The Alaska Public Lands Information Centers (APLIC) gets a crucial CMS upgrade.

With end-of-life fast approaching for Drupal 7, the content management system on which many commercial and federal government websites are built, it has become increasingly important for commercial companies and government agencies alike to embark on a Drupal CMS upgrade from version 7 through to version 8 or 9, a process also known as a ‘lift and shift.’ Currently, there are over 1 million websites that run off the Drupal modular framework and CMS.

One such federal agency website in need of a CMS upgrade was the Alaska Public Lands Information Centers, also known as APLIC. APLIC is an organization which plays an essential role in executing the Department of Interior’s (DOI) goal of supporting the implementation of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). This legislation lays out the use of Alaska’s public lands for use by Alaskans and the American people, and is, in their own words, the most important piece of history for Alaska’s public lands. One visible component of this endevour is the alaskacenters.gov website, which provides useful information to the public, including educational information, trip planning, and stewardship.

With end-of-life fast approaching for Drupal 7, APLIC sought to ensure that the site did not lose functionality, and that it remained secure. Tactis partnered with APLIC, delivering on an aggressive timeline, working to limit risk for APLIC through its Agile approach. At the same time, Tactis worked to identify opportunities to make the site more friendly to administrators and content editors so as to help limit the amount of technical support required. Ultimately, staff were trained on how to add content to the CMS themselves.

The upgraded site which went live in March 2021 is fully functioning and was well-received. “Our team is very well-versed in Drupal 7 upgrades,” said Rebecca Rodrigues, Tactis director of Account Management, “and we were thrilled to be selected by APLIC to modernize their website. While abiding to a tight timeline for this lift-and-shift, we successfully incorporated changes to enhance the user experience and streamline functionality for CMS admins.”

As an experienced DOI partner, and a Drupal 8/9 upgrade leader in the federal space, Tactis currently provides Drupal development services to among others, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service, plus past support for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. In addition, as Tactis's experience with APLIC has shown, the company is uniquely qualified to deliver results on the IBM Drupal hosting platform, having been engaged directly by IBM to support the implementation of their Drupal 8/9 hosting environment based on their rating us as a best-in-class Drupal services organization.

About Tactis

Tactis is a full lifecycle customer experience agency working for organizations across all points of communication, combining human touch with digital expertise to create outcomes that matter. By delivering high-touch solutions that span marketing, technology, and human interactions – through leveraging data and embracing technology – Tactis generates transformational customer experiences that ensure companies own the high-expectation, high-attention moments from which truly human experiences can emerge. For more information visit www.tactis.com.