CRE Loaded Shopping Cart v6.3 Released

[mandy]

After months of development to make the most robust and feature-rich open-source ecommerce system even better, Chain Reaction Ecommerce is proud to announce C.R.E. Loaded 6.3!

All Versions – Updated Server Requirements

    * Register Globals = OFF
      Effective with v6.3, C.R.E. Loaded no longer requires register_globals to be enabled on the hosting server. Note that this change does not apply to previous versions of C.R.E. Loaded.

    * Added support for PHP version 5.2.5 and MySQL version 5.x.

new features and enhancements in CRE Loaded 6.3 include the following (some features are limited to the Professional Edition – visit GetCRE.com/CRELoaded for more information):

Content Director

Content Director adds a powerful content management system to CRE Loaded 6.3, enabling store owners to dramatically improve the look and feel of their ecommerce storefront and content pages, and allowing store owners to add and manage rich content. The advanced page-management features in Content Director make it possible for users to build an entire Web store in one tool, with easy menus and full-search capabilities. Content Director also helps store owners to improve page rankings with integrated search engine optimization features.

SEO URL 4.1

The SEO URL feature of CRE Loaded 6.3 optimizes your URLs for improved indexing by all major search engines. SEO URL automatically places important keywords – derived from your category, product database and other content – directly into your URLs. Management of keywords at the URL level is a significant factor affecting the optimization and ranking of your pages within search engines.

One-Page Checkout

One-Page Checkout is one of the most-requested features from existing customers to be addressed in version 6.3. One-Page Checkout combines all checkout elements into a single-page, giving your customers added simplicity and ease-of-use – a factor also shown to significantly reduce shopping cart abandonment rates.

Abandoned Cart Recovery

The CRE Loaded Recover Abandoned Carts Module finds abandoned CRE Loaded shopping carts and creates a list of items and the customers who were shopping for them. You can generate automatic emails to abandons, asking them for feedback about why they didn’t complete the process, or offering them an incentive to complete the purchase and reminding them of the item(s) they didn’t purchase. Abandoned Cart Recovery includes a reporting feature to report on data, such as number of abandoned carts converted into sales.

RCI Expandion

Runtime Code Inclusion (RCI) allows custom modifications and additions to be used with the base program code, with less likelihood of the customizations being overwritten by future patches/updates to the CRE Loaded core code. In version 6.3 the RCI functionality is expanded further than ever before.... 

full list of changes: https://www.getcre.com/creloaded/store/p...CDpath=0_1&pID=212

[mandy]

A review of 6.3:

CRE Loaded version 6.3 is out, but small business owners, hold onto your hats. To the open source commerce industry, the most startling change in this open source e-commerce program will be its new pricing scheme: the Standard Edition is no longer free.

The new version includes an innovative price tag of a yearly licensing fee of $95 per domain name and $295 per domain name per year for the professional version. The annual fees will be enforced through a serial number that is valid for only 365 days. If the annual licensing fee is not paid, apparently the Web site will be locked although CEO Michael Valverde says "there is a seven-day grace period" on unpaid licensing fees before this happens. The 6.3 B2B version has not yet been released, and no pricing information was available at press time.

Store Look and Feel

The program is much more professional-looking than its predecessors. The default template no longer looks identical to osCommerce, but has a sleek and stark black and white template designed and contributed by AlgoZone.com...

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/news/news...hp/3767511

[WebGraphicsSource]

FYI I am now employed by Cre Loaded

The 6.3 Standard version has gone back to being free  ;D

See some posts from Sal here;
http://www.getcre.com/creshare/Forums/vi...24182.html
http://www.getcre.com/creshare/Forums/vi...tml#107442

[regic]

Full Install 1 domain 6.3 B2B $595

...must be a typo. :blinkie: 

Another typo :blinkie:

Annual renewal of patch and support for B2B after the first year is planned at $195

[WebGraphicsSource]

the site HAS NOT been updated, the new pricing plan was just released

it will be fixed by monday

[Nimitz1061]

Please note that as of this time, the developers of CRE Loaded continue to reserve the right to cut the store owner off from their admin whenever they want to based on a serialization scheme tied to one domain - flouting the GPL under which they "license" the software.

Not a recommendable solution unless you are VERY comfortable running your store using PhpMyAdmin or plan to purchase a full store management client from Magnetic One, Stone Edge or similar firm.

[WebGraphicsSource]

As Per Sal;

the serial is needed just too activate the domain admin once, then you will never be locked out of the admin, nor will it ever shut down your site

[mandy]

Ecommerce-Guide has an article on the turmoil surrounding the release of v6.3:

Can Iozzia Get the CRE Loaded Love Back?
[October 14, 2008] A series of significant policy changes — including charging for its open source e-commerce products — alienated the CRE Loaded community. Can re-instated founder Sal Iozzia put the company back on track?

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/news/news...hp/3777841