As a managed hosting provider, FatLab strives to optimize our client’s website performance and security. That’s why we are excited to announce that we will upgrade our clients’ servers from PHP 7.x to PHP 8.x.
We will be moving to the newer servers over the next few months, and we have every confidence that this transitional upgrade will go smoothly and bring many benefits to our clients.
What is PHP
PHP is the server language used to build WordPress websites, and we currently support PHP 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, and 8.2.
The latest version of PHP, PHP 8, offers many improvements over earlier versions. One of the primary benefits is improved performance, which means that websites will load faster. This can greatly impact user experience and engagement since visitors are likelier to stay on a website that loads quickly.
Improved Web Security
Another important benefit of upgrading to PHP 8 is improved security. Older versions of PHP are no longer actively patched for security issues, which means that websites using those versions are at risk of exploitation. PHP 7.4, on which many of our WordPress websites are hosted, has already reached its end of life, making it more vulnerable to security threats. Upgrading to PHP 8.x helps to keep our clients’ websites safer from attacks and data breaches.
One Site at a Time
Of course, upgrading to a new version of PHP isn’t always a simple process, so we will upgrade one site at a time. This allows us to test the site to ensure it is compatible with PHP 8.x. In cases where a site requires more extensive changes, we will discuss options with its owners. However, we expect that most websites we host will experience a smooth transition with no downtime.
Compatibility
WordPress has been compatible with PHP 8 for some time, but there has been slow adoption among many plugin providers. However, now is the right time to announce our intention to upgrade our clients to PHP 8.x. We believe this will be a positive move for our clients and are committed to supporting them throughout this transitional period.
Conclusion
FatLab takes website performance and security seriously, so we have decided to upgrade our clients’ servers to PHP 8.x. This transitional upgrade will bring many benefits, including improved performance, enhanced security, and compatibility with the latest WordPress version.
We are confident that this upgrade will go smoothly for most of our clients, and we will be on hand to offer support if any issues arise. We look forward to continuing to provide our clients with the best hosting service.
