Roadmap update

Hi

When can we expect the roadmap update preferably up until the end of year?

Thanks

Regards

Hi Yahua,

We are currently working hard on the roadmap for the next Q, so you can expect a site update soon.

Greetings,
Victor Velev
the Telerik team

Victor,

I see the Roadmap is out, but it does not give any dates. It just shows
the month of September with no dates. When in September are you thinking
to release 4.2 SP1?

The other thing i do not see is any performance improvement updates. With
the 4.2 Release Notes, there is no mention of any performance improvements.

Many thanks,
Andrei
---
Sorry the Release Notes does mention the performance. I guess I was expecting percentages,
as to how much faster it is. Anyway, just the first question then.
Many thanks.

I would agree with Andrei, this latest roadmap is vague at best. You have 3 main sections the first being; "1. SItefinity Features" with a list of 7 items to be added/improved but you don't say when these features are coming? Are they part of 4.2 SP1, 4.3, 4.4 or later?
It would also appear that 4.3 and 4.4 are 100% eCommerce related and no other changes are being made. I don't know about everyone else here but I'm still a firm believer that you should be focusing on bugs and performance of Sitefinity the CMS before you dig a deeper hole with an overpriced eCommerce module that is far from release quality.

I would really appreciate some more detail in the Road Map. You can continue to be vague with the dates, they've never been accurate anyway, but I would love to know what features/improvements are being planned for what version.

Regards,
Phill

@Phil

You got my vote.

To me 4.2 SP1 MUST fix bugs.  Pages get unchangeable if you drag them around a couple of times. Backend changing languages to front-end language, forms layout in px still not usable and many more bugs

I know that e-commerce is not effecting the hours Telerik works on the core. But I would appreciate ALL know bugs (there are not even all on PITS) to be fixed a.s.a.p.

Some of the bugs are weeks even month old and still have not been adressed. I simply expect known bugs to be fixed between updates from 4.2 -> 4.3 and so on. Maybe some bugs can not be solved in SP but the next number change must have them fixed.

I simply expect more from Telerik then they deliver at the moment.

Markus

@Andrei, @Phill and @Markus
I totally agree!
Sitefinity should concentrate 110% to correct any bugs, missing functionality (3.7) and not least performance and CPU/RAM usage on the server. We could never dream of recommending our clients a web-shop on top of some buggy software. Sitefinity should do what the customer expects, a CMS system that works and not so damn slow!

/Peter

Hi guys,

We agree as well on the state that we should be focused on bugs, at least for the SP1. That's why we are delivering only bug fixes and one small feature to the content items, with the upcoming service pack 1. 

If you have followed the development done in the last couple of months, you would see that the missing 3.7 features are slowly making it into the product - first we added Lists for example. With 4.3 and 4.4 we are adding more things which will help the people migrate from 3.7 to 4.x. As for the performance side, we claim that every release is making the system faster - let us know if you don't agree with this.

Dear Georgi

Thanks for the feedback. But there are still so many bugs around that I for one would hope you concentrate on the existing features/bugs before creating new features and b..... for all the next versions untill all known bugs are fixed.

The bug for example that when you schedule a page for publishing and want to get that back to normal you will still have the publishing unpublishing dates visible is simply not minor bug.

This creates so much confusen. If this is not making it to 4.3 (with other such bugs) I sure don't know what to think of Teleriks SF quality policy.

Markus

Hello Markus,

It's all about the priority. More requested fixes are more likely to make it into the service packs. 

Dear Georgi

I know you are doing your best!
I know you are doing a good job!
I know ther is a lot to do in little time!
I know you have to set priorities!

BUT

More requested fixes..... We should not have to request fixes.

Bugs should be fixed automatically. After 9 month SF should have reached a point were a bug descoverd should be fixed within one SP or at least minor release.

Markus

Hello Markus,

I completely agree on the statement. We are actually working to decrease the delivery cycle of both bug fixes and new features. 
Your feedback is really appreciated, as always!

Hi Georgi,

My main issue with the current road map is that if you're looking at Sitefinity as a CMS and not an eCommerce option the current road map provided is an extremely short road. The only CMS related stuff is in point 1 which I assume is 4.2 SP1 (but I don't really know as the roadmap doesn't specify, I shouldn't have to guess). And since September has almost come and gone, this SP1 should be out any day, which means that the Roadmap has absolutely nothing relating to Sitefinity the CMS.

It certainly makes it appear that the eComm module is more important to Telerik that the CMS core. I would much rather see a road map for the CMS that outlines the next 3 point releases (4.3, 4.4, 4.5) and if eComm is so important create a separate roadmap for those that are interested in the eComm component.

