What’s Up with Upgrades?
Or why should I bother?
While acknowledging that there may be re-learning to do and that there may be some inconvenience and/or fee involved in the process, software updates are VERY GOOD THINGS. In addition to new features, upgrades address security vulnerabilities and fix bugs that have been reported. Should you decide not to upgrade software on your site, and then have problems that need our help, our first step will usually be to bring you up to the latest version of the software.
Even update-phobics have become used to the idea of downloading the latest version of the browser or word processing software or operating system they use. It is generally very easy to do and the software itself tells you when an upgrade is available. In fact, in many cases, you can turn on automated updates. This is particularly true with Firefox, Chrome, QuickBooks, and Microsoft Office products.
There are two upgrades that we have been talking about. The first is WordPress. Many of you have sites built on or including WordPress. The latest version has a really nice feature. It has an “upgrade now” button that will let you do your own upgrade when future versions are released. This is convenient, easy, and it gives you the power to perform the upgrade yourself if you are comfortable with following directions and being sure that the files are backed up before pushing that “upgrade” button. You will also benefit from security vulnerability patches included in the upgraded code. WordPress is very widely used, which makes it a tempting target for hackers. Keeping your site on the current version helps protect you.
The other upgrade we have spent a lot of time publicizing is PDG Software’s PDG Commerce. Current users of PDG Shopping Cart can upgrade to PDG Commerce Pro Edition. Current users of PDG Commerce version 4 can upgrade to PDG Commerce version 5 (unlimited edition). This upgrade is crucial for anyone who takes credit cards online. By July 2010 anyone taking credit cards online will need to be using PA-DSS (Payment Application Data Security Standard) certified software. PDG Commerce is the first such certified application recommended for new installations. Read more about this on our site.
Summer Upgrade Special
We will upgrade your installation of WordPress to the latest version for a flat fee of $65.
PDG Commerce
If you host with HTN and if you have HTN do the Commerce version 5 upgrade, when you upgrade, we will give you a $100 credit on hosting.
If you don’t host with HTN, this might be a great reason to change. You will also almost certainly get better performance for your site with HTN hosting than with your current host.
Call us (866-HENS-NET) or email us (support@hens-teeth.net) to discuss your needs and to schedule your upgrade.
Customer Site News
Jordyn’s Closet is the first HTN customer to upgrade to PDG Commerce version 5. We congratulate Ron Wikso on his decision to upgrade sooner rather than later. The site is in the process of changing templates to take advantage of some of the new features of version 5, including multiple images per product.
HTN recently launched Artists First Music. This site specializes in matching companies seeking music for a commercial or a film or similar needs with tracks from a variety of artists. The magic added to the mix is Richard Feldman’s personal knowledge of the bands and his ability to categorize and retrieve music for particular purposes.
Vitality Unlimited Spa is freshly redesigned. It is based on a WordPress installation and incorporates PDG Shopping Cart. Enjoy the restful feel of this site. Should you be able to take advantage of being in the Saint Louis area, book a massage. Should you not be in the Saint Louis area, you might take advantage of some of their many shippable products to enhance your well-being.