As with any software, Content Management Systems need to be routinely updated and maintained so that the software has the newest features, bugs fixed, and security holes patched. With Drupal being open-source software, the community involved with the CMS is regularly working on improving the features, fixing problems, and patching any issues that may come up. Because of this, you really want someone keeping your site up to date. Without this being done regularly, you open up your site to attacks, hacks, and more.
Knowing which updates to run and what compatibility issues you may run into can be a lot for the average site admin. However, because I administer a large number of sites, I've already tested those updates and know what issues you may run into or steps to be taken before updates.
By utilizing someone knowledgeable about these updates, not only can the updates be handled faster and easier, you don't have the huge risk of breaking your site by running the wrong update. I also run these updates on a copy of your site first to help catch any unforeseen issues.
During site maintenance, I will run all updates within the current branch on Drupal and its third-party modules found at drupal.org. For instance, if your site is running Drupal 7,updates for Drupal and third-party modules (from drupal.org) that are within the 7.x branch would be run. If your site is running Drupal 9, updates for Drupal and third-party modules (from drupal.org) that are within the 9.x branch would be run. Going from one branch to other, such as from 7.x to 9.x, is covered separately from monthly maintenance, as this is a major upgrade.
Custom themes and modules will not be updated as part of this package as they are unique to your site and will take additional testing time.
I have three packages available to help keep maintenance costs steady each month. Many sites fall into one of these categories. A custom package can also be created for you.
Small Sites
This package includes three hours per month of updates, which is adequate for a small site with few add-on modules. Pricing starts at $75/mo.
Medium Sites
This package includes six hours per month of updates, which is adequate for a moderate sized site. Pricing starts at $150/mo.
Large Sites
This package includes ten hours per month of updates, which is adequate for a moderate sized site. If your site takes longer than this to update for two months in a row, a custom package will need to be created to account for the hours being used to update your site. Pricing starts at $300/mo.
If you'd like a quote on maintenance services for your site, please click here.