The release process for SpiceCRM is meticulously planned and executed, ensuring that each release meets high standards of quality and functionality. Here’s a breakdown of how a SpiceCRM release sees the light of day:

  • Commitment to Regular Releases: The SpiceCRM team and partners commit to releasing updates every 3 months, keeping the software current and responsive to evolving customer needs.
  • Release Content Planning: The release content is driven by customer feature requests, developer contributions, and industry trends. Bugs are addressed promptly to maintain software health.
  • Testing Environment Setup: A release branch is created in the repository, and development changes are merged into it. The branch is then deployed to a testing server environment, where a demo site is set up for thorough testing.
  • Testing Process: A small team from the SpiceCRM team tests all change requests, with tasks allocated based on team members’ experience levels. Testing steps are documented in the change requests for clarity.
  • Testing Duration: Testing typically lasts for 1 month, followed by another week for bug fixes or removal of change requests if necessary.
  • Finalizing the Application: Once testing is complete, the application is built, and the release branch is merged into the main branch in the repository & the SpiceCRM team celebrates this milestone together.
  • Publishing Process: Highlights of the release are selected and posted on spicecrm.com, along with detailed descriptions of all change requests, breaking changes, and deprecation news. Social media announcements are made, and webinars may be organized for partners to showcase significant enhancements or changes.
  • Management of the Cycle: The entire release cycle is managed using a SpiceCRM instance, demonstrating the platform’s versatility and effectiveness in project management.

This thorough and systematic approach ensures that each SpiceCRM release is well-tested, well-documented, and effectively communicated to users and partners, maintaining the platform’s reputation for quality and innovation.