Enabling Technology
The revolutionary features are in large part due to the enabling technology selected by the development team, making them one clean package.
Clean means that the design and the logic of the site are kept strictly separate, allowing the store owner to extensively customize the store and yet do a one-click or auto-update without losing any of the site customizations.
Magento was developed using an architecture called Model View Controller or "MVC" which keeps the design and the logic of the site separate by use of an intermediate component called the "Controller." Changes to the design (or "View") do not affect the data or logic (or "Model"); likewise, the data or logic can be reorganized without affecting the design.
MVC is implemented by web template systems as a "View for Web" component. This is made possible by the use of a software framework, which is a reusable design much like an object-oriented software library. By use of a framework, the Magento developers were freed to spend more time concentrating on business-specific problems rather than on basic structural issues such as how to control navigation between pages.
The framework used by the development team is called Zend Framework, an open source, object-oriented Web application implemented in PHP 5 which requires PHP 5.1.4 or PHP5.2. Zend Framework (or "ZF") was released in June of 2007. Many ZF components require PHP extensions, which many Web hosts do not have implemented. Some early beta users complained that use of the framework caused excessive code bloat and slow page load times.
What this Technology Means to the Online Business Owner:
- There are no limits on how a store owner's site appears. He or she can place elements, or " blocks" wherever desired, and the site will still function the same.
- The store owner can create different landing pages for different visitors. For example, target first-time customers with special promotions, but returning customers will see recommended products.
- There can be different product pages for different types of products. For example, an electronics section can be full of technical information, and the retail clothing section can be loaded with photos.
- The store owner can upgrade Magento with the click of a button or through the "auto-update" feature without losing any of the customizations that have been done to the store.
- Drastically reduced development costs and time, allowing the store owner to concentrate on growing the online business.
Magento Installation
Installation of Magento can be more difficult than other open source programs, because the Web host server requirements are very narrow, and many open source commerce Web hosts have not yet had a demand for this configuration. Because of this, the Magento team offers a professional installation for store owners who prefer not to attempt this rather technical exercise.
A few Web hosts offer free installation and/or installation guides for their hosting customers, including crucialwebhost.com, nexcess.net and hosting4magento.com. Crucial Web Host is a member of the Magento Partner Program.
Magento Partner Program
The program launched with highly-structured partner program with four levels of partner ranging from $350 to $3,500 per year. Partners receive sales orientation training, webinars, dedicated partner forums, a partner portal, and sales lead priority varying with the partnership level. Partners also receive varying levels of marketing resources ranging from a logo to display on their Web site, to joint marketing activities and discounts on event sponsoring.
Future Horizons
How can a private company develop, and then give away free as open source, a program with so many expensive features? It is unabashedly capitalistic in its plans to use the open source version as a loss leader and make money in virtually every other way: for-sale versions, installation, training, its partner program, and more. Rubin may be right: this program just may be the one that changes the industry.
Kerry Watson is a regular contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com, as well as a consultant and author of 10 books in the OSC industry. Her Web sites are osCommerce-Resources.com and osCommerceManuals.com.
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