Zend Announces the Future of PHP Frameworks: Zend Framework 3

New Next-Generation PHP-based Application Framework for Web and Mobile Applications Unveiled

CUPERTINO, Calif., March 12, 2015 -- Zend, the PHP Company, today announced the roadmap for Zend Framework 3, the next-generation PHP-based application framework for web and mobile applications. Zend Framework is the leading enterprise-grade web application framework used by a broad set of companies.  It is licensed under a commercial-friendly New BSD open-source license and has enjoyed contributions from the likes of IBM, Google and Microsoft in addition to strong Zend and community leadership over the years.

"Using Zend Framework 2, we have been able to speed up the creation and maintenance of some of our best web PHP applications," said Gregory Besson, CEO AdFab Connect.  "We relied on its robustness and its component-oriented architecture to deliver the international website of DS, the new brand of PSA Peugeot Citroën. We are eager to try and adopt Zend Framework 3, which will bring the interoperability between PHP frameworks to the next level with PSR-7 and will highly improve performance with the early adoption of PHP7, to come end of this year."

"Our development team relies on Zend Framework to deliver practical, rock solid web applications to startups and NYSE companies," said Baptiste Manson, CEO Inovia Team Inc. "Zend Framework 3 is forward-thinking, astonishing and, in short, it reinvents the framework."

Zend Framework 3 offers a new design that takes full advantage of the PHP language evolution, new emerging technologies and techniques. With web and mobile development constantly changing, an effective framework must evolve and adapt to align with new platforms and technologies. 

The new Zend Framework 3 is focused on simplicity, reusability and performance. It will offer a “use-at-will” architecture by delivering components for independent consumption by developers. The new framework design will make it easier for beginners to become proficient with the technology while still providing enterprise-grade features for more advanced developers.

Zend Framework 3 Highlights and Capabilities:

• Separate components divided into individual and versioned projects for broader reuse and higher velocity of innovation (“use-at-will” architecture)
• Strong emphasis on HTTP messages, leveraging the PSR-7 specification
• A new modern middleware-based runtime as a lighter weight, high-performance alternative to enterprise MVC frameworks
• Apigility, Zend’s API Builder, will be delivered on top of the new middleware stack for better performance and simplicity, with the same streamlined, powerful user experience
• Optimization for PHP 7, while still supporting PHP 5.5 and up

“The PHP ecosystem is undergoing a ‘renaissance’ with a multitude of development processes, new technologies and coding practice changes in the last few years,” said Matthew Weier O'Phinney, Zend Framework Team Lead at Zend Technologies.  “The latest Zend Framework will change how developers work with PHP, providing them with a ‘use-at-will’ architecture option as well as a framework that aligns with ever-changing platforms and technologies. This ensures developers have the specific components they need to create the next-generation of high-performance PHP-based web and mobile applications for the enterprise.”

Users of previous Zend Framework versions will have a documented upgrade path to Zend Framework 3 that requires minimal changes.

Zend Framework 3 will be available in Q3 2015. 

For additional information about Zend Framework, please check out the Zend Framework Website.

Additional Testimonials and References:

"We have been using Zend Framework 2 since the first week it launched. The framework’s flexibility and robustness as well as Zend’s credibility provide great value and confidence to our clients. We are very excited about Zend Framework 3, mostly because of PSR-7 compatibility and middleware patterns." - Elton Minetto, CEO, Coderockr

“From day one, Zend Framework inherits Zend’s vision to provide the most advanced tools to build critical applications that make today’s PHP the most efficient and reliable technology to address new digital challenges. In changing the scope and concept of the PHP Framework itself, Zend Framework 3 demonstrates once again that leadership. ZF3 brings greater operability, simplicity and exciting performance improvement in removing PHP frameworks’ structural barriers. In combination with PSR-7, Zend Framework 3 also opens a new perspective of components reusability across frameworks, which is another step ahead for all decision makers who want to deliver high performing and secure applications at lower costs.” - Christian Durel, CEO & Co-Founder, Melis Technology

"We develop enterprise-grade and highly secured PHP applications for our clients. We selected Zend Framework for its enterprise readiness, flexibility and performance, which allow us to build robust, reliable and secure applications for our clients. We are looking forward to the next generation PHP framework with Zend Framework 3, especially its modularity, support for PSR-7 and the high performing PHP7. " -  Cyrille Grandval, CEO, Darkmira

“Web engineering and e-business specialization aim to answer a growing demand of profiles with dual competences: developing projects and adding value. It is important for us during this two-year course to propose a curriculum with a mix of business and technology. With that purpose, learning a framework is indispensable. The school has naturally selected Zend Framework for its maturity, and its leading market position in the enterprise.  We are looking forward to the new flexibility offered by the component model of Zend Framework 3 as well as its middleware approach.” - Cédric Descoutures, Educational Manager, Web Development and e-Business, ESGI

About Zend Framework

Zend Framework provides a template with the most common business and enterprise application features, helping developers quickly create robust applications. Developers can work smarter and faster by leveraging this set of existing features without having to reinvent the wheel each time they create a new application.  Today, Zend Framework is used in some of the most popular PHP applications such as Magento, the market leading ecommerce application.

About Zend Technologies

Zend partners with businesses to rapidly deliver modern apps across mobile and cloud. Zend helped establish the PHP language, which today powers over 200 million applications and web sites. The company uniquely delivers a one-stop shop solution for developing, deploying and managing business-critical PHP applications. Zend continuous delivery is based on agile development, code protection, release automation, server management, consulting, training, and PHP certification. Zend solutions are deployed at more than 40,000 companies, including BNP Paribas, Best Buy, GE, Prada and other leading brands worldwide. Learn more at www.zend.com.