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Global media

TIME

Twenty-four TIME websites modernized with zero editorial disruption

InfoStride led a large-scale platform modernization initiative for the TIME digital ecosystem, upgrading and stabilizing a complex network of approximately 24 websites across four major applications — including time.com, timeforkids.com, subsites.time.com and the internal intranet at.time.com. The engagement focused on editorial continuity, API integrity for decoupled architectures, and platform stability across single-site, multisite and intranet environments.

TIME

Client

TIME

Scope

~24 sites, 4 applications

Platform

WordPress 6.8.2, PHP 8.3/8.4

Architectures

Single-site, multisite, decoupled, intranet

~24

Websites upgraded

Across four major applications, in phased batches.

0

Disruption to editorial operations

Publishing continued throughout the programme.

100%

Workflows and APIs preserved

Editorial flows, API contracts and multisite functionality intact.

Key challenges

  • Upgrading a large, diverse ecosystem of ~24 websites across single-site, multisite, decoupled and intranet architectures.
  • Managing legacy environments running WordPress and PHP versions nearing end of life.
  • Preserving editorial workflows and publishing continuity across high-traffic media platforms.
  • Ensuring compatibility across custom themes, plugins and Gutenberg blocks.
  • Maintaining API contract integrity for decoupled front-end implementations.
  • Handling multisite complexities including theme inheritance, shared resources and unique-theme regressions.
  • Supporting redirect-only subsites and intranet-specific authentication and access constraints.

The InfoStride solution

  1. Full ecosystem audit
    Applications, themes, plugins, Gutenberg blocks, APIs and infrastructure dependencies mapped across all four applications.
  2. Phased, batch-based upgrade strategy
    Designed to modernize every platform with minimal disruption rather than a single high-risk cutover.
  3. Dedicated non-production environments
    One per application, so upgrades were executed and validated independently.
  4. WordPress 6.8.2 and PHP 8.3/8.4
    Compatibility issues resolved across custom codebases and third-party dependencies.
  5. Extensive QA
    Backend editorial workflows, frontend rendering, responsive layouts and cross-platform behaviour, plus multisite regression testing and representative sampling.
  6. API-level validation
    Decoupled platforms checked for data consistency, contract integrity and seamless frontend integration.
  7. Controlled rollout
    Pull-request-driven deployments, coordinated PHP upgrades and structured stakeholder reviews, with post-launch monitoring and rollback readiness.

Outcomes

What TIME has now

  1. ~24 websites across four applications successfully upgraded with zero disruption to editorial operations.
  2. All platforms modernized to WordPress 6.8.2 and PHP 8.3/8.4 for long-term support and security.
  3. 100% of editorial workflows, API integrations and multisite functionality preserved.
  4. Compatibility risks eliminated across themes, plugins and custom Gutenberg implementations.
  5. Decoupled architectures stabilized through validated API contracts and frontend synchronization.
  6. Platform performance, scalability and maintainability improved across the entire ecosystem.
  7. A future-ready digital foundation supporting continued growth and high-traffic publishing demands.
  8. Long-term technical stability achieved across all enterprise media properties.

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