As we approach 2026, the pace of technological change continues to accelerate; not only around us, but also within dotCMS. To maintain the security, scalability, and performance you rely on, our platform must evolve alongside the ecosystem that powers it. While the details I’m going to share are about the dotCMS platform, it’s ultimately about enabling you, our customers, to keep pace with the speed and security required to deliver content and unlock the most completing narratives.
This is an exciting moment in technology, where advancements are not just about faster processors or newer protocols, but about unlocking entirely new capabilities and experiences. For example, the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how content is created, delivered, and consumed. Opening up incredible new avenues for innovation that we are so excited to bring to you and your teams.
I am writing to you today to outline four critical modernization initiatives we are undertaking to set our platform up for success in this rapid innovation cycle: our transition to an Evergreen release model, a major upgrade to our Java core, and upcoming enhancements to our search and network infrastructure.
Here is what you need to know for your planning.
1. The End of LTS Designations
Following up on my recent blog post, The dotCMS Evergreen Journey, we are officially transitioning away from the traditional Long-Term Support (LTS) release model.
LTS 25.07 will be our final Long-Term Support release. We are committed to supporting customers currently on this version with continued LTS coverage, including security patches and critical bug fixes, until the end of March 2027\.
The move to an Evergreen model is a direct response to the rapidly changing security landscape. Static software versions can no longer keep pace. Our Evergreen approach ensures all dotCMS customers immediately benefit from the latest security updates, performance improvements, and features, eliminating the necessity for large, multi-year upgrade cycles.
2. Modernizing with Java 25 & Deprecating Java 11
Java is the heartbeat of dotCMS. While we have been running the Java 21 runtime for some time, to unlock the latest performance gains and language features, we are initiating a strategic move to Java 25
As a result, we are announcing dotCMS’s move to Java 25 and deprecation of support for Java 11.
We understand that many of you utilize OSGi plugins. The good news is that in our extensive internal testing, we found that the vast majority of plugins "just work" when run in Java 25 and almost all can be made to run with minor tweaks or code changes. While there may be specific edge cases, we anticipate a smooth upgrade path for most custom implementations.
To facilitate this, we will be releasing updated plugin seeds and a new dotCMS image based on Java 25 to help you test custom plugins and prepare your environment.
To ensure a smooth transition, we have selected a phased timeline:
* Dec 2025 (Today): Official announcement of deprecation.
* June 1, 2026: The final dotCMS version supporting Java 11 plugins will be released.
* March 31, 2027: End of Life (EOL) for the transitionary support period.
Action Required: If you maintain custom plugins compiled against Java 11, please note the following deadlines based on your version:
* Evergreen Customers: You must plan for testing possible code updates before June 1, 2026.
* 25.07 LTS Customers: You have until March 31, 2027 to complete this transition.
3. OpenSearch Migration (v1.x to v3.x)
We are beginning a major upgrade of our search engine infrastructure, jumping from OpenSearch 1.x directly to OpenSearch 3.x. This skips the 2.x lifecycle to bring you the latest Lucene 10 performance improvements and modern data architecture.
A major driver for this change is the age of OpenSearch 1\. The Elasticsearch foundation it is based on is long past End of Life and is losing supporting providers. This means stability, security, and interoperability will continue to decline and accelerate in the near future if we do not act.
* For dotCMS Cloud Customers: We are executing a parallel implementation strategy designed to be zero-impact. We anticipate no downtime or required changes for standard implementations.
* For Self-Hosted & Custom Plugin Users: While official deprecation of 1.x is slated for late Q2/early Q3 of 2026, you should begin reviewing any custom plugins that interact directly with OpenSearch APIs, as breaking changes in version 3.x may affect custom queries or index configurations.
4. The Journey to IPv6
Finally, we are looking ahead to the future of network connectivity. With cloud providers increasingly favoring IPv6 and penalizing legacy configurations, we are beginning our journey toward a full IPv6 infrastructure.
While we are just starting this process, we want to be transparent: in the future, continued use of IPv4 may incur additional costs or require configuration changes. We commit to providing a minimum of 6 months' notice before deprecating any IPv4 support or introducing related changes.
Moving Forward
We do not take these changes lightly. Each initiative is designed to minimize risk and operational impact: our parallel OpenSearch rollout avoids downtime; updated Java 25 plugin seeds and a new dotCMS image are available to streamline testing and migration; and for complex implementations, our team offers Premier Support to plan and execute the transition.
If you have questions about how these changes affect your specific implementation, or would like assistance with testing or migration, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or our Support team. Your CSM can coordinate resources and white‑glove assistance as needed.
On a personal note, I’d like to wish you, your teams, and your loved ones a wonderful end to the year and an exciting 2026.
Cheers,
Steve Freudenthaler Director of Engineering, dotCMS