The future of Online Publishing was the central focus at Thunder Day 2018. Experts from media, IT, and open source not only shared their experiences of the media world with Online Publishing but also provided food for thought regarding future trends, expectations, and challenges. Particular attention was given to the question as to how income can be generated in the future from sources other than classic advertising.

Our very first Thunder Day was a huge success: More than 100 publishers and IT experts working with or interested in Thunder came together in Hamburg to exchange experiences, success stories, and business cards. Conclusion: For professional publishing, there is no way to do without Thunder.

As of today, international media group Hubert Burda Media makes its Drupal 8 based Thunder Content Management System (CMS) available online as a free open-source platform for use and further development by other publishers. With this move, Burda joins forces with sector and industry partners, aiming to develop the best open-source CMS platform for publishers. Burda believes that in today’s world, successful media offerings result from the right combination of quality journalism and technology expertise. For the media company, this meant future-proofing its Content Management System by developing Thunder, an open-source system based on leading-edge technology, now available online free of charge for use and continuous development.