role by providing clear success stories, practical frameworks, and tools that make AI activation seamless, helping businesses move from AI-curious to AI-confident.”
The AI-DXP Innovation Is There; Will Practitioners Buy in?
DXP Vendors Embed AI Across Content & Personalization Tools
Digital experience platform (DXP) vendors like Sitecore positioned artificial intelligence as a central component of their 2025 product strategies, embedding AI capabilities across content creation, personalization and analytics functions.
Adobe’s Agent Orchestrator promises to coordinate agents across the suite of tools to access the right customer data and provide the necessary actions to improve outcomes for customer journeys.
Optimizely rolled out a significant update to its Opal agentic AI platform, which company officials said gives marketing teams scalable automation for content creation and experimentation analysis.
Acquia has doubled down on digital asset management (DAM) innovation when it comes to its digital experience stack.
Broader DXP Vendor Adoption
Other vendors launched AI-driven capabilities as well. Crownpeak introduced an AI Assistant Suite for content, image and analytics tasks, integrating with ChatGPT 4 and other large language models. Progress Sitefinity and CoreMedia both released new AI-driven personalization and automation features. Composable and headless DXPs like Contentful and Uniform embedded AI agents for SEO, content translation and experience optimization.
Focus Shifts to Business Outcomes
Digital leaders are demanding measurable business outcomes beyond feature announcements, according to industry observers. The real benchmarks for AI in DXPs include revenue lift, faster experimentation and streamlined workflows. As the market matures, the focus is shifting from AI as a marketing term to AI as a driver of strategic enablement and operational efficiency.
Practitioners still report challenges with integration complexity and personalization gaps, but the direction is clear: AI has become the primary battleground for DXP differentiation.
SitecoreAI's Play: A 'World Beyond the Website'
How does Sitecore feel it can differentiate?
Powered by Microsoft Azure, SitecoreAI represents the next evolution of XM Cloud — bringing together content management, customer data, personalization and search within a single, secure and scalable platform. It continuously adapts through configuration and human feedback. For existing XM Cloud users, the transition is effortless: no migration needed, full data continuity, and immediate access to the new Agentic Studio with its suite of pre-built AI agents.
Developed on Sitecore’s governed AI framework, SitecoreAI upholds the highest standards of transparency, security and compliance across enterprise and regulatory requirements, according to company officials. Available now, it enables marketers to launch campaigns in days instead of weeks, deliver personalization at scale and extract greater value from every piece of content — accelerating speed to market and driving measurable impact, company officials promise.
Webinar
Nov
6
Fix the Content Bottleneck: Build a Better WebOps Strategy
Content stalled? Dev overloaded? You’re not the only one. Learn how streamlined WebOps bridges the publishing gap.
Register
Webinar
Nov
13
Know Your Caller Reputation: How to Protect Your Brand and Get More Calls Answered
80% of unidentified calls go unanswered. See why your calls aren’t getting through.
Register
Webinar
Nov
20
How to Build a Solid Knowledge Foundation for AI Success
See how leading brands keep their AI honest, compliant and actually helpful.
Register
Webinar
Dec
2
From Manual to Magical: How AI Transforms CX Teams
Learn how to replace manual support processes with automation that actually delivers.
Register
Webinar
On demand
Beyond Storage: Smarter Content, Bigger Impact with DAM + AI
Discover how the DAM + AI duo makes content smarter, stronger and more accessible.
Watch Now
Webinar
On demand
Agentic AI Playbook: Real-World Customer Service Use Cases You Can Deploy Now
Boost self-service by 30% and slash call volume by 63% with agentic AI.
Watch Now
“We’re living in the world beyond the website,” said Eric Stine, CEO of Sitecore. “Discovery is no longer driven by search; it’s powered by attention. Brands earn that attention in social media feeds and AI-generated summaries when they show up in the right moment with the right message. SitecoreAI gives marketers the platform to do exactly that, creating personalized experiences through a platform that learns as they work and helps them stay ahead of what’s next.”
SitecoreAI Framework Highlights
Key capabilities and strategic goals driving Sitecore’s new AI-powered framework.
| Capability | Description | Sitecore's Promised Strategic Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Agentic Studio | Workspace for marketers to build and customize AI agents | Automates campaign planning, testing and optimization |
| Contextually Aware Content Agents | AI models that generate and adapt content based on brand context | Enhances personalization and reduces content production time |
| Predictive Analytics Layer | Continuous learning models for audience behavior and engagement | Improves ROI measurement and decision-making accuracy |
| Open API Integration | Connects external tools like Gradial and CDPs to Sitecore’s AI layer | Expands interoperability within composable ecosystems |
| Continuous Release Cycle | Frequent SaaS updates with incremental AI enhancements | Ensures rapid innovation and future-proof scalability |
Sitecore's Message from the Top: CEO's Big Stage; XM Cloud Growth
It’s a pretty big event here in Mickey’s World for Sitecore. Sitecore will likely want to do two things in the Sunshine State:
-
Establish a new leadership tone
Tout the virtues of moving over to the company’s SaaS platform, XM Cloud.
Sitecore Leadership Takes Center Stage for First Time
Establishing its new leadership strategy and tone fall under Stine, who took over for Dave O’Flanagan as CEO in May 2025. Sitecore’s had three CEOs since 2020 and now five overall since the founding year of 2001:
-
Michael Seifert (Founding CEO, 2001–2017)
-
Mark Frost (Appointed 2017)
-
Steve Tzikakis (Appointed 2020)
-
Dave O’Flanagan (Appointed April 2024)
-
Eric Stine (Appointed May 2025)
Sitecore, which surpassed $500 million in annual recurring revenue in October 2024, driven by demand for its composable digital experience platform and rapid adoption of XM Cloud, saw O'Flanagan, a product-focused executive, named CEO in April 2024. He departed after just one year in May 2025. Stine took over as CEO in May 2025. The C-suite has experienced additional turnover, with departures including CMO Kathie Johnson and Chief Digital & Information Officer Rohinee Mohindroo.
