OsCommerce

osCommerce, short for 'open source commerce', is a free program for online store management and eCommerce. It is still in the development stage, but its current release, the Milestone 2.2, is already in use in thousands of small online businesses. This article provides basic information on osCommerce, what it can do, and its key features and limitations.

A brief background

osCommerce started out in 2000 as “The Exchange Project,” a small open-source (free) software created by project founder Harald Ponce de Leon. It was introduced in Germany in 2000 and has since produced several upgrades. Today, it powers more than 12,000 webshops and is planning a major rewrite for its major release, the Milestone 3.0.

Major features

Cross-platform operation: osCommerce is a cross-platform program, which means it can operate in different computer systems such as PC and Macintosh. It also runs in most major operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS and Linux.

Web-based: osCommerce works on any web server that supports PHP, a dynamic web programming language and MySQL, a database management system.

Automatic installation and setup: osCommerce automatically installs on your web server. Users can easily set up the program with major payment gateways such as PayPal, iPayment and 2Checkout.com.

Unlimited entries: osCommerce users can put in an unlimited number of categories and products, making it ideal for expanding online businesses.

Shipping options: Users can ship items via major delivery companies, including United Parcel Service (UPS). You can also compute shipping charges by price, weight or destination, provide zonal shipping or offer free shipping options.

SSL security: Transactions over osCommerce can be protected by Secure Socket Layers (SSL), the primary encryption method used in online stores. This ensures that customers' credit card information remains confidential.

Drawbacks

osCommerce developers designed osCommerce as a simple program, offering only basic features to limit bugs and scripting errors. Users have brought up a number of minor issues, which can easily be resolved and do not interfere with the program's function. If you are using the Milestone 2.2, keep the following drawbacks in mind:

UPS is not recognised as a standard shipping service
There is limited security on downloadable products
Manual credit card transfers do not comply with PCI standards
The PSI module no longer works with the program
The image thumbnails are simply reduced versions of the full image, so large originals can take up bandwidth




	OsCommerce osCommerce, short for 'open source commerce', is a free program for online store management and eCommerce. It is still in the development stage, but its current release, the Milestone 2.2, is already in use in thousands of small online businesses. This article provides basic information on osCommerce, what it can do, and its key features and limitations. A brief background osCommerce started out in 2000 as “The Exchange Project,” a small open-source (free) software created by project founder Harald Ponce de Leon. It was introduced in Germany in 2000 and has since produced several upgrades. Today, it powers more than 12,000 webshops and is planning a major rewrite for its major release, the Milestone 3.0. Major features Cross-platform operation: osCommerce is a cross-platform program, which means it can operate in different computer systems such as PC and Macintosh. It also runs in most major operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Web-based: osCommerce works on any web server that supports PHP, a dynamic web programming language and MySQL, a database management system. Automatic installation and setup: osCommerce automatically installs on your web server. Users can easily set up the program with major payment gateways such as PayPal, iPayment and 2Checkout.com. Unlimited entries: osCommerce users can put in an unlimited number of categories and products, making it ideal for expanding online businesses. Shipping options: Users can ship items via major delivery companies, including United Parcel Service (UPS). You can also compute shipping charges by price, weight or destination, provide zonal shipping or offer free shipping options. SSL security: Transactions over osCommerce can be protected by Secure Socket Layers (SSL), the primary encryption method used in online stores. This ensures that customers' credit card information remains confidential. Drawbacks osCommerce developers designed osCommerce as a simple program, offering only basic features to limit bugs and scripting errors. Users have brought up a number of minor issues, which can easily be resolved and do not interfere with the program's function. If you are using the Milestone 2.2, keep the following drawbacks in mind: UPS is not recognised as a standard shipping service There is limited security on downloadable products Manual credit card transfers do not comply with PCI standards The PSI module no longer works with the program The image thumbnails are simply reduced versions of the full image, so large originals can take up bandwidth
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