I had the opportunity to represent RBA at this year’s Sitecore Symposium, and it was clear from the moment the event opened that Sitecore is entering a new era. The announcements were significant, the energy was high, and the roadmap signals a meaningful shift in how digital experience will evolve across the platform.
Sitecore didn’t simply reveal new features. They outlined a direction that moves the ecosystem toward a unified, AI-powered, SaaS-driven future. As someone who has worked with Sitecore for years and had a front-row seat to its evolution, this year felt like a turning point.
SitecoreAI: The New Experience Layer
SitecoreAI is no longer an add-on. It is the unified, intelligent layer that brings the entire SaaS ecosystem together. Sitecore XM Cloud has evolved into and been rebranded as SitecoreAI, creating a single platform experience for content, orchestration, personalization, and workflow. Existing XM Cloud customers received this update automatically in November 2025 with no migration required.
A major part of this evolution is Agentic Studio, which introduces a more strategic use of AI across the lifecycle. Instead of treating AI like a content generator, Sitecore is positioning it as an assistant for planning, testing, and orchestrating experiences at scale. Teams can set goals, build workflows, and deliver personalization in a more intentional way.
Sitecore also introduced AI Pathways, which makes content migration and reuse significantly easier. Whether organizations are coming from XP or another CMS entirely, AI now plays a role in accelerating that transformation. From training Figma designs into usable page structures to porting existing content, teams have more flexibility in how they modernize.
At RBA, we see SitecoreAI as an accelerator. It gives marketing and development teams the ability to move faster, experiment more confidently, and maintain governance. It’s not a replacement for strategy; it enhances it.
XP: What This Means for Existing Customers
Although Sitecore’s future is centered on SitecoreAI, customers on XP are not being left behind. Sitecore reinforced its commitment to maintaining and evolving the legacy platform, including the introduction of .NET Core support to modernize the technology stack.
This update gives organizations a smoother path forward. Teams can evolve components at their own pace, prepare for SaaS adoption, and take advantage of updated frameworks without making an immediate full-platform change.
Many RBA clients are evaluating when and how to move toward SitecoreAI. The direction announced this year confirms what we’ve been advising: modernization is not a single step. It’s a phased plan that balances stability with long-term vision. We’re helping organizations find the right timing, prioritize the right components, and build a roadmap that sets them up for a successful shift into this new ecosystem.
Marketplace: A Reimagined Space for Innovation
The Marketplace made a strong return this year, reintroduced for the composable era. It’s built for flexibility, allowing teams to build, share, and tailor apps that extend the Sitecore experience.
With options ranging from standalone experiences to dashboard widgets and custom fields, the Marketplace reinforces Sitecore’s direction: openness, modularity, and choice.
For RBA, this creates new possibilities for clients. Whether it’s building custom extensions, optimizing workflows, or integrating with existing systems, the Marketplace expands what organizations can achieve without heavy architectural overhead.
Final Takeaway
This year’s Symposium made one idea clear: Sitecore is moving confidently into an AI-driven, SaaS-first future with SitecoreAI at the center. For organizations on XP or already in the cloud, now is the time to understand what the next step looks like.
RBA is already helping clients evaluate these transitions, modernize their ecosystems, and build strategies that take full advantage of what SitecoreAI can offer.
The future of Sitecore is here, and it’s an exciting one.
About the Author
Rob Reilley
Sitecore Engineer | Sitecore Content Hub Certified | XM Cloud Certified | Sitecore Technology MVP 2018-2025
Self-motivated Sitecore MVP web developer with an extensive .NET development background and website architecture. Has excellent communication skills, leadership skills, analytical skills and attention to detail. Specializing in building sites from the ground up with various design patterns and implementations.