Why it’s time for the Jamstack to shine – the technology perspective

Javascript, APIs and Markup (HTML) have been around for literally decades. So why the sudden wave of enthusiasm for Jamstack as an enterprise web development platform?

Andy Thompson

08 June 2020

2 minute read

JavaScript is everywhere

Whether it's Node.js servers, JavaScript in a browser, or the ubiquitous npm (node package manager) modules that span the full spectrum, JavaScript has become the lingua franca for developers. What started as a simple scripting language for adding interactivity to web pages in the 90s, is now the dominant programming language in digital.

The Cloud

Platform as a Service (PaaS) providers such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft, have freed developers from the hassles of maintaining their own server infrastructure, or being tied to a single technology platform. Applications can be built to take advantage of any number of cloud technologies, from static hosting in high performance CDNs, to serverless functions and edge computing.

DevOps

Content Management systems were born to make the mundane task of updating a static website easier for non-technical users. The explosion of automated tools such as Jenkins, TeamCity, or Azure DevOps for building and deploying your website not just quickly and regularly, but continually in the case of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD), has removed this barrier.

Everything as a Service

Industry-leading digital products are increasingly delivered "as a service" – available online via subscription – rather than requiring an outright purchase and installation on a server. Overwhelmingly, these SaaS products provide comprehensive APIs for advanced integration scenarios.

Content as a Service

One of the relatively recent additions to the "as a service" stable is cloud-based Headless CMS platforms, such as Kontent. Enabling rapid modelling and management of structured, omni-channel content, while also adding features to empower marketers, these Content as a Service (CaaS) platforms enable websites or apps to be built independently of traditional restrictions imposed by a CMS. Devs can then get back to building websites the way they were supposed to be built – with HTML and JavaScript!

Modern web app frameworks

Building a complex, interactive web experience in a browser from scratch using only HTML, CSS and JavaScript is no mean feat, and developers will tend toward using a framework that gives them a head start. In recent years, React and Vue.js have emerged as clear front-runners in terms of popularity and community support for websites. The introduction of Static Site Generators (SSG), such as Gatsby or Next.js for React, or Gridsome or Nuxt.js for Vue.js, have significantly lowered the bar for creating complex and high-performing web applications delivered on the Jamstack.

A modern Jamstack platform

APIs, JavaScript and Markup are nothing new. But an industry-wide move toward API-enabled cloud services, combined with the emergence of some amazing supporting technologies and tools, has made it possible to build a modern platform for enterprise development on the Jamstack. Assuming of course that you have access to a team of very smart people to pull it all together. 😉

Want to know what developers think of the Jamstack?

The State of Jamstack 2020 is a report produced by Kentico Kontent in partnership with Luminary.

Download the report

Read more on the Jamstack

The JAMstack - Jam on waffles

9 min read

Benefits of the Jamstack – from buzzword to business ready

The Jamstack is a modern approach to building fast, secure, and cost-effective websites and apps. In this article Luminary MD Adam Griffith explains the six 'Ss' of the Jamstack – Speed, Stability, Scalability, Security, Serviceability and Simplicity – to show why this movement is now business ready.

Adam Griffith
Adam Griffith

12 May 2020

9 minute read

5 min read

How do you handle online forms with Kontent.ai?

There are a few questions we regularly field when introducing the concept of a Content as a Service to people. After explaining the terms 'headless' and 'microservices', we invariably hit the topic of online forms - a staple feature of any traditional web CMS, but curiously absent from the feature list of your modern-day headless CMS.

Andy Thompson
Andy Thompson

03 June 2022

5 minute read

What is headless cms

4 min read

Serving content to IoT devices with a headless CMS

Need a way to serve the same content to a growing range of platforms? Headless content management systems are your answer.

Emmanuel Tissera
Emmanuel Tissera

10 October 2019

4 minute read

Kontent.ai logo

Kontent.ai – formerly known as Kentico Kontent – is a headless CMS with native AI functionality, that provides easy-to-use content management tools for marketers. Luminary is a Kontent.ai Premium Partner and a global leader in its implementation.

Formerly known as IBM Watson, Acoustic is a suite of enterprise-level AI-enhanced services, applications and marketing tools. Luminary is an Acoustic Partner.

State of Jamstack Report 2021

6 min read

The State of the Jamstack in 2021

For the second year running, Luminary has partnered with Kentico Kontent to produce The State of the Jamstack report. Here are our thoughts one year on.

Andy Thompson
Andy Thompson&Adam Griffith

08 June 2021

6 minute read

Cancer Council website on mobile

1 min read

A true partnership: Luminary + Cancer Council Australia

When Cancer Council Australia (CCA) decided to rebuild its website, it wanted a tech partner that could mentor and guide it, not just execute and deliver a product. It found that partner in Luminary. Here’s a video and summary of the presentation CCA and Luminary CTO Andy Thompson gave at the 2020 Kontent Horizons conference.

Tami Iseli
Tami Iseli

17 December 2020

1 minute read

Screenshot of Kontent's Web Spotlight interface

4 min read

Web Spotlight - visual page editing in Kontent (in less than a day)

Web Spotlight is a brand new add-on for Kontent by Kentico that brings many of the features marketers miss from traditional web content management systems into their pure headless CaaS platform, including a tree-based navigation structure, real-time preview and in-context editing of pages. And the good news is, it is super easy to set up, regardless of what language you used to implement your website.

Andy Thompson
Andy Thompson

07 September 2020

4 minute read

8 min read

Is a headless CMS good or bad for SEO?

Using a headless CMS for a website isn't going to hurt your SEO. It sure doesn't guarantee good results, but when implemented properly, it can be unbeatable.

Andy Thompson
Andy Thompson

19 November 2020

8 minute read

Contentful is a headless, API-first content system that lets you create and distribute content to any platform. Luminary is a Contentful Partner Agency.

Contentstack is an enterprise-level headless content management system (CMS). Luminary is a certified Contentstack solution partner agency.

Keep Reading

Want more? Here are some other blog posts you might be interested in.