version confuision V8

[cdicken]

What advanced deployment funtionality is not in Business Multisite then

Design | Deploy Site Snapshot - which gives the ability to pass a snapshot to a client with various features automatically enabled/disabled.

[marke]

So is there anything I can do with Actinic designer that I can't do with business multisite?

[pinbrook]

So is there anything I can do with Actinic designer that I can't do with business multisite?

create a theme

and deploy site snapsot as mentioned by Chris above

[RuralWeb]

There is the option of white branded software ie as a design company you can put your comany details on the box rather than having Actinic all over it.

[cdicken]

So is there anything I can do with Actinic designer that I can't do with business multisite?

Business Multisite allows you to set up and manage multiple sites - and process the orders from them. It is basically the same as Actinic Developer was in v7. Actinic Designer allows you to set up multiple sites - but not manage the orders. You will be able to test the order processing functionality, but not actually process real orders.

[RuralWeb]

Just ordered my copy of Designer and talking to sales realised that I had not understood fully what has happened on the Designer side.

Designer - allows you to create sites and deploy them (v7 developer)

Client - Replaces Order Manager BUT now includes the ability to manage the products. This is fantastic news as it will dramatically reduce the costs involved in designing a site. To get this with V7 you needed to buy Catalog at £450 but Client is only £200 - a huge saving.

Well done Actinic.

I hope Ive got it right Im sure someone will correct me if not

[cdicken]

Yep. Basically the way it works that with Designer (v8) you can create as many sites as you want, but you will not be able to take live orders on the sites using Designer.

To handover the site to a client, you give them a copy of Catalog Client or Business Client and then import the snapshot into it. These Client versions have all the features of Catalog and Business, but there is no 'Design' menu or 'Design' tab.

You can also disable the Client versions to make them work just like Order Manager if you really want to.

[pinbrook]

Designer - allows you to create sites and deploy them (v7 developer)

without the ability to do any order management. Therefore ideal for designers who do not manage client sites.

And for the odd control freak (designer) it means that clients can't mess up the perfectly designed site with their own ugly hacks!

I have also bought designer (well V7 developer lite at the mo) - I had been constantly asked over the past 2 years why i didn't have developer.

I didn't have developer because it

a costs a fortune
b offer no extra design functionality
c clients still had to buy a full product.

Designer gets around all of this...

[jont]

Chris - what split do you anticipate between Designer / Client versions?

[RuralWeb]

I didn't have developer because it

a costs a fortune
b offer no extra design functionality
c clients still had to buy a full product.

Me either for exactly the same reasons.

I dont really have a problem with clients not being able to get at the design - I find most of them are busy enough running a B&M business without getting into redesigning thier website. I think if one did want this it would be no problem to give them the full version of the software but the Client does give us a fighting chance against the competition most of which is free.

[cdicken]

Chris - what split do you anticipate between Designer / Client versions?

Sorry John - I don't understand the question. Customers cannot buy 'Client' versions 'off the shelf' from Actinic - they can only get them via people who are using Designer.

[Duncan Rounding]

I'm unfortunately further confused with your reply Chris. Does that mean that people with Designer will be reselling Client? Does Designer deploy a complete install and then the customer will just need a Client license?

[cdicken]

That's right.

People using Designer will purchase Client licenses from Actinic. They will then pass these Client licenses onto their customers, for them to run their Actinic sites on.

[pinbrook]

does this mean that clients using "client" will be able to update the also bought, bestsellers etc?

will stock control also work ?

This new set of software combo presumably takes care of previous issues where we had order processing and design split over 2 locations

[cdicken]

Client versions are identiacal to the full versions, except that they don't have a 'Design' tab or a 'Design' menu - so yes, your clients will be able to manage stock, best sellers etc.