Technical Articles

As we find solutions to complex problems, we share our discoveries for the world to learn from.
  • The Age of Software Modernization

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-22

    Enter Cause of a Kind—a deep specialist in migrating legacy systems into modern processes. We understand that modernizing legacy software is not just about replacing old with new; it’s about carefully transitioning decades of embedded business logic and data into a new era of technology.

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  • Modernizing Your IT Infrastructure: A Critical Step for Business Growth

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Modernize your IT infrastructure to support new technologies and drive business growth. Learn strategies for upgrading hardware, networks, and legacy software to improve performance and security.

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  • Why and How to Re-Architect Your Legacy Systems for Cloud-Native

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover why and how to re-architect your legacy systems for cloud-native environments. Learn about the benefits, key strategies, and steps for a successful transition to scalable, resilient, and cost-efficient cloud-native architectures.

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  • Adopting Modern Software Development Practices in Legacy Environments

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover how to integrate modern software development practices like DevOps, Agile, and CI/CD into legacy systems to improve development cycles, product quality, and business agility. Learn more with Cause of a Kind.

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  • Why Modernizing Your Legacy Systems is Critical for Future-Proofing Your Business

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, relying on outdated legacy systems can be a significant liability for businesses. As technology continues to evolve, the risks of maintaining old systems grow, potentially leading to increased costs, security vulnerabilities, and an inability to meet market demands. This article explores the importance of modernizing legacy systems, discusses the challenges and risks of inaction, and outlines key strategies for successful modernization.

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  • 5 Cloud Migration Strategies to Modernize Your Enterprise Infrastructure

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover the top 5 cloud migration strategies to modernize your enterprise infrastructure, including lift-and-shift, re-platforming, and refactoring. Learn how each approach can enhance scalability, security, and cost-effectiveness in your cloud journey.

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  • Moving from Mainframes to the Cloud: Challenges and Solutions

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover the challenges and solutions in migrating from mainframes to the cloud. Learn best practices for a successful transition and how Cause of a Kind can help you modernize your legacy systems.

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  • The Benefits of Software Re-Engineering for Legacy Systems

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover the benefits of software re-engineering for legacy systems. Learn how Cause of a Kind can help you modernize outdated software, improve performance, and future-proof your business.

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  • How Business Process Automation Can Revolutionize Legacy Systems

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Learn how business process automation (BPA) can enhance efficiency and productivity in organizations with legacy systems. Discover tips on implementing automation technologies for a seamless modernization journey.

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  • Building a CI/CD Pipeline: The Key to Accelerating Software Delivery

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Learn how to implement a CI/CD pipeline in legacy environments to accelerate software delivery, improve code quality, and reduce deployment risks. Discover expert tips from Cause of a Kind, specialists in modernizing legacy software and teams.

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  • Best Practices for Managing the Software Lifecycle of Legacy Systems

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover best practices for managing the software lifecycle of legacy systems. Learn how to assess, secure, modernize, document, and plan for the future with expert insights from Cause of a Kind.

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  • 7 Steps to Successfully Modernize Your Legacy Applications

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover the 7 essential steps to successfully modernize your legacy applications. Learn best practices, explore modernization strategies, and see real-world examples of successful projects. Modernize with confidence and future-proof your business systems with expert insights from Cause of a Kind.

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  • The Hidden Security Risks Lurking in Your Legacy Systems

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover the hidden security risks in legacy systems and how modernizing outdated technology can protect your business from cyber threats. Partner with Cause of a Kind to secure your legacy systems.

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  • Dealing with End-of-Life Software: Strategies for Continuity and Compliance

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Learn how to mitigate the risks of using end-of-life (EOL) software, including security vulnerabilities and compliance issues. Discover actionable strategies for upgrading or replacing outdated systems to ensure business continuity and compliance. Stay ahead with Cause of a Kind's expert software modernization solutions.

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  • Redesigning Legacy Architectures for Scalability and Growth

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover the importance of scalable architecture and how Cause of a Kind helps businesses redesign legacy systems for growth and flexibility. Learn how modernizing your infrastructure can prepare you for future success.

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  • Integrating Modern DevOps Tools into Legacy Systems

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover how integrating modern DevOps tools into legacy systems can streamline operations and improve software delivery. Learn best practices for CI/CD, IaC, and cultural transformation.

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  • How Agile Methodologies Can Transform Your Legacy Software Development

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover how Agile methodologies can transform legacy software development, offering flexibility, faster time-to-market, and improved collaboration. Learn strategies to overcome common challenges and ensure a successful Agile transformation.

