At EckhoMedia, we don’t just build websites and leave them to gather digital dust. A key part of our Managed Web Hosting is ensuring the technology sitting under the hood—the PHP engine—is monitored and kept up to date where possible.
As we move into 2022, we will be working with our clients to transition away from PHP 5.6 and onto the much faster, more secure PHP 7.x branches.
The Evolution of Your Website
Whether your site is built on a popular platform like WordPress or OpenCart, or is a completely Bespoke Web Development project, the code relies on PHP to function.
PHP 5.6 has served the web well for years, but it has now officially reached “End of Life.” This means the global community of developers is no longer issuing security patches for it. Running a site on an unsupported version of PHP is a bit like leaving your front door unlocked; eventually, someone will notice.
Speed, Security, and Stability
Upgrading to PHP 7 isn’t just about security; it’s a massive win for your visitors, too:
- Performance: PHP 7 can handle up to twice as many requests per second compared to 5.6.
- Memory Efficiency: It uses significantly less memory, meaning your site stays snappy even during traffic spikes.
- Modern Security: It includes better encryption and protection against common attacks like SQL injections.
A Note on Bespoke Systems
For our clients using bespoke systems built specifically for their unique business needs, these updates are even more critical. Custom-built code is highly efficient, but it requires periodic “health checks” to ensure it remains compatible with modern server environments.
Our Recommendation: We recommend that all bespoke systems undergo a compatibility audit when major PHP milestone versions are released. While we monitor our servers 24/7, it is the client’s responsibility to instruct us to carry out these specific code updates. If you have concerns about your custom application or know of legacy features that might need a “tune-up” for the PHP 7 era, please reach out to us.
Liability and Your Business
As your digital partner, our role is to keep you informed of these industry shifts. However, the decision to invest in these necessary software updates ultimately sits with you as the business owner.
Staying on an outdated version of PHP (like 5.6) against our recommendation significantly increases the risk of site failure or security breaches. EckhoMedia cannot accept liability for issues arising from a client’s choice to remain on unsupported software versions.
What do you need to do? For most standard sites, we’ll be handling the heavy lifting. However, if your site uses older custom modules or legacy bespoke code, please get in touch to discuss the best path forward.
