RBS Change 4 : first interview on the future version of the e-commerce open source CMS

25/09/2013
RBS Change logo

Introduction of web services, responsive design ... In addition to expanding its technical compatibility, Version 4 RBS Change is characterised by enhanced flexibility and interactivity of the platform, both in terms of internal features of e-commerce strategy.

The following interview with Eric Voltzenlogel, pre-sales consultant at RBS Change, and Franck Stauffer, Product Manager, focuses on what is new with the latest version (which should be out sometime in November).

Why did you choose to replace the house network with the Zend framework?
We primarily chose Zend because it is a newer technology and because of its scope, furthermore, the editor is PHP. This solution has provided us with a stable base for us to bring our own added value to the CMS e-commerce side of things.

Does the support of the Nginx server in version 4 allow you to open yourself to a wider audience?
This new feature is essential for our aim of allowing our e-merchant customers the freedom to choose their solution web server, each with its specific characteristics and advantages. Nginx, in particular, meet the requirements of high traffic.

RBS Change 4 site

The current back-office is XUL technology, which makes it only compatible with Firefox. Has the new version been redesigned so that it is compatible with the most used browsers in the market?
Yes, the new back-office is based on technologies which are compliant to web standards: HTML5, Javascript and CSS3 as well as the Angular JS framework developed by Google. This will allow it to run on major browsers, thus in addition to Firefox, Internet Explorer version 9 and later Chrome and Safari. The back office will also be available on a touch screen.

Has the architecture of RBS Change changed in this new version?
Our architecture is based on the pattern Model-View-Controller (MVC), the new feature lies in the fact that the platform becomes more interconnected through its construction around web services. These Web services enable the exchange of data between RBS Change 4 and third-party applications, as well as the administration of these data via these web services.
Version 4 also introduces a logic of "events", which allows the platform to be customised at will by adding code.

RBS Change 4 page

On the technical side of things, how will e-merchants’ clients using the previous version upgrade?
We plan to provide our partners and e-merchant clients with tools to transfer their data to the new version.
We will also establish a compatibility environment enabling the conservation of non-critical data in the previous version, 3.6, which will be sent to version 4.
Finally, we will support our partners and customers in the specific developments required to transfer that cannot be done automatically.
Version 3.6 will be maintained until at least the end of 2015.

What's new for IT administrators and contributors? Is special training necessary to get to grips with the new interface?
Certainly, the appearance of the back-office has changed but it is pleasant and simple, clean, and therefore quite readable. The use is still based identically on the previous version such as drag/drop concepts, and so publishing content is intuitive.
Note that the new interface mixes the features of an e-commerce solution, a traditional CMS and social networking (CSR). In particular, it includes collaborative features. Thus, it is possible to contact another user asking him to perform a task (translate, process an order ...).
To help administrators and contributors to grasp this new interface, RBS offers online training sessions.

RBS Change 4 produits
RBS Change 4 produit

What are the significant features introduced in this new version in relation to e-commerce strategies?
In terms of features tailored to the strategies of e-tailers, RBS Change 4 is built around three pillars: the declination on mobile devices, cross-channel and international expansion.
In terms of adapting to new mobile devices (especially tablets), it will be easy, with version 4, to create responsive sites. Moreover, the deployment of merchant offers on these terminals via websites or specifically designed applications will be available through web services.
Regarding the features of cross-channel deployment, version 4 should be more effective and more flexible than its predecessors.
As for the deployment and international development, RBS Change 4 allows more flexibility in strategy aims. The platform adapts itself to the needs of the e-merchant, as it has different strategies (and different administrators) depending on the region or how the user prefers to adapt its offering while maintaining the same platform. Version 4 will include a more flexible tax management and specific billing address formats to different countries.

RBS Change 4 taxes

RBS Change 4 will include the Bootstrap CSS framework to facilitate the implementation of responsive design sites. Why did you choose this approach, unlike your competitor Magento, which focuses on sites dedicated to mobile devices?
We chose to meet the requirements of responsive design because it is important to be able to offer a simplified version of the e-commerce site on mobile.
This allows more flexibility vis-à-vis end customers, and it is also an approach favored by many web agencies and e-merchant clients. In addition, this mechanism has advantages for internal contributors, who can enter content from a single interface and from different terminals.

Are you considering remodeling your price offer for the the pay part of your offer for businesses?
Yes, we are finalising our new pricing model, which will be easier for the end user as well as the integrator. The pay offer will be made more readable by the establishment of packs specifically designed to meet the needs of our customers, while the offer open source will be enriched.

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