Regards,
Phill

@Phill
I could not have written better myself. It's exactly the problem. Telerik should concentrate on getting Sitefinity 4x to act as customers expect. We want a CMS that plays and not eComm module!!!

/Peter

Hi Peter,

Have you seen how many fixes did we include in the last release, on all fronts? It's really not fair to say that we are focused on the ECommerce. We have added small touches even to the Project Manager, which at the moment has a low priority in terms new of features, but we've done it because I a lot of people request a specific feature.

@Phil, Site synchronizer/Publishing, Module Builder (Content type builder) from the UI, a full blown Image Editor - these features cannot be skipped. While we want a strong ECommerce solution, these 3 features are entirely focused on the CMS essentials.

Georgi: as far as I'm concerned, the image editor belongs to the "bells and whistles" category. I hope you didn't develop it specifically for Sitefinity, and that you reused an existing solution.

Hi Georgi,

Ok, I agree that Site Synchronization and Module builder are CMS specific and not part of eCommerce but I had guessed that they were to be part of 4.2 SP1 but maybe they're not? Again, why do I have to guess here? The issue I still have with your road map is that you specify which eCommerce features will be part of which version but for Sitefinity Features you don't say which ones are going to be part of which version.

Since I now assume that none of the "1. Sitefinity Features" were part of 4.2 SP1 I think you owe us some clarification on when these features will be arriving. So let's go through them one by one and you can clarify for everyone (maybe by high lighting the version in bold?)
Site Synchronization - 4.3 or 4.4?
Module Builder - 4.3 or 4.4?
Email Campaigns - 4.3 or 4.4?
Image Editor - 4.3 or 4.4?
Azure Support - 4.3 or 4.4?
Migration Tool - 4.3 or 4.4?
New Widgets - 4.3 or 4.4?

Thanks in advance for clarifying.
Regards,
Phill

Hello Phill,

Thanks for the note, I see your concern.
We will see what can be done about this. I'll follow up here in any case.

Hi,

Is there any update on Forums Module? 

Priority number one for Telerik should be to atleast enable features that were existing in 3.7 so that users can migrate to newer platform and than focus on adding additional features like ecommerce. We have to continue developing new sites on older platform just because features like forum are still not there. This will result additional work at later stage to migrate to version 4 and with no clear roadmap, makes us look stupid in front of customers.

Hope Telerik realizes this and rearrange its priorities.

Regards,
Raj

Hi Raj,

We do not plan to have Forums module for 4.3 or 4.4. There is an excellent solution here though - http://www.sitefinity.com/marketplace/modules/ct-forums-for-sitefinity-4.aspx

Hello Phill,

Here's the promised follow up.

Most of the features will be in 4.3 as a preview - so that you can see what our direction is. Then 4.4 should include these features, and possibly fix some of the things reported in 4.3. 
As you can see, our schedule is pretty tight - we want to deliver the features to you as soon as possible. Phill, we can provide exact features for the specific releases, but the case with 4.3 and 4.4 is there is only one month between the two releases. If you believe that one month is critical for you to know, then sure, we will reconsider the way we announce the features in the future.

Your feedback is welcome!

Georgi,

Which week in October are you looking at releasing 4.3? Do I take it to be the last day in the last week in October?

Many thanks,
Andrei

Hi Andrei,

There is no strict date set for the release. 
We are likely to release in the beginning of November though.

Georgi,
Whilst I have your attention... what are the predicted speed and performance advances in 4.3 against 4.2 SP1 in measurable terms (percentages preferably)?

Many thanks,
Andrei

Hi Andrei,

We haven't done any measurements yet, but the optimization on the database level is tremendous. There are places where we decreased the number of queries for certain operations, from 40 down to just 1. This is still in the works, hopefully we will have time for an internal build with a preview. 

We might provide some comparison in the end of the next week.

Georgi,

"...We haven't done any measurements yet, but the optimization on the database level is tremendous..."
Sounds good.

"...There are places where we decreased the number of queries for certain operations, from 40 down to just 1..."
I hope those "places" and "certain operations" are ones that we use.

Thanks again and please keep at it, keep optimising it.

Many thanks,
Andrei

Hi support,

To me it would be valuable if the roadmap that is on the website is one you can count of. If it is the case that features that are planned for 4.3 are not going to be in 4.3, then skip them to 4.4.
If October isn't a realistic date/month, then update the roadmap to something realistic.

I think that clear communication should be the trick here. I understand which bumps are coming along the road while developing and I know everyone is working hard, but please, please do not make the Sitefinity team implausible to us.

