News Roundup

The DrupalSouth Splash Awards 2025 is now accepting judge applications from industry experts in design, development, marketing, and more. Judges will evaluate outstanding Drupal projects, with applications closing on January 31, 2025. The awards will be part of DrupalSouth Melbourne 2025, happening March 11–13 at ACMI and the Multicultural Hub.

The Open Source Initiative and Open Future have released a white paper on responsible data governance in Open Source AI. It calls for a shift from "Open Data" to "Data Commons," promoting fairness, transparency, and sustainability. The report urges global collaboration to empower underserved regions and address key challenges like privacy, equity, and environmental impact.

The Drupal Pune Meetup returns on February 8, 2025, at miniOrange, Baner, bringing together developers and professionals for an interactive in-person event. Organized by the Drupalers Association Pune, the meetup will feature sessions, BoF discussions, and DrupalCamp Pune planning. The Call for Content is open until January 31, inviting speakers to propose topics.

DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 runs from March 24 to March 27 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, uniting Drupal enthusiasts from around the world. Enjoy the convenience of staying on-site by booking within the official hotel block, where you'll benefit from discounted rates and more chances to network. With easy access via air, car, or train, plus efficient public transit, attending this premier event is simple—plan your trip now!

Debug Academy, an official Acquia training partner, is offering a comprehensive course to prepare developers for the "Acquia Certified Front End Specialist" exam. Starting February 4, the program features live sessions, study guides, practice exams, and is designed for Drupal developers with six months of experience or more.

Amazee.io will host a webinar, "Migrations Beyond the Handoff: Unlocking the Art of Enterprise Platform Migrations," on January 30, 2025, at 4:00 PM CET / 10:00 AM EST. Solutions Architects Bree Benesh and Bryan Gruneberg will share strategies for seamless enterprise website migrations, covering planning, partner selection, and minimizing disruptions. Registration is open—learn more at amazee.io.

Drupal CMS now offers a free four-hour trial, allowing marketers, designers, and content creators to explore its powerful features. Acquia, the official trial partner, provides a seamless experience with guided tours and hosting solutions. Alternative hosting options from Pantheon and Platform.sh are also available, along with the choice to self-host the open-source platform.

A11yTalks has released its January session video, "SUC-o-meter: A New Way of Measuring Accessibility," presented by Aashutosh Kulkarni. The session introduces the SUC Score, a structured metric for evaluating app accessibility and prioritizing inclusivity. Founded by Carie Fisher, A11yTalks continues its mission of advocacy and education, fostering diversity in accessibility and tech.

Dropsolid has pledged to provide extended support for Drupal 7 websites beyond the official end-of-life date of January 5, 2025. Their services include security updates, compliance monitoring, and migration support, ensuring continued functionality for mission-critical sites. With a dedicated expert team and AI-driven DevOps solutions, Dropsolid aims to help organizations maintain and transition their Drupal 7 platforms securely.

Submissions for the 2025 DrupalSouth Splash Awards close today, January 28, with winners to be announced on March 12 at the DrupalSouth Melbourne 2025 conference. The event, running from March 11 to 13, will feature networking, learning sessions, and collaboration opportunities at ACMI and the Multicultural Hub. Sponsorships, registrations, and judging opportunities are still open, with the judging period ending February 17.

The deadline to submit nominations for the 2025 Aaron Winborn Award is approaching fast, closing on February 1, 2025. This prestigious award honours individuals who have shown exceptional service and kindness within the Drupal community. The recipient will be recognized at DrupalCon North America with a physical award, scholarship, and travel stipend.

Graham Leach explores Drupal's publicly available usage statistics for core installations from December 22-28, 2024. The analysis applies statistical methods to uncover insights, emphasizing data quality and exploratory data analysis (EDA). Key findings highlight trends across Drupal editions, with Drupal 7 and 10 holding the largest shares, while newer versions show growing adoption.

Acquia and Rootstack are hosting TechBites on February 20th at the W Panama Hotel. The event will focus on digital content transformation with Acquia DXP and Drupal + AI. It will feature expert discussions on digital experience management, AI-driven innovations, and customer engagement strategies. Attendees can network and explore cutting-edge solutions to stay ahead in the digital landscape.

