DO-CMS Community Edition

Major update of DO-CMS Community Edition that includes:

1. Clean URLs – Default support for SEO friendly URL’s.

2. Upgraded Newsletter Engine – Now includes reports and statistics on newsletters sent out (how many people read it, what links were clicked, etc…)

3. Integrated user’s manual – the User’s Manual can now be viewed from the CMS panel.

4. Contact Us Database – CMS Database of visitors who used the contact us page of the website.

5. Fixed some minor bugs and stability issues.

Download it now at http://sourceforge.net/projects/do-cms

DO-CMS Community Edition is the open source version of DO-CMS, EACOMM Corporation’s award-winning website content management system.

Below is a very simple and generic cache script for PHP web pages which you can copy-paste and use almost instantly in your website. What is does is store an instance of the dynamically generated web page as an HTML file and it then counter checks with a predefined time period that you set whether to display the cached instance or to dynamically generate the page again. The longer the time period between dynamic generation, the greater the savings in terms of CPU usage and database queries.

1. First create a folder in your hosting account where you’ll be housing the cached data. In this example the cache folder is located at http://www.yourdomain.com/cache

2. Next, copy-paste the script below at the start of the PHP page you want cached. We are assuming here that the dynamically generated page is utilizing the GET variable “id”, such as: http://www.yourdomain.com/index.php?id=XXXX:

<?php

ob_start(); //turn on output buffering for PHP

//check if variable id is present and is an integer, if not, redirect to homepage
if ($_GET['id']==”" or !is_numeric($_GET['id']))
{
header(”location:index.php”);
}
$id=$_GET['id'];

//absolute path to cache file. For simplicity the cached version of the page is saved as the ID number
$cachefile = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].”/cache/$id.html”;
//duration before the cache is refreshed in seconds. Setting below is for a 3 day cache. Change as you see fit.

$cachetime = 259200;

// Serve from the cache if it is younger than $cachetime

if (file_exists($cachefile) && (time() – $cachetime
< filemtime($cachefile)))
{

include($cachefile); //display the cache file

// if cache is display, exit the script
exit;

}

//if cache is not present or is too old, run the rest of the script……

//place a time stamp on the cache to easily check when a page was last cached…you can place this a meta variable in your HTML header i.e. <meta name=”date” content=”<?=$cachedate;?>”/>
$cachedate=date(”F d Y H:i:s”);

//THE REST OF YOUR PHP AND HTML CODE GOES HERE…………….

3. At the bottom of your PHP page, copy-paste the code below:
//define the cache file name
$cachefile = "cache/$id.html";
// open the cache file for writing
$fp = fopen($cachefile, 'w');
// save the contents of output buffer to the file
fwrite($fp, ob_get_contents());
// close the file
fclose($fp);
// Send the output to the browser
ob_end_flush();
?>

4. You’re done! Upload and update your PHP file.

To use, simply use the map controls to zoom and pan across the map of the Philippines to a specific area of interest. Clicking on a point in the Map will initialize Google Map’s reverse Geocoding facility and indicate the specific region as stored in Google’s database. Clicking the “Search for Property in this Area” link will pass on the Geocoded data to Google’s Custom Search to search for property in that area using some of the more popular property listing websites in the Philippines. Alternately you can just enter the specific area you are interested in as text in the search box provided (but that takes away the fun part!).

Note that we are looking to improve and offer more features in the near future so feel free to check back every now and then!

VISIT PHILIPPINE PROPERTY FINDER NOW!

• Reduced Downtime – By not being dependent on just one single computer, the risk of downtime is greatly reduced. For shared hosting, your website is hosted in a single server with a couple of hundred other websites and as such if that server goes down so does your website. By being hosted in a cluster, a single hardware failure will not mean your site will go down!
• Real-time  Scalability – One of the greatest advantages of a cluster-hosted website is the ability to scale resources in real-time. For example, if your blog/news website has some breaking news that goes viral, the Cluster Server will automatically provide the resources to ensure that your blog doesn’t crash due to the sudden increase in web traffic. On regular shared hosting environments, the massive increase of traffic will greatly slow your website or worse force your provider to shutdown your site so as not to affect their other clients residing on the same server as you.
• Cheaper than Dedicated Hosting – As you’re still sharing resources with other clients, cluster hosting is a lot more cost effective than dedicated hosting where you have full control of your own server. Cluster Server Hosting is a ‘middle ground’ from dirt-cheap shared hosting costing as less than Php 250.00/month and dedicated hosting that costs upwards of Php 5,000.00/month.

EACOMM offers managed grid-server hosting (meaning you don’t need to fiddle with any control panels or setups as we’ll do all the configuration for you and change them on your request) starting at just Php 880.00/month* with the following specifications:

• 20 GB 50GB of hosting space
• 500GB monthly bandwidth
• 50 email addresses
• 99.9% assured up-time
• Free domain name registration
• FTP/SSH Access
• Web-based e-mail
• Web-based database management
• LAMP/Ruby on Rails-ready
• CPU/Bandwidth Overcharge: Php 7.50 per excess GB or CPU-cycle at the end of the month
• Cluster Servers located in US-based Tier IV Data Centers
• Phone/Email Support from EACOMM Corporation

For more information email us at info@eacomm.com or give us a call at +63 2 438 2986

*Minimum subscription contract of one (1) year

Choosing a Web hosting provider is perhaps the most difficult task for the new webmaster. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of web hosting providers in the Internet and the sad truth is a vast majority of these are not very good.  Additionally, we all have different criteria on judging whether a host is good or not. Here are some questions to ask to help you make this very critical decision:

1.       Quality of Service/Uptime Commitments – Do you need your site to be 99.99% up? Or are a couple of days of downtime in a year perfectly ok? Hosts that provide up-time commitments are typically more expensive than those that do not.

