New global research points to MACH architecture as the future of CMS

Even if you’re not familiar with the full technical details, you’ve probably at least heard of MACH technology before. MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-based, and Headless) is basically shorthand for a future-proofed system. A CMS like Storyblok that embraces these elements is ready to quickly adapt to changing markets and technological advances.

It’s not just hype, either: a recent global study from the MACH Alliance suggests that awareness of MACH architecture (and its benefits!) is steadily growing. More and more enterprise organizations are turning towards this kind of infrastructure to support their business. Let’s take a closer look at this study to see how 230 senior technology decision-makers for enterprise groups feel about MACH architecture.

Section titled Customer experience, agile adapting, and increased security rank as the top reasons for switching to a MACH system Customer experience, agile adapting, and increased security rank as the top reasons for switching to a MACH system

Customers are at the heart of most businesses. The better experience you can provide, the more likely they are to interact positively with your brand. It’s a big reason why improving Customer Experience (CX) ranks as the leading reason to transition to a MACH system, with 60% citing it as a priority.

Moreover, those with heightened organizational goals considered it particularly important: 63% of the self-described bold organizations ranked it highly, while only 29% of groups who call themselves cautious did so. Additionally, larger companies (those with over $25 billion in turnover) were far more likely to focus on this as a driver to a new MACH system than their smaller counterparts.

The ability to seamlessly adapt also ranked highly for respondents. Markets change quickly, which means businesses have to be able to follow just as fast – an ability that 59% ranked as a top priority. This goes hand in hand with the fact that 54% also favor MACH’s ability to help them build and implement new features quickly. Similar to the CX concerns, keeping up with market demands is one key factor in reaching customers more effectively. When it comes to that, the global response indicates confidence in MACH being the solution.

Finally, improved security and privacy ranked as a top priority for 56% of respondents. The fact that most people value their security isn’t news. However, what’s significant here is that it’s acting as a driving factor toward MACH technology.

A single problem in a monolithic environment could bring down the whole system. However, headless systems are naturally more secure than their traditional counterparts thanks to two main factors:

• A segmented API-first design that contains problems to individual programs
• A decoupled front and back end so that failure in one does not compromise the other

Long story short, the independence of each element in a headless CMS also means security consequences are inherently limited. As security concerns continue to be a driving force, more and more decision-makers are embracing this uniquely MACH benefit as a way to keep their content as safe as possible.

Section titled The top reasons for not switching to MACH came down to habitual behaviors The top reasons for not switching to MACH came down to habitual behaviors

So we’ve covered the reasons our respondents want to make the switch. But what about the factors that are still holding some of them back? The most common one comes in at 39% and it’s painfully simple: their teams are resistant to change. In second place, 35% state that they’re too reliant on their current continuity.

You’ll notice that this reluctance isn’t connected to MACH itself. It’s more about swapping systems. This may suggest that the benefits of MACH are widely recognized, and it’s just the process of changing that’s intimidating would-be users.

This isn’t too hard to understand. After all, there are a lot of elements to consider with a new CMS. However, this may not be the case for long. Given that any significant change is disruptive, users may want to consider choosing MACH systems since their system is future-proofed. Thus, the change they make to that system will be the last one they ever need to do.

Section titled An overwhelming majority indicate that MACH is the future of their enterprise business An overwhelming majority indicate that MACH is the future of their enterprise business

Let’s cut right to the chase: an impressive ⅘ of the global respondents stated that they have a strong intention to increase MACH elements in their organizations. This applies to both the immediate twelve months as well as beyond. Additionally, ⅓ of them said the intention was very strong. The point is that most decision-makers are ready to turn to MACH infrastructure – and it’s going to happen within a year.

MACH architecture isn’t a passing trend. It’s a highly-valued approach that enterprise-level decision-makers are planning to embrace fully and quickly. And, given that the same people believe doing so will help them provide a top-tier CX, those who do not change might be limiting their potential as adapting becomes easier for their competitors.

This is also what these leading change-makers are thinking: those with the strongest desire to change to MACH elements in the next 12 months were most likely to describe their organization as significantly ahead of the competition. Change isn’t always easy – but as this report suggests, sometimes it is indeed necessary.

Section titled Key takeaways Key takeaways

As technology and markets continue to rapidly evolve, it can be easy to feel a bit lost within your current system. As the MACH Alliance’s recent study shows, it’s also a fairly common feeling. Just a few responses indicate that enterprise-level decision-makers appreciate MACH’s benefits with most of the downsides being those closely associated with habitual resistance to change. Accordingly, data from this survey also uncovered that these same respondents overwhelmingly view MACH as the next step for their organization. The writing’s on the wall: MACH is a must-have for competitive companies with ambitious goals.

Want to learn more about enterprise organizations and the future of MACH? Click here to check out the full report from our friends over at the MACH Alliance.