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  • Creating a Digital Transformation Roadmap for Legacy Systems

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Create a successful digital transformation roadmap for modernizing legacy systems. Learn key steps including cloud adoption, automation, and data-driven decisions to stay competitive.

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  • When and How to Upgrade Your Enterprise Software

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Learn when and how to upgrade your enterprise software to boost efficiency, security, and scalability. Discover key signs, benefits, and a step-by-step roadmap for a successful upgrade process.

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  • How to Manage and Reduce Technology Debt in Your Organization

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Discover how to manage and reduce technology debt in your organization with strategies from Cause of a Kind. Learn about the impact of legacy systems and how to modernize them effectively.

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  • The Risks of Relying on Obsolete Technology and How to Update It

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-19

    Learn about the risks of relying on obsolete technology and how to update outdated systems with modern alternatives. Ensure your business stays secure, efficient, and competitive with a clear modernization roadmap.

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  • GitHub: The Backbone of Modern Software Development

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-10

    Explore the value of GitHub in modern software engineering, from version control and collaboration to CI/CD and security, and learn how this powerful platform transforms development workflows.

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  • Unlocking the Power of Test-Driven Development (TDD): A Modern Approach to Writing Better Code

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-08-01

    Discover the benefits of Test-Driven Development (TDD) and explore modern tools like Jest, PyTest, and JUnit 5 that make writing better, more reliable code easier than ever.

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  • Mastering Project Management with Jira: A Key to Modern Software Development

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-07-12

    This article highlights the significance of Jira in modern software engineering, with inline links to external references, providing readers with a comprehensive overview of the tool’s capabilities and benefits.

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  • Exploring Ensemble/Mob Programming and Extreme Programming (XP): A Comparative Insight

    By: Alfred Indigo2024-06-14

    Discover the benefits of ensemble/mob programming and Extreme Programming (XP). Compare with Agile and Waterfall methodologies, and learn how team collaboration boosts software development. Unlock better code quality and innovation now!

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  • How is Building Software Like Tying a Shoe?

    By: Justin Abrams2024-06-13

    Discover the fascinating parallels between software development and tying a shoe, from initial setup to ongoing maintenance. Learn how attention to detail, customization, and iterative improvements are key in both tasks.

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  • Comparing AI PDF Parsers

    By: Brian McGough2024-06-03

    Explore the best tools for parsing and extracting data from PDFs in our comprehensive comparison, "Peter Piper Picked a Python PDF Parser." Discover the strengths and weaknesses of popular libraries like PDFMiner, PyPDF, Tabula, and more, as well as OCR and AI solutions. Access our Google Colab notebook for hands-on testing. Ideal for AI engineers and developers looking to optimize PDF data extraction. AI engineering projects, especially for those involving Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions.

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  • How to build an app with nestjs and hotwire!

    By: Michael Rispoli2023-11-02

    Are you a Javascript / typescript developer that's been curious about building with Hotwire, Phoenix Liveview, or Laravel Livewire but didn't want to learn an entirely new programming language or framework? I went ahead and set up Hotwire, built by 37 Signals, to work with a Javascript backend powered by Nestjs.

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  • Achieving Peak Performance, ADA, and Core Web Vitals Compliance in Webflow

    By: Justin Abrams2023-10-07

    Unlock peak performance for your Webflow site with this comprehensive guide on optimization, ADA compliance, and Core Web Vitals. Boost user experience and SEO rankings today!

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  • The EU Safe Harbor: What Websites Need to Know for Compliance

    By: Justin Abrams2023-07-29

    Explore the significance of the EU Safe Harbor framework in data privacy, its evolution to the EU-US Privacy Shield, and essential compliance steps for websites. Stay informed and protect your online business.

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  • Understanding the ADA and Ensuring Your Website Meets Compliance

    By: Justin Abrams2023-07-13

    Unlock the essentials of ADA compliance for websites with our comprehensive guide. Explore the importance of ADA, its impact on digital platforms, and actionable steps for auditing and remediation. Ensure an inclusive web experience for all users.

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  • Understanding CIPA: What Websites Need to Know

    By: Justin Abrams2023-07-12

    Explore the key aspects of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and its significance for websites. Learn about compliance, auditing techniques, and remediation measures to ensure a safer online experience for young users.

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  • Understanding the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and What Websites Need to Know

    By: Justin Abrams2023-07-11

    Explore the essentials of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for websites. Learn how to audit for compliance and address potential issues, ensuring your site meets privacy standards.

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  • Adding Apple Pay to my Mobile Website

    By: Alfred Indigo2023-03-14

    Seamlessly integrate Apple Pay into your mobile website for a fast, secure, and user-friendly checkout experience. Enhance your payment portal today.