2.       Technical Support – Do you expect/need phone support? Or are you happy with just e-mail support? Regardless of your preference, make sure your hosting provider gives a fast reply to any technical support request.  Response times of over 24 hours when your email is down is UNFORGIVEABLE, regardless of how cheap you’re paying your provider.

3.       Shared vs. Dedicated – Another critical question you need to ask yourself is whether you need a dedicated server space or you’re fine with shared hosting. Dedicated server essentially means you have a server all to yourself while shared server space means you share a server and its resources with several other clients of the company. For sites with heavy traffic, resource requirements or unique applications then a dedicated server would be more logical. However, sites getting only a few hundred visitors per day would usually do perfectly fine on a shared server.

4.       Company Reputation/Reviews – It is absolutely critical you research hard before settling for a web hosting provider. Ask friends their experience with their hosts, and google heavily for reviews and commentary on hosting providers you’re eyeing. Note that EVERY hosting provider has its good and bad points and it is really a question of what your own priorities are that will ultimately guide your decision. Luckily, sites such as  Web Hosting Choice provides a helpful start for those of you looking for a new web host.

EACOMM Corporation is offering for a limited time only,  Blog Hosting for just US$24 per year!

• Yourname.com (or .org, .net, .biz)
• 8 GB of  Web Space
• 8 Email Addresses
• Pre-installed with Wordpress Blog Engine
• FTP Access (ftp.yourdomain.com)

This hosting service is not only ideal for Blogs but for small information websites which can be updated with little to no knowledge of HTML!

Unique Web Page Layout for your Website/Blog

For a one-time fee of US$150.00 we will provide you with a Unique Layout for your Wordpress Blog/Website.

• Three (3) Layouts/themes will be presented to the client to choose from
• Inclusion of simple Flash banners/animation

For more information about this limited offer email info@eacomm.com or call +63 2 438 2986.

For a blast from the past, visit the Web Archive which has our last three website layouts on record (for some reason the very first site was never stored).

• Version 1 (2001) was pure HTML and only had less than 10 web pages.
• Version 2 “Classic Black” (2002-2003) featured a number of online forms developed in PHP and writing to MySQL database. However, the main site content remained mostly HTML-based with a some small flash animation elements. Version two also included our first efforts in Search Engine Optimization of the website.
• Version 3 “United Colors of EACOMM” (2003-2005) featured a lively intro page and heavily SEO’d content. Some content were already content managed during the latter part of this version’s existence. Version 3 was also the first site hosted outside of EACOMM’s in-house web server for increased accessibility from the US/Europe.
• Version 4 “The Tree House” (2005-2007) This website was the first EACOMM website to fully utilize DO-CMS for content management. It feature original artwork from Visual Artist Robert Deniega. Further additions to the site includes this Blog website, a Japanese Version of the Website and other division sub-sites.

Expect improvements and additions to the Current Website as we move forward through 2008 and beyond.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

EACOMM Corporation Web Team

In a seminar conducted last November 2004 held in Singapore and March 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, AJC benchmarks the development of the business and technical framework of ASEAN trade promotion organizations’ websites. Evolving from the usual information-based website, AJC is embarking on an ICT project which would turn ASEAN trade promotion organizations’ websites to transaction-based with the integration of new website features such as a Japanese-translated website, e-payment system, and a 3D virtual exhibition.

Website enhancement does not end virtually. Developments such as upgraded services and capabilities must be done to make the website eye-catching, information savvy, and convenient in response to clients’ needs and wants. One of which is putting up an online payment service common to transaction-based websites. This specialized feature allows users to do their payment at the convenience of their houses, offices, and wherever they are.

In line with the ICT project, EACOMM, with AJC funding, designed and developed the online payment facility for the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). This online payment facility will accommodate payments for trade exhibits, seminars and conferences. The CITEM e-Payment service is a hassle-free online payment facility that aims to give ease to exporter-manufacturers as they participate in CITEM events.

Mozcom, the official Internet service provider of CITEM, powers the e-payment system. The new e-payment service will launch CITEM as an online transactional trade promotion organization.

To learn more about this value-added service, CITEM will introduce e-payment at the Manila F.A.M.E. Merchandise Briefing to its participants at Exhibition Hall B, Philippine Trade and Training Center on September 18, 2006, 1:30 p.m. See more of its features as representatives from Mozcomm and EACOMM conduct an orientation.

Experience faster payment transactions that are accessible to clients online, in real time anywhere in the world!

Virtual showroom acts as marketing tool for over 2,800 SMEs

A virtual showroom of Filipino products and services, Catalog Online (COL) served as a marketing conduit for some 2,860 SMEs generating 456 local and foreign buyers for the first half of the year.

Catalog Online is a government-run website exclusive for clients of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), where buyers can access basic information on company profiles and exportable products.

COL features the country’s best in the food, gifts and holiday décor, home furnishings, industrial goods and services, IT- and IT-enabled services, organic, herbal and natural products, and wearable industries.

Meanwhile, COL’s e business twin, the CITEM Trade Opportunities Program (CTOP), is a year