The CID MVC FAQ

Inspired by the big news that Kentico is abandoning Portal Engine and web form support in their latest version, we wanted to provide a primer for what MVC is, what this transition means, and what you need to do to keep your company’s web properties relevant and up to date. 

First thing first: What is MVC?
MVC stands for Model-View-Controller. It’s a popular software design pattern typically used when developing web applications. MVC divides the program logic into three connected elements: (you guessed it) Model, View, and Controller.

Is MVC new?
Nope. Its earliest known appearance was back in the 1970s, but over the decades it’s been evolved by programmers to do more and is now common in modern web applications.

Then why am I hearing about it so much lately?
Well, that’s probably because of Kentico’s recent announcement that their latest version was going to abandon Portal Engine and web form support in favor of embracing MVC. Kentico is kind of a big deal.

Why is Kentico making this change?
Kentico actually releases major versions on an annual basis, and each new major version supports the latest major version and the previous two major versions.

What’s so special about Kentico MVC?
For starters, Kentico MVC is covered by Kentico support, which is the most important benefit of all. But some of the additional advantages include:

• Speed!
  MVC helps your pages load much faster than Portal Engine. This is critical if you want to keep users engaged with your web properties, and want to keep search engines happy. (Google loves a fast-loading website.)
  
  
• Efficiency and cost-savings!
  Kentico MVC allows you the ability to consolidate your other marketing services (e.g., your Email Service Provider, Marketing And Sales, and Newsletter services) into your Kentico platform.
  
  
• Increased freedom for your creative team
  Kentico’s atomic design components (a.k.a., "Page builder with MVC widgets") allow marketers to break out of rigid templates and have full editorial control over their marketing pages, and opens the door for valuable advanced marketing functionality such as conducting A/B and multivariate testing.

What happens if my website’s version of Kentico is outdated? 
If your version is no longer supported, Kentico does not provide support even if you have a valid maintenance contract in place. (To get support, Kentico advises that you upgrade to a supported version).

That’s not good. How can I avoid this?
You have two options, really:

1. Upgrade from Kentico 10 to 11 or 12 and keep the ASP.NET Web Forms architecture.
   It’s a short-term solution, but it extends your support for another year or two. But you’ll need to train your development staff in the ASP.NET MVC architecture or ensure your agency partner supports ASP.NET MVC.
   
   
2. Upgrade to Kentico MVC and use the ASP.NET MVC Architecture.
   This is your long-term solution, but it requires a major rewrite of your platform from ASP.NET to ASP.NET MVC. It also requires your development team to be knowledgeable in ASP.NET Web Forms and ASP.NET MVC to transition to the newer architecture.

What do I need to get started on one of these options?
Whether you choose the short-term or long-term solution, you’ll either need to make sure your internal team has been trained in the ASP.NET MVC architecture, or work with an agency partner who knows it.

(And if you don’t currently have an agency partner, hello. We’re CID. How can we help you?​)

Why would I hire you when I have my own team?
Our web team has been practicing MVC on other platforms since its inception. As a result, we’re one of only a handful of teams in the region who understand MVC at this deep a level. 

With us as your trusted web partner, we can:

• Train your in-house team so they understand what they need to do to properly migrate or rebuild
  
  
• Serve as an extension of your in-house team to help with the migration or rebuild itself
  
  
• Take care of the migration or rebuild while your in-house team handles the day-to-day demands

How do we get started?
SO GLAD YOU ASKED. Email hello@cidesigninc.com to chat and set up a time to meet our team. 

CI Design’s award-winning web design team is part of a fully integrated family of marketers, writers, designers, and videographers who help companies connect and convert on a daily basis.