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  • Navigating the Digital Realm: An Introduction to SOC2 for Websites

    By: Justin Abrams2023-03-09

    Explore the essentials of SOC2 compliance for websites, its significance, and actionable tips for auditing and remediation. Enhance data security and trustworthiness in the digital age.

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  • Can Structured Data be added to Webflow CMS, Dynamically?

    By: Justin Abrams2023-03-07

    In this blog, we discuss how to dynamically add structured data for SEO to Webflow. Steps include identifying the structured data, creating a custom code embed, and previewing and publishing changes. We also discussed how to use Webflow's CMS and dynamic data to automate structured data population. A JSON example for a blog post is provided.

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  • How to Create Dynamic Sitemaps with Contentful, Next.js Without Webhooks

    By: Michael Rispoli2022-10-14

    Creating a sitemap.xml file was something that always nagged at me when working with headless content management systems. "What do you mean Contentful doesn't do sitemaps?!" my SEO colleagues would say--not understanding what headless means fundamentally. This was one thing that the old monolithic systems like wordpress seemed to have in the bag.

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  • Understanding GDPR: What Every Website Owner Needs to Know

    By: Justin Abrams2022-07-16

    Unlock GDPR compliance for your website with this comprehensive guide. Understand key principles, audit steps, and remediation actions to enhance data protection and build user trust.

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  • Sometimes DRY is not the Answer

    By: Michael Rispoli2022-05-03

    One of the first lessons we learn as software developer is "don't repeat yourself," or DRY for short. However, when developing user interfaces, this rule often bites us the most later.

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  • Trouble Shooting Open Graphs with ChatGPT

    By: Justin Abrams2022-04-15

    The Open Graph protocol is a standard established by Facebook that allows any webpage to become a rich object in a social graph. This can be used to enhance the way links appear when shared on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, among others.

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  • How to Implement a Reusable React Slider

    By: Terungwa "Terry" Kombol2021-11-15

    I recently built a custom React Slider using React's `context`. So what problem was I trying to solve that made me reach for React’s context? I needed a way to pass the state from the main slider's container component to each child slide item without knowing beforehand what number or types of slide items I am rendering.

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  • How to accommodate high variant product catalogs on a headless Shopify backend?

    By: Travis Claus2021-11-10

    Recently, I had the pleasure of helping to develop an eCommerce site. One of my favorite parts was engineering the product display page. I want to walk through some of the logic that was housed in the hook that accompanies the front end component for the PDP

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  • How to manage NextJS/Typescript Static Page Optimization

    By: Jesse Goodenough2021-10-30

    A Need for Speed! In the end, we were able to knock down our build time from `~15+ minutes` to `~5 minutes`. What a difference! As this is statically generating 100s of pages at build time.

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  • TypeScript vs JavaScript: Understanding the Differences

    By: Jean Gérard Bousiquot2021-10-28

    If you’ve been a JavaScript developer for a little while, you’ve probably read or heard about TypeScript.

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  • What Is Node.js Server-Side JavaScript?

    By: Jean Gérard Bousiquot2021-10-28

    JavaScript on the server-side (or outside of the browser) has opened a wide range of applications for the language. And that’s one of the reasons it is one of the most popular right now.

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  • Building a Movie App with React Hooks and Cloudflare Workers

    By: Jean Gérard Bousiquot2021-10-26

    So I've been working on this Spotify/SoundCloud clone app called MP3 Pam for a couple of months now. React on the front-end and Laravel on the back-end for the API. I use React Hooks and Cloudflare Workers quite a bit and I thought it would be good to share some of the things I've learned on the internet. ;)

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  • Is using localStorage for a guest shopping cart a bad idea?

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-10-14

    So I pose the question to the community, what are the drawbacks of using a localStorage based shopping cart for this scenario? Has anyone done this only to regret it later?

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  • Building a Serverless Stack Overflow (Question and Answer Platform) for Students Learning at Home

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-10-14

    Imagine a world where every occupation had the type of power a tool like Stack Overflow has bestowed upon Software Engineers. Surgeons could repeatedly look up the difference between slicing and splicing, and mechanics could crowdsource the best way to remove a transmission from a Buick. The internet is full of information on almost anything you want to know, however, for students, finding answers to specific questions, explained for the right grade level is a challenge. Kids learning at home under quarantine, without ready access to their teacher, would greatly benefit from a community like Stack Overflow. So I decided to take a crack at building it and I’m going to show you how I went about architecting the application.

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  • Setup Clojure on Windows (WSL) or Linux

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-10-14

    I found there to be very little information on how to set things up easily on Windows and having just started using Windows I don't know much about the packages and powershell so it felt nice and easy to do this with Linux. Hope I saved someone, even if its my future self, some setup time.

