Sitecore’s leadership team took the stage at SUGCON Europe 2025 in Antwerp with an energized and forward thinking keynote that painted a bold vision for the future of digital experiences. From the evolution of the composable DXP to deep AI integration and a powerful new developer marketplace, Sitecore made it clear: the future is intelligent, extensible, and community-driven.

Let’s dive into the major themes, announcements, and strategic direction shared at the keynote.

Sitecore’s Evolution: From CMS to Intelligent DXP

Sitecore CEO Dave O’Flanagan opened the keynote with a personal journey, his fourth SUGCON and a clear commitment to the community. From Dublin to Malaga to Antwerp, the journey mirrors Sitecore’s evolution:

• From a Web CMS → Digital Experience Platform (DXP) → Composable DXP → Now the Intelligent DXP

The shift toward intelligence is powered by Sitecore Stream, Sitecore’s AI-first framework that infuses intelligence across all Sitecore products, from XM Cloud to Content Hub, Personalize, CDP, and Search.

"Sitecore Stream isn’t a product, it’s a capability layer. It's the brain, the assistant, and the orchestrator behind every AI-infused experience" said Dave O’Flanagan.

AI Everywhere: The Rise of the Intelligent DXP

AI is no longer optional. It’s central.

Using AI internally in product development and externally to empower marketers and developers. The Intelligent DXP is rooted in three pillars:

1. Brand-Aware AI: Understands brand tone, content structures, data relationships, ensuring AI-generated content is on-brand.
2. AI Agents: Embedded assistants across products to create content, optimize images, localize, and automate workflows.
3. AI Orchestration: Hybrid workflows where marketers and AI collaborate seamlessly, today. Fully automated tasks, tomorrow.

“Busy work and marketing drudgery are on the way out” said Dave O’Flanagan. “The future is about higher-order tasks and outcomes.”

XM Cloud: AI-First CMS as the Heart of the Future

Roger Connolly, Sitecore’s Chief Product Officer, emphasized that XM Cloud is the platform’s foundation and a cornerstone of the Intelligent DXP.

Key highlights include:

• AI-powered personalization : Generate, test, and optimize content variants on the fly.
• New marketer dashboard : Provides content health checks, localization audits, and publishing insights.
• Multi-framework support : .NET, React, Angular, Vue, developers have freedom.
• Atomic edge caching and multi-region replication : Global performance at lightning speed.

“XM Cloud isn’t just evolving, it’s disrupting. This is the most powerful CMS we’ve ever built” said Roger Connolly.

Content in Context: AI's True Fuel

Content is still king, but only when it's contextual.

Sitecore is rethinking the entire content lifecycle:

• Creation → Delivery → Performance Tracking → Continuous Optimization
• Integration of semantic search, vector embeddings, and AI-powered asset discovery in DAM
• Real-time publishing orchestration and content reuse across global teams

As Roger Connolly put it, “In a world of cheap content, relevance and authenticity win.”

Continued Commitment to XM and XP: Roadmap, Enhancements, and AI-Powered Upgrades

While much of the keynote focused on Sitecore’s forward momentum with XM Cloud and the composable DXP, Roger Connolly made it clear that Sitecore is not abandoning its existing XM and XP platforms. In fact, the company is doubling down on support and innovation for current customers running traditional architectures.

“When we talk about delivering on the promise, we don’t just mean future technology” said Connolly. “We mean the promises we made to our XM and XP customers last year, and we’ve delivered.”

What’s New for XM and XP?

Here’s a quick summary of enhancements and future plans for XM/XP shared during the keynote:

• Sitecore Stream for XM/XP (v10.2 and up):
  All XM and XP customers running version 10.2 or newer now have access to Sitecore Stream capabilities. This includes:
  • AI-generated, on-brand content in seconds
  • Control over tone, grammar, and content length
  • Unified brand chat and brainstorming tools
  • Enhanced support for content creators within the traditional platform
• Upcoming Release: XP 10.5
  The roadmap for XP continues with a major update, version 10.5, coming soon. Expect:
  • Performance improvements
  • Streamlined AI integrations
  • Improved compatibility with hybrid and composable architectures
  • Continued focus on enterprise stability and support
• AI as a Bridge Between Legacy and Cloud
  One of the most powerful themes in the keynote was AI as an equalizer across platforms. Sitecore is committed to making Stream’s AI-powered tools available both in XM Cloud and in the traditional stack, helping all customers accelerate content workflows, personalization, and marketing automation.

“Our commitment to XM and XP remains as strong as ever” Roger Connolly emphasized. “These platforms are the foundation for thousands of enterprises and we’re ensuring they continue to grow and evolve alongside our next-generation innovations.”

This reassurance was met with enthusiasm from the audience, especially those managing complex, on-premises solutions not yet ready to migrate to XM Cloud. Sitecore’s roadmap reflects a hybrid world where AI benefits everyone, whether you're cloud-native or running a legacy architecture.

Developer Experience: A New Era of Empowerment

Sitecore’s CTO, Danny Robinson, laid out the tech vision for developers:

• Split backend and frontend deployment in XM Cloud
• New SDKs including the latest JSS version
• Developer CLI & Marketplace SDKs : Create apps and customizations fast
• AI-driven co-pilots for creating briefs, optimizing personalization, and even migrating external sites into Sitecore
• Model Context Protocol experimentation: AI systems natively querying and understanding Sitecore data

“We can’t preach AI without using it ourselves” said Danny Robinson. “Our R&D now uses AI in every layer, from code generation to platform orchestration.”

Sitecore Marketplace: Extensibility Reimagined

Liz Nelson (XM Cloud Product Lead) and Spyros Misichronis (Marketplace Architect) introduced the new Sitecore Marketplace, designed to be as developer-friendly and extensible as possible.

Key features include:

• Public and private app support
• Scoped API access : Secure and precise
• Custom widgets for XM Cloud, CDP, Personalize, and Content Hub
• SDK and CLI tools : Rapid app building with type safety and IntelliSense
• Design system (BLOK) expanding to support Tailwind and others

Live on stage, they demoed a GEO (Generative Experience Optimization) app that uses AI to:

• Analyze page structure and metadata
• Recommend updates for better LLM crawlability
• Update content instantly based on AI suggestions

Strategic Partnerships Fueling Innovation

Sitecore’s ecosystem is expanding with deeper integrations and strategic partnerships:

• Microsoft : Azure innovation, AI collaboration, and case studies like Nestlé
• Vercel & Netlify : High-performance headless deployment partners
• CI Hub : Native access to Adobe, M365 for creative workflows
• TransPerfect : End-to-end translation workflows deeply integrated

“This is a new dimension of our partnerships” said Danny Robinson. “We're building the connective tissue for a true composable future.”

June 4: Mark the Date

Sitecore teased a major announcement coming on June 4, focused on marketing innovations and AI evolution. Stay tuned, it’s expected to mark another leap forward.

🌍 A Thriving Community

Over 30,000 developers, 100+ user groups, 300+ annual events, and now a 300+ member Community Mentor Program. Sitecore doubled down on its community investment, including a new head of customer marketing dedicated to community initiatives.

“The community is Sitecore’s secret superpower” said Dave O’Flanagan.

This keynote made it clear: Sitecore is not content with incremental progress. It’s reimagining how content is created, managed, and delivered in a world defined by AI and infinite channels.

Whether you're a marketer, developer, or technologist, Sitecore is building the tools to help you stand out in a noisy, fast-moving, AI-first world.