About the Author: Amit Bhaiya
The next version of Adobe Commerce / Magento—v.2.4.4—will be released on April 12. As a lauded Adobe partner, we’ve been given early access to familiarize ourselves and prepare for the changes. To help you get ready as well, we’ve summarized the critical information and changing capabilities.
v2.3 Approaching End-of-Life (EOL)
Before diving into the v2.4.4 release, we want to give a brief reminder that updating to the latest Adobe Commerce / Magento version is critical for your eCommerce site and integrations’ functionality and cybersecurity. It’s especially critical for eCommerce operators relying on 2.3.X versions, as they will no longer receive support upon September 8, 2022.
Without new updates and patch releases, any vulnerabilities that cybercriminals discover will remain unaddressed and easy to exploit.
The last major instance of Adobe Commerce / Magento cyberattacks that occurred immediately following a version’s EOL was the devastating Magecart attack in 2020. Updating to the latest version is the easiest way to prevent similar incidents.
Adobe Commerce / Magento v.2.4.4—What to Expect
Adobe Commerce / Magento v.2.4.4 will primarily provide eCommerce site and functionality optimization. Many of the release’s inclusions are enhancements and upgrades to the most current versions of various libraries and dependencies, including:
- ElasticSearch 7.16
- OpenSearch 1.2
- RequireJS 2.3.6
- TinyMCE 5
- MySQL 8.0.22
- JavaScript Libraries, including:
- JQuery library 3.6
- JQuery-ui library 1.13.0
While these libraries and dependencies may not provide “headline” changes for many eCommerce operators, we’re certainly excited for them. They’ll allow our developers to deliver faster performing, more reliable, and more capable site builds.
New Support for PHP 8.1
Adobe Commerce / Magento runs on PHP, and v.2.4.4 of the platform will support the latest: PHP 8.1. However, eCommerce operators can still upgrade to v.2.4.4 if their site runs on PHP 7.4 or newer versions.
One of the most eye-catching PHP 8.1 statistics is that it runs 23% faster than the version 8 release.
If your site runs on PHP 7.3—or you’re unsure—please get in touch with us to discuss upgrade options that will continue to seamlessly support functionality and integrations.
Expanded Search Capabilities
The upgrades to the latest versions of ElasticSearch and OpenSearch will help further drive search analytics, but access to Live Search is one of the most significant improvements in 2.4.4. This functionality is facilitated by Sensei, Adobe’s machine learning and AI tool that now enhances many of their platforms’ UX and workflows.
With Sensei-powered Live Search automatically included with Adobe Commerce / Magento 2.4.4, eCommerce operators will be able to offer their customers even more personalized shopping experiences and product recommendations. Live Search displays results before users finish typing and even accounts for synonyms when doing so.
GraphQL Functionality Expanded
Especially important for B2B eCommerce operators using GraphQL, the API’s coverage now includes the full range of negotiable quote tasks and extends to checkout processes. Further, GraphQL’s overall performance, core library, language translation, and request caching have all been improved.
Removal of Vendor-Bundled Extensions
eCommerce operators should be prepared for the removal of pre-packaged, vendor-bundled extensions included with v.2.4.4. The only one remaining from previous releases will be the Paypal-owned Braintree.
However, this doesn’t mean functionality is disappearing! Official extensions will still be available via Adobe’s Commerce Marketplace. They merely won’t be included with v.2.4.4 automatically.
With any version upgrade, we’ll ensure that your integrations, extensions, and overall performance don’t suffer.
Cart and Checkout Improvements
The most substantial improvement to the checkout process in v.2.4.4 is further optimization of asynchronous order processing. When too many orders are placed at the same time, your site’s performance suffers and you risk abandoned cart rates rising.
Businesses that manage heightened activity periods (e.g., seasonal, limited-releases) will be thrilled by enabling the new asynchronous order processing. It will better streamline the customer experience, require less resource-intensive operation, and ensure order placement when previous versions might have struggled during periods of heightened volume.
The new checkout process will also support “buy online, pick-up in store” (BOPIS), so eCommerce operators who serve local customers or that run multiple locations will be able to better accommodate those shoppers’ preferences.
Additional Releases and Patches
Aside from the current planned release, you should always keep an eye out for the latest Adobe announcements regarding new functionality and security patches.
CVE-2022-24086 Vulnerability
On February 13, Adobe announced a newly discovered vulnerability for Adobe Commerce / Magento 2.4.3-p1 and 2.3.7-p2 (and their earlier versions). Operators should consider this a critical cybersecurity risk and install the patch immediately, as it’s been assigned a Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) rating of 9.8 out of 10.
Adobe’s Security Bulletin states that the vulnerability “has been exploited in the wild” successfully. So, while attacks so far have been considered “very limited,” failing to patch this critical vulnerability is not worth potential risks.
Bolt-Enabled “One-Click” Checkout
Among the upcoming functionality additions, eCommerce operators can enable “one-click” checkouts to streamline customers’ shopping experience via Adobe’s partnership with Bolt.
The addition of “one-click” functionality will help many businesses reduce high cart abandonment rates—69.82%, according to the independent online UX researcher, the Baymard Institute. After compiling and analyzing 46 different studies, the Baymard Institute determined that roughly 70% of respondents encountered one or more checkout challenges that Bolt’s “one-click” functionality may eliminate.
Upgrade Seamlessly with DotcomWeavers
Staying up to date on the latest Adobe Commerce / Magento releases and functionality is crucial for delivering our top-quality eCommerce site builds, and v.2.4.4 promises significant performance optimization. For some businesses, the additions of Sensei-powered Live Search, GraphQL-enabled quote negotiation, and checkout process improvements may prove to be eCommerce game-changers.
To strategize for a v.2.4.4 upgrade—or any other Adobe Commerce / Magento projects—please reach out, and we’ll start planning.
