Magento is the world’s largest eCommerce platform, powering ~245,000 websites worldwide. In November 2015 Magento released a completely rewritten version of Magento (Magento 2) and announced that support for Magento 1 would end in three years. The November 2018 date has now passed, however Magento have confirmed that support will end in June 2020, meaning it’s the end of life for M1.
With months remaining until Magento 1 sunsets, there are a still a significant number of merchants yet to migrate from M1 to M2.
This article aims to provide you with the information you need about the Magento 1 sunset and migrating to Magento 2. Of course, if you require further information or have any questions, get in touch with one of our fully qualified Magento specialists today.
What does this mean for Magento 1.x merchants?
Put simply; official support for the Magento 1.x platform will end in June 2020.
There will be no more security patches released and there will be no support from Magento with regard to the platform, its features and functionality.
No new features are in development for Magento 1.
We are committed to our #Magento 1 merchants through June 2020, ensuring their sites are secure and compliant. Learn how https://t.co/FLauq1sQ09 pic.twitter.com/bdJNpLFHvO
— Magento (@magento) September 6, 2018
Does this mean I have to migrate from M1 to M2 before June 2020?
Technically, no. Your eCommerce store will continue to operate; however it may be exposed to security vulnerabilities and will no longer be officially supported. If you’re running an eCommerce business risk will significantly increase.
Planning is essential. Migrating from M1 to M2 isn’t an overnight task. So, it’s advisable to start planning now and begin the conversations sooner rather than later to ensure your website is fully supported by June 2020.
Planning is key. If you plan to migrate then the conversation needs to start sooner, rather than later.
How easy is it to migrate to Magento 2?
Data
Magento has provided several tools to assist with migration from Magento 1 to Magento 2. The tools mostly focus around data migration and transformation (product, category, customer, order, etc.).
Third-party, or customised data must be migrated either manually or by extending the data migration tools provided.
Extensions & Integrations
Third-party extension providers (such as Amasty, AheadWorks and MageStore) have already redeveloped a significant proportion of their most popular Magento 1 extensions for Magento 2.
Bespoke extensions will either need to be removed (if no longer required), rewritten, or replaced with an equivalent third-party extension (where a suitable replacement exists). Again, merchants are using this as an opportunity to review the functionality of their website and ensure it matches customer requirements.
Theme
Many merchants are taking the opportunity to redesign their websites as part of the migration to Magento 2. An existing design can be retained, which will cut out an element of the process, however it must be refactored for Magento 2.
Again, many merchants are using this as an opportunity to revisit customer requirements and ensure they have been met by any new Magento 2 website.
What are the different editions of Magento 2?
Magento Open Source
Magento Open Source (OS), previously known as Magento Community Edition, is free to download and install. It is suitable for merchants with a turnover of <$2m per annum. OS comes with a rich feature set as part of its core which provides essential facilities for companies to do business online.
Magento Commerce
Magento Commerce, previously known as Magento Enterprise, attracts an annual license fee. Commerce is aimed at businesses with a $2m+ turnover, and provides a wider set of functionality expected by enterprise businesses, including returns management (RMA), advanced site search, B2B suite and loyalty (amongst others).
Magento Commerce Cloud
Magento Commerce Cloud provides the same functionality as Commerce, however it operates as a PaaS (Platform as a Service); the infrastructure (hosting, performance management and support) is managed by the Magento core team.
Which edition of Magento 2 is most suitable for me?
| Community | Commerce | Commerce Cloud | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Storefronts | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Catalog Management | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Advanced Promotions | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Order Management | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Content Scheduling & Staging | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Customer Segmentation | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Enhanced Site Search | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Returns Management (RMA) | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Page Builder | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Loyalty Scheme | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pricing Per Customer | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Credit Control | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Customer Specific Products | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Quick Order by SKU | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Request for Quote (RFQ) | ✖ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Platform as a Service (PaaS) | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Cloud Hosted (AWS) | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| CDN Integration (Fastly) | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
| 24/7 Support | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
Who else is on Magento 2?
According to BuiltWith, there are currently around 50,000 websites using Magento 2 (last updated May 2019). Many more will be in production, and there are plenty of case studies available in the wild:
If you’re unsure about what the end of life for M1 platforms means to your merchant site and how to migrate from M1 to M2, speak to one of PushON’s Magento specialists. Our team will tell you all you need to know about the migration and your current Magento platform. We’ll also help you plan for migration leading up to June 2020.