Well, for one: I'm still expecting the 4.3 update this month. And I really hope so, because I need the Payment Provider to work for an ECommerce website.

Could the team please update us?

Thanks!
Daniel

@Daniel

Exactly my words. Well not exactly but almost :-)

4.3 beginning of November? Then please change the roadmap. We depend on accurate information. We have customers and must make decitions.

I am running a 1650 site that has problems with internal links within content blocks. Updating to 1733 takes at least one hour for me (backups, update, testing)

So I usually try to avoid updates. Having had about 10 updates this year, many of them you had to make made at least 10 hours extra work you either have to bill the clients (which he does not understand) or do it kind of in spare time.

So please at least give us dates we can count on.

Markus

Hello,

The release won't be in this week. Still the release is on track for the beginning of November. The payment providers will make it to the ECommerce module, but the Site synchronization and the Module Builder will appear in 4.4, or we can release them as a preview in the internal builds after the 4.3 release. 

Dear Georgi

Thanks for the feedback.

Since you know its not going to happen in October how about correcting www.sitefinity.com/.../roadmap.aspx

We would still not know what we can expect in 4.3 (since beta stuff wont make it - And I don't really want another beta module available) but at least we would know when to expect it.

Any news what we can expect i 4.3 outside the e-commerce. I would love to see a list of bugs fixed and improvements made in any other part of the CMS.

Sitefinity really is like x-mas these days.

Markus

Hi Markus,

There are quite a lot of fixes outside the ECommerce. We've put a lot of effort in the Email Campaigns, there are several new widgets, and especially performance improvements. The release is coming pretty soon, we will post the detailed changelog with it.  

Dear Georgi

Looking forward to it. Will have to upadate a site to 1733 anyhow now.

Markus

Hi Markus,

I see your last message, I know you have a site with multiple languages. I warn you about 1733 about media content : http://www.sitefinity.com/devnet/forums/sitefinity-4-x/bugs-issues/multilingual-bug-on-4-2-sp1.aspx.

If you don't want to take directly the november version don't upadte, especially for production site.

Regards,
Nicolas

Dear Nicolas

The problem is that I can not link in content blocks to pages on the site in 1650. I am not sure if I am the only one with this problem.

I was hoping for 4.3 to come out as anounced in Ocotober. Now it seems they aim for early November but you never know it might as well be mid or late november and the bug might not even be fixed.

I try to hold back for the moment. Thanks for the warning.

Markus

Hello,
I stopped at the SF4 forums, after intentionally staying away for a while.
I'm still glad we cancelled our 3.7 upgrade. Although I'm confident that the 4/5-version will become an altogether great product at some point in time.

@Raj, I was also really puzzled, from the integral forum that went missing for such a long time. Info has not been good along this line. I realize that a vendor need to change the direction of products and activities for the revenue, but this issue does not exactly help Sitefinity in terms of predictability.

@Georgi, regarding your answer to Raj. I don't agree that the marketplace product C.T.Forums is an excellent solution. It might be good, even sufficient for a number of sites, but it has far from the rich set of features that you find in several open source forums.

On the other hand, I would be surprised if the YAF forums integration that was promised with 4.1, actually ships with 4.3. The many delays of the official integration document makes it easy to think, that Sitefinity does not yet handle custom ASP.NET Membership & Role Providers properly.

Although I expressed some concerns that I posted to the C.T. guys, you are probably kind of right, this is really the best option for SF4.

Anyway, I have hopes for the 4.3. Will take a close look.

Hi

I just wish that roadmap be updated to list next several months’ (upto to six months if possible) worth of features, so we know where we are going and in how long.

Regards

@John

I would be happy to know what to expect in the next two weeks :-)

@Telerik

Any news when 4.3 will be available?

Markus

Yes, is it going to be this week @Telerik ?
Thanks

Hello Andrei,

It is going to be released until the end of this week or the beginning of the next one.

Best wishes,
Stanislav Velikov
the Telerik team

Thanks Stanislav

But that's about as good as the weather forcaset. Its either going to rain or not :-)

Anyhow I count on Telerik to deliver it by November 12th the latest. Looking forward to the list of fixed bugs. Sure hope the switching of the backend language according to frontend language is amongst them.

Markus

I don't mind waiting a bit longer as long as it is faster. Speed is the big issue. It is the difference between the end users adopting the system or not. It does not matter how nice it is or how many features it has, if it is slow, you can forget it, the users will not touch it. So as I said, I am happy to wait a bit longer, just make sure it is faster.

Thank you very much for all the effort so far. We (the community) will make sure to drive you as hard as we can.

4.3 is out