Interchange (software)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Interchange | |
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| Developed by | Interchange development group |
| Latest release | 5.6.0 / May 27, 2008 |
| Written in | Perl |
| OS | Cross-platform |
| Genre | Electronic commerce |
| License | GPL |
| Website | http://www.icdevgroup.org/ |
Interchange is an powerful and flexible e-commerce web application server and platform written in Perl.
It's primary use is building customized e-commerce and catalog solutions. It is the only real open source platform, as opposed to other solutions, which only offer boxed functionality.
It has a long and fruitful history. It is a descendant of Vend, an e-commerce system originally developed by Andrew Wilcox in early 1995. Mike Heins took the first publicly-released version, Vend 0.2, and added searching and DBM catalog storage to create MiniVend. Mike released MiniVend 0.2m7 on December 28, 1995. In 2000, ecommerce startup Akopia acquired Mike's consultancy, Internet Robotics, hired him, and merged its product, Tallyman, with MiniVend, to create Interchange. (Tallyman was a GPL'd web framework written in Perl and Embperl, backed by Oracle or PostgreSQL.)
In 2001, Akopia was acquired by Red Hat. Within a few years, Red Hat had tightened its focus on Enterprise Linux and ended its involvement with Interchange, which is now maintained by its community of developers, including ex-Akopia employees, most of whom still make a living doing Interchange development.
Sites using the Interchange platform include Backcountry.com, Musical Heritage Society, FragranceNet.com, and many small business sites.
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[edit] Commercial competing products
Commercial products perceived as competition to Interchange mainly include platforms like Intershop and Websphere. To date, Interchange remains the only open source project offering actual platform on which developers build their e-commerce solutions as opposed to boxed solutions which only utilize a simple interface through which users can change limited functions.
[edit] Events
Interchange appears at the LinuxTag event since 2007 bringing together users and developers and further strengthening the community. Many valuable e-commerce tips and general Interchange knowledge is exchanged at the event. Many core developers attend the event themselves.
[edit] Media appearance
- Akopia Offers B2B Open Source Solution, Product Coverage (Software Magazine, Oct 25, 2000)
- Interchange 4.8 version announced (Linux Magazine, Linux News, 2001)
- Red Hat Linux Named a 2001 Finalist by Network Computing for Well-Connected Award (Business Wire, May 14, 2001)
- Red Hat, Mandrake Offer New Linux Options (PC World, Thursday, October 25, 2001)
- Interchange: E-commerce op z'n best (Linux Magazine, Oktober 2002)
