TYPO3 Upgrade Case Study for Media Network Brand, Hearst Networks Germany
Industry
Media Network / Corporate Website (Germany)
TYPO3 Project Type
TYPO3 Upgrade & Platform Modernization
TYPO3 Extensions
14
Website link
https://www.hearstnetworks.de/
HearstNetworks.de: A Corporate Platform for Brands and Press
HearstNetworks.de represents Hearst Networks Germany and brings together corporate updates, press content, and clear links to brand platforms like The HISTORY Channel and Crime + Investigation.
As a corporate hub with ongoing updates, the website needs to stay stable, fast, and easy to manage especially when content goes live under real deadlines.
Partnership: NITSAN × mokom01 TYPO3 Agency
This TYPO3 upgrade project was delivered in partnership with mokom01 TYPO3 agency.
mokom01 supported delivery coordination and alignment with stakeholders.
NITSAN handled the TYPO3 and PHP upgrade, extension migration, CI/CD setup, QA validation, and safe go-live.
The Task & Challenges
The main goal was to modernize the technical setup without disrupting daily publishing. The platform needed a clean TYPO3 base, stable extensions, and a setup that is easy to maintain over time.
Key challenges and goals:
- Upgrade TYPO3 from v10 to v12 and PHP from 7.4 to 8.2
- Prepare technical and compatibility analysis reports
- Migrate to modern TYPO3 templating, site configuration, and redirect handling
- Improve coding standards and reduce extension risks
- Set up GitLab CI/CD with safe go-live and re-upgrade steps
- Test across devices and backend workflows
- Improve performance, SEO, and accessibility
TYPO3 & PHP Upgrade Base
We prepared compatibility reports and upgraded the
platform with a controlled approach.
Key work delivered:
- TYPO3 v10 → v12
- PHP v7.4 → v8.2
- Technical and compatibility analysis reports
- Modern TYPO3 templating, site configuration, and redirect module setup
News System Modernization
The legacy news system was replaced with the modern
TYPO3 standard.
Key work delivered:
- Migration from EXT:tt_news to EXT:news
Layout Migration to
Modern Standards
We modernized the layout system to improve editor
workflows and reduce future upgrade risk.
Key work delivered:
- Migration from EXT:gridelements to EXT:container
Operational Tooling & Delivery Automation
We improved the technical setup for smoother
development and releases.
Key work delivered:
- Setup of EXT:typo3_console
- New GitLab CI/CD pipeline
- Safe go-live and re-upgrade strategy to avoid data loss
QA, Performance & Accessibility
We validated the upgrade across devices and workflows and aligned the setup with modern quality and accessibility needs.
Key work delivered:
- Cross-platform, UX/UI, and functional testing
- Backend usability testing
- Accessibility improvements toward WCAG / BITV
- Performance and SEO targets aligned with 90+ PageSpeed goals
