Kartris v1.0017b is to be released 2nd February 2010.
The fundamentals of Kartris are now sound and with the first live site now well bedded in, Kartris is ready to roll out to a wider audience. We've kept the 'beta' designation as we've added several major new features. So although the core is very stable and sound, these new features might still have a little tweaking in the next couple of releases.
First up is QuickBooks accounts integration. This is done via the QBWC (QuickBooks Web Connector), a free piece of software available from the QuickBooks web site, and a special web service built into Kartris. UK, US and Canadian versions of QB down to 2005 are supported. At present, discounts and coupons are still not supported. But most other elements of an order are. When configured and hooked up, QBWC can import new orders into your accounts as sales receipts, creating new customers if necessary too.
The other major new features are both support-related. These mirror features we've used successfully on our own CactuShop web site for many years - a knowledgebase and a support ticket system. The knowledgebase is a searchable repositry for specialized information; especially useful if you sell highly technical products, or frequently get asked certain technical questions about certain products. The ticket system is a web-based system for managing customer contact in a much more regulated and organized way than email. We expect it to be useful not just for those selling technical products, but also for sites that wish to organize 'returns' of items under warranty, or even ask sales related questions.
Further information about all the features is available in the new updated Kartris user guide on our web site.
The new Kartris data tool has also passed successful tests internally and should be released very soon. With the Kartris code stable and the tools to upgrade data now tested, Kartris is fully ready as a solution for upgrading any CactuShop web site. We can provide a quote on upgrading sites to gain the benefits of the new features and SEO improvements, or you or your developer can download the free tools and work on the upgrade process yourself.