Drupal Mountain Camp 2025 is seeking sponsors to support key event aspects like venue, Wi-Fi, and social activities. Sponsorship tiers include Diamond, Gold, and Silver, with notable sponsors like LIIP, Agiledrop, and Hostpoint already onboard. Additional sponsorships are available for social events, coffee, and diversity initiatives—secure your spot today to support the Drupal community.

Florida DrupalCamp 2025 will host a session on neurodiversity and inclusive design by J. Matthew Saunders on February 22. Titled “My NeuroDivergent Brain: Insights and Strategies for Inclusive Design,” the session will explore strategies to support neurodivergent individuals in workplaces and communities. The event runs from February 21 to 23 at Florida Technical College in Orlando.

Takahiro Komatsu, President of KotoLab, presented a session at DrupalCon Singapore 2024 on community-driven Drupal book publishing, now available online. He shared insights on collaborating with the Japanese Drupal community to create and expand self-published books. The session covered the entire process, from brainstorming to post-launch, highlighting key lessons and future contributions.

Brussels will host FOSDEM 2025 on February 1-2 at the ULB Solbosch campus, bringing together thousands of open-source developers. The LibreOffice community will have a booth with freebies and a dedicated Devroom featuring 20 talks, including the announcement of LibreOffice 25.2. Attendees can explore new features and accessibility improvements and connect with project contributors.

This week is packed with events for the Drupal and open-source community. It begins with Drupal Tech Talk Eindhoven 2025, focusing on innovations and challenges, followed by the 48th Drupal Sapporo Meetup (Online) for global knowledge sharing. Enterprise strategies take center stage in Migrations Beyond the Handoff, while developers can enhance their expertise in the Advanced Drupal Module Development w/OOP PHP workshop. CMS Fest celebrates collaboration in PHP-based systems, concluding with the EU Open Source Policy Summit 2025, exploring the future of open-source governance.

Aidan Foster, founder of Foster Interactive, showcased groundbreaking AI features in Drupal CMS at the AI/Drupal Toronto event. Key innovations include AI-generated alt tags for accessibility, intelligent text editing, AI-powered site building, and vector-based search to improve content discoverability. The full presentation, highlighting these transformative features, is available online.

OpenAlternative is revolutionizing how developers and businesses find open-source solutions to replace costly proprietary software. This community-driven platform ranks alternatives using an advanced algorithm that evaluates GitHub metrics, project activity, and community feedback. Featured on Hacker News and Product Hunt, OpenAlternative is a must-visit resource for exploring and contributing to the open-source movement.

Drupal Mountain Camp 2025 will take place from March 11-13 in Davos, Switzerland, featuring keynotes from top open-source and digital innovation experts. Speakers will cover topics like open-source legislation, Drupal's future, no-code site building, and the value of neurodiversity in business. The event promises insightful sessions and networking opportunities for the global Drupal community.

FOSS United Delhi's January Meetup is set for tomorrow, 25th January 2025, at Hansraj College from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The event features expert talks on Linux server monitoring, serverless computing, and encryption technologies. Attendees can also enjoy networking opportunities and refreshments.

Bhopal is hosting its first-ever Drupal Meetup on January 25, 2025, at Maple High Street. The event, sponsored by OpenSense Labs, will bring together developers and enthusiasts for a day of learning and networking. It will feature expert talks and insights into the latest Drupal trends. Attendees can connect, exchange ideas, and explore contributions to the Drupal ecosystem.

Bounteous and Accolite have rebranded under the unified Bounteous name, solidifying their position as a leading digital transformation consultancy. The move follows a successful integration, with the company receiving twelve industry accolades in 2024. Bounteous will continue its growth strategy into 2025, focusing on co-innovation and expanding its global footprint.

DrupalCon Singapore 2024 was a key event for Thijs Feryn of Varnish Enterprises, bringing together a diverse Drupal community from the APAC region. As the first sponsor, Varnish Enterprises showcased a tailored version of Varnish Enterprise, aimed at improving Drupal performance for mid-market users. With the much-anticipated launch of Drupal CMS on January 15th, the event set the stage for an exciting year ahead in the Drupal ecosystem. – Recap by Thijs Feryn of Varnish Enterprises.

WebWash founder Ivan Zugec will host a live online event, "Using CKEditor in Drupal CMS," on January 24, 2025, at 12:00 AM IST. The session will cover CKEditor’s basic and advanced features, including AI integration and custom templates, to enhance content creation in Drupal. The event will be streamed on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Kick.