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  • Deploying six sites with a single code base using now.sh

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-10-14

    five different building sites and a parent company site all running six separate instances of wordpress. It was a huge time suck for the team to manage as they had to login to five different admin portals to update content, and if they wanted to share assets across properties they had to either copy it to the other instance or upload the images individually each time.

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  • Elixir Phoenix vs. Serverless Node

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-10-14

    Have you built apps in both of these types of setups? Am I correct in thinking there isn't much difference in the load a serverless node setup and elixir can handle? Anyone test any of these? And lastly but more generally, how do you resist the urge to just fall back on good ol' javascript when the learning gets tough?

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  • Nextjs and Sapper Netlify Jamstack Starters

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-10-14

    A few weeks ago I came across some Gatsby and Netlify tutorials and was intrigued by how far the jamstack has come. I'm not going to go into a diatribe over what jamstack is, but I had my doubts over this serverless revolution. Nonetheless I decided to run through the setup and was pleasantly surprised not by serverless per say, but by the Netlify offering. Authentication, lambdas, and contact forms -- all with generous free limits?

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  • Building an Email Referral Rewards Program API in Rails

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-10-13

    One of the most effective means of growing an audience is through email referrals. The rise of newsletters like Morning Brew and companies like Harry’s showcase that offering a tiered rewards structure for referring friends can grow a list to astronomical numbers. That is, provided your newsletter or product is actually something people want. The following describes how you can build a simple version of this program yourself using Ruby on Rails API.

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  • Ruby on Rails

    By: Alfred Indigo2021-08-25

    The history of Ruby on Rails is an interesting one. It is a language that used to be popular but fell out of favor until a few years ago when it was suddenly thrust back into the spotlight.

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  • The Future of Web Development

    By: Alfred Indigo2021-08-22

    The web is supposedly going through a period of revolution. But most people are not aware they will be witnessing how the future generation of the internet is going to unfold in front of their eyes. Blockchain is at its infancy. We are exploring its capabilities.

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  • The Right Way to Build a Custom Headless Website

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-08-05

    Building websites already is not easy. I'm not talking about building a little brochure website using a freemium vendor. I'm talking about building world-class, award-winning, internationally trafficked, custom, headless web experiences, designed to drive millions in revenue a year, and represent the true ethos of a household name brand.

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  • Creating a Website for Every Visitor Persona: Making Your Solution ADA Compliant

    By: Alfred Indigo2021-06-26

    These days, creating any web experience from a website to a web app, to a native app or a custom software solution, the need to create with all visitor personas is critical. Not only is creating a web solution in an accessible way crucial, but according to Google, it is also a rank factor that contributes to trust and authority. Adopting conveniences such as screen readers, magnification, translation, and photosensitivity accommodations, are just a handful of valuable features that satisfy the American Disability Act and would qualify a web solution as ADA compliant.

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  • Utilizing Schema Markup

    By: Alfred Indigo2021-06-25

    Schema markup helps with page organization and navigation, which also benefits user experience. For example, schema can be used to specify the order of content on a single web page or what elements users should see first when they visit your site.

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  • Case Study: Serverless Database Architecture with FaunaDB

    By: Michael Rispoli2021-06-08

    Building serverless applications using FaunaDB.

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  • Human Experience Marketing

    By: Justin Abrams2021-05-11

    Early on, people were focused on driving web performance but now there is this shift where we’re moving from search marketers to human experience marketers. It is all about asking, *“How does what I write, what services I provide, and what I build to serve a human need?”* It is about putting the human at the epicenter of the decision making process.

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  • Why is LinkedIn Down?

    By: Justin Abrams2021-02-23

    BREAKING NEWS :: LinkedIn is down today February 23rd, 2021. How crippling this feels to businesses, consumers, thought leaders, recruiters, and pretty much the rest of the professional world. But Why? Were they not all prepared and syndicated across platforms and other channels?

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  • How do I maintain traffic and revenue from my website during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic?

    By: Justin Abrams2020-03-12

    Normally, when we see "hot trends", Organic Search Marketing doesn’t typically react as quickly as Social or Paid or Email as an acquisition and awareness strategy. But every now and then Search reacts. Ultimately, its because the consumer is reacting.

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  • What is a headless CMS?

    By: Michael Rispoli2019-07-17

    We talk a lot about headless architecture here. It’s something that I first discovered about three years ago when looking for a more flexible solution to more traditional CMS solutions like Wordpress and Drupal. Customers were beginning to demand sites that were better, more interactive, and behaved more like what they saw in native applications. I often found myself spending more time trying to make client requests and designs fit into the platform than building the features themselves.

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