Press Release: For Immediate Release
CRE Loaded Turbo Charges File Distribution

December 28, 4:20 pm ET
Professionally Manage, Sell and Distribute Downloadable Files with FDMS
December 28, 2006 - Hudson, FL, USA - Chain Reaction Ecommerce, makers of the popular Open Source web store application CRE Loaded, announce the release of the File Distribution Management System (FDMS) an Add-on System for CRE Loaded designed to help storeowners professionally manage the sale and distribution of downloadable media files. This new system greatly expands upon the order-processing and file-tracking capabilities now available via the Download Controller and Attributes Management Page. "We kept getting requests from publishers and other software companies to have more power and flexibility with the delivery and tracking of downloads. And, as a software distributor ourselves, we were able to ask ourselves what we really wanted in a file distribution manager. Then we designed FDMS to do even more," explains CRE Loaded Founder and CTO, Salvatore Iozzia.

FDMS introduces a new object into your CRE Loaded 6.2 Ecommerce site: the File Item. Files are stored in a File Library and can be viewed and downloaded in their File Categories and File Detail pages. Requirements can be set on files such as login, product purchase, or to allow free/unrestricted downloads. Files can be attached to products to allow for automatic distribution of software drivers, user manuals, warranty data or any other pertinent Files. And, Files can be added to the File Library via FTP.

Customers have their own "My Downloads" page that summarizes all past and pending downloads from qualifying purchases. Admins can view ALL downloads by customer name or order number and see a more detailed Download Log for each individual file a customer downloads. FDMS also automatically associates File Icons with files (or you can manually set associations at any time), so that your customers can plainly see the type of file they are downloading: Word doc, executable, zip file, podcast, MP3, eBook, video, or any other file type.

FDMS and CRE Loaded 6.2 base applications work together seamlessly through Chain Reaction Ecommerce's latest innovation, Runtime Code Inclusion (RCI) . An RCI is simply a place on a page that runs code from files located in specific folders. Patch 09 introduces the RCIs to CRE Loaded 6.2 base applications wherever FDMS requires them. More RCIs will be added in future CRE Loaded releases to allow for additional modifications and user custom code.

Installing FDMS on a CRE Loaded 6.2 Patch 9 site is simple -- just FTP the files to your site and follow the easy-to-use web page installer. You can even add your own modifications in an RCI and a patch for the base application will never overwrite the code.

FDMS is the first of many planned Add-On Systems for the CRE Loaded Series of Ecommerce Applications. Chain Reaction Ecommerce already has many additions planned for the next FDMS release: B2B group-access integration, advanced reporting, file versioning, and much more! FDMS will be fully supported by the CRE Loaded development team who will maintain the code base with upgrades and regular patches.

About CRE Loaded

CRE Loaded is a complete online store that can be edited and managed in a standard web browser. The application resides on the server at the store owner's web host, but can be controlled online from any computer in the world. There are already over 200 ready-made templates available so users can customize the look and feel of their web store -- all from a standard web browser. CRE Loaded delivers a host of powerful features in one stable Open Source application. Building on the capabilities of the widely accepted osCommerce package, CRE Loaded takes good and makes it GREAT.

About Chain Reaction Ecommerce

Founded in 2002 in response to hosting customer demands, Chain Reaction Ecommerce began development on CRE Loaded. Constantly evolving to keep pace with the dynamic worldwide online marketplace, Chain Reaction Ecommerce has the commitment and resources to support its customers directly and via an active and healthy international community. An aggressive release schedule and numerous developing partnerships ensure users that Chain Reaction Ecommerce and CRE Loaded will remain at forefront of the online shopping marketplace well into the future.

Ordering Information

A special $300 prerelease offer goes live at creloaded.com Friday December 29 at 5:00 pm EST. The product will be available for download on January 10 at 12 noon EST at its standard price of $400.
This article was published on Wednesday 27 December, 2006.