Open Linko » e-Commerce http://www.openlinko.com All about Open Source eCommerce and ERP software Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:20:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Should Open Source eCommerce projects stay on MySQL? http://www.openlinko.com/should-open-source-ecommerce-projects-stay-on-mysql/ http://www.openlinko.com/should-open-source-ecommerce-projects-stay-on-mysql/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:41:49 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://www.openlinko.com/?p=87 Decision soon to be made by the European Antitrust commission is key to MySQL future. Critics are already saying that the Oracle’s 10 pledges are not enough in terms of content and duration. If Oracle is allowed to go ahead with its bid to acquire Sun, fast growing eCommerce platforms like Magento or Prestashop will soon have to review their database strategy, and they may not have 5 years to do so.

Read Paul Meller’s (IDG News services) article for more details  Oracle’s pledges on MySQL are ‘purely cosmetic’, say critics

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/should-open-source-ecommerce-projects-stay-on-mysql/feed/ 1 Solid growth for eCommerce in Quebec http://www.openlinko.com/solid-growth-for-ecommerce-in-quebec/ http://www.openlinko.com/solid-growth-for-ecommerce-in-quebec/#comments Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:08:52 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://www.openlinko.com/?p=81 The CEFRIO,  has just published the last eCommerce index. Over one year, the number of eCommerce buyers has increased by 66% while eCommerce revenue has grown by 35% (reaching 233 million dollars). In november, 20% of Quebec adults have made a purchase on the Internet.

It seems that more and more local businesses realize how far behind they are and are considering eCommerce in their business development strategy. This wake-up call is good for the Quebec economy as last year, only 7% of Quebec businesses where offering their products online, living one third of the eCommerce market to US based companies.

Businesses should not rush implementing any eCommerce technology because simply placing a store online won’t bring buyers. At Linko Solutions,  we always include a solid Internet maketing strategy to any eCommerce project in order to also generate traffic to our customers’ store and increase their sales opportunities.

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/solid-growth-for-ecommerce-in-quebec/feed/ 1 Linko Solutions http://www.openlinko.com/linko-solutions/ http://www.openlinko.com/linko-solutions/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:34:25 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://linkosolutions.com/open-linko/?page_id=3 Here is some background on Linko Solutions, the editor of this blog:

Located in Montreal, Linko Solutions was created by a group of business consultants coming from the business solution industry (Enterprise Resource Planning – ERP, Web, eCommerce – online store, e-Marketing). It was founded on the observation that small and medium businesses have the same needs as large companies, and that these needs are not currently fulfilled by commercial solutions:

  • Typical “SMB” solutions lack key functionalities;
  • Prohibitive cost of acquisition, implementation, and support;
  • Lack of flexibility.

These constraints contribute to a poor automation level within Canadian small and medium businesses, limiting their efficiency and more importantly, preventing them from leveraging their core potentials – flexibility, agility, adaptableness, innovation – reducing their effectiveness and competitiveness.

Linko Solutions’ mission is to give Quebec’s small and medium businesses the ability to expand their market, increase their revenue and improve their operational efficiency by offering low cost Open Source platforms and associated services, allowing them to open new distribution channels and increase their visibility while optimizing their business processes.

For more information regarding Linko Solutions, visit our website

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/linko-solutions/feed/ 0 About http://www.openlinko.com/about-2/ http://www.openlinko.com/about-2/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:00:06 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/?page_id=2 This blog, scrutinizes the emergence of Open Source business applications, which offer a free alternative to proprietary and pricey ERP, CRM, or eCommerce software.

The vigour Open Source players are showing and the enthusiasm they create is really exiting and we are curious to see how the business model will evolve, how solutions will improve, and where the adoption rate is going.

It will be interesting to observe the community reaction to the recent increase in the number of Open Source companies that are migrating toward a “Commercial Open Source” business model.

Current Open Source software are currently not as capable as high-end applications like SAP or Oracle, but they are briskly closing in on Microsoft Dynamics series or SAP Business One. Where will they be tomorrow?

A growing number of big names (in Europe especially with La Poste or Whirpool) are turning to these solutions in order to reduce their operating costs. This move is attracting IT companies of significant size (SMILE – 350 employees dedicated to Open Source). Is it the turning point in the adoption of Open Source enterprise Management solutions? …A Suivre …

Finally, Quebec companies are under-equipped in terms of e-Commerce (7%) and ERP solutions. The main reasons are the entry cost and the lack of depth of solutions available to small and medium business. Will affordable Open Source solutions give them the opportunity to release their business potential?

This new blog will monitor the market and will try to come back with answers to these questions. We invite you to follow us

Christophe Douillard

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/about-2/feed/ 0 e-Commerce? http://www.openlinko.com/faut-il-investir-dans-le-commerce-electronique/ http://www.openlinko.com/faut-il-investir-dans-le-commerce-electronique/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:12:37 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/?p=10 Many companies are bombarded with menacing ads implying that investing in an e-Commerce site is the only way to avoid a sure business death.  Unfounded threat or reality?

Some answers can be found in eMarketer reports and the monthly e-Commerce index from CEFRIO (financed by the Ministère du développement économique et de l’innovation). While eMarketer is forecasting a 16.4 Billion dollars market in 2009 (a 6.5% increase over 2008), CEFRIO is measuring a solid growth in the number of cyber buyers and associated revenue in Quebec.

  • from July 2007 to August 2008, 15% of Quebec adults have been buying online for a total revenue of 3.2 Billion dollars.
  • During the first quarter of 2009, the number of cyber buyers has increased by 40% (47% in April) with a 18% growth in revenue.

Did you know that due to a lack of local offer, more than one third (1/3) of this revenue went to US based companies?

So, is it time for Quebec companies to expand their potential market?

Here is a list what will be needed if you decide to go for it:

  • Online shop – That’s the most obvious. What’s important here is to find THE platform that fits your needs.
  • Online payment – Taking online payments (credit cards, Debit cards, Paypal or Google Checkout, etc.) is essential nowadays. Without it, you are going to frustrate your potential customers and loose them to the competition.
  • Order Fulfillment and shipping – As soon as sales are in, you will have to pack and ship the goods. Are you ready to process dozens and possibly hundreds of orders per day?
  • Customer service – This is where a lot of e-Commerce businesses fail. A good customer experience requires quick processing of complaints, product returns, and support questions.
  • Promotion – Imperative because it is crucial to any e-Commerce site success. this part must be thoroughly taken care of in order to attract and retain cyber buyers.

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