The crowd here in Orlando will be looking for the company's new messaging: from the keynote stage, in breakout sessions, on the exhibition floor but, most importantly, in the conference hallways in practitioner-to-practitioner chats. Those conversations are, and always will be, critical in shaping how customers feel about the product, roadmap and vision.
It’s Sitecore’s, and Stine’s, first big moment and will set the stage, literally, for 2026.
Rogelio Villanueva, director of Global Web Marketing, Shure Incorporated and a Sitecore customer, said at Shure, his teams are focusing on strengthening its digital foundation — from improving translations and web performance to implementing governance and elevating customer journeys — all to prepare for the next wave of AI and agentic experiences.
“Sitecore’s innovation roadmap continues to inspire, connecting AI with customer experience and marketing intelligence in ways that empower teams to work smarter and faster,” Villanueva said. “For 2026, I’m excited to see Sitecore push even further into AI orchestration — transforming insights into action and creating truly adaptive, human-centered experiences.”
Related Article: Dave O'Flanagan out as Sitecore CEO After One Year; Eric Stine in
XM Cloud Evolution: What's Next?
Sitecore's platform is built on .NET and supports hybrid and headless architectures. Its offerings include Sitecore XM Cloud for content management, Sitecore XP for customer journey orchestration and a suite of AI-powered tools such as Sitecore Personalize for real-time A/B testing and Sitecore Discover for AI-driven search.
Sitecore was recognized in the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant for DXPs for its innovation, composable DXP capabilities and B2B solutions. However, the report also highlighted concerns about platform complexity, reliance on technical expertise and migration challenges for customers transitioning to XM Cloud.
O’Flanagan acknowledged in his interview with CMSWire earlier this year the challenges related to platform complexity but emphasized the company's ongoing efforts to simplify the experience across the stack.
According to Ursino, XM Cloud is delivering significant value to both new and existing customers. Its SaaS architecture eliminates the costly upgrade cycles that have historically burdened legacy implementations, while enabling marketers to access new features faster through continuous innovation.
“Sitecore’s rapid release cadence is a competitive advantage, though it does require organizations to adapt quickly to stay ahead,” he said. “The primary challenge remains migration cost, as moving from legacy Sitecore deployments to XM Cloud often involves re-architecting solutions.”
Customer Successes Validate XM Cloud’s Promise
San Filippo noted the main feedback on XM Cloud is positive. For example, GoTo saw a 78% increase in free trials, a 33% increase in contact-sales conversions, and a 200% improvement in lead quality after moving logmein.com to XM Cloud. That said, the learning curve around DevOps and content governance in a composable setup is still significant for teams coming from traditional CMS environments.
He called this week’s SitecoreAI announcement a logical evolution from XM Cloud. Sitecore Stream laid the groundwork by introducing a brand-aware AI layer, and exposing MCP services made it possible to connect external tools like Gradial.
“Defining custom agentic processes is the next step,” San Filippo added. “It’s not a pivot; it’s the next phase of making XM Cloud an intelligent operating environment rather than just a headless CMS.”
Composable DXP Trends Shaping 2026
Adapted from the 2025 CMSWire Digital Experience Platform (DXP) 2025 Market Guide, this table highlights industry-wide shifts shaping how digital experience platforms are evolving toward composability and AI-driven flexibility.
| Trend | Industry Movement | Strategic Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Composable & Headless Adoption | Nearly all major DXP vendors now support composable and headless architectures, moving beyond monolithic systems. | Organizations gain modular flexibility but face higher integration and orchestration complexity. |
| Connector & Marketplace Expansion | Vendors are increasing out-of-the-box connectors and launching marketplaces to simplify add-on integrations. | Faster ecosystem growth enables plug-and-play innovation for partners and customers. |
| Cloud-Native SaaS Offerings | Platforms are shifting to cloud-native, SaaS-based modules available as separate products and services. | Supports scalability and continuous delivery, but requires new cost and governance frameworks. |
| Low-Code Enablement | More development tools and low-code environments target marketing and business users. | Democratizes control of digital experiences but increases need for workflow governance. |
| AI Integration | Generative AI and large language model connectors are becoming standard DXP features. | Introduces new content generation capabilities alongside emerging data quality and compliance risks. |
The Road Ahead for SitecoreAI
As Sitecore steps into its AI-first era, the platform’s future depends on execution, openness and the ability to prove real business outcomes.
Execution Will Define The AI Era
San Filippo says the next year will be defined by how extensible and economically viable Sitecore’s AI framework becomes for partners.
“The success of this shift will depend on how easily partners can extend and build on Sitecore’s AI framework, and how the pricing model supports that innovation,” he said. He also notes that Sitecore’s continued modernization — particularly completing its migration to .NET Core — will be critical for long-term trust and adoption.
Ursino shares that optimism but frames it around measurable impact. He believes Sitecore’s deliberate focus on simplification, customer-centricity, and outcome-driven innovation is the key to converting AI hype into value.
“Sitecore isn’t just adding AI features,” he said. “It’s rethinking workflows to help marketers achieve faster time-to-market, improved personalization, and higher ROI.” For him, the real progress will be evident when customers no longer talk about AI as an add-on — but as the reason their marketing teams are more effective.
Hock sees success through the lens of invisible adoption. “When customers start using AI features like Stream, Search recommendations, and automated content generation without realizing they’re using AI, that’s success,” he said.
For Sitecore, the goal, Hock said, should be making AI “fade into the background and just become how work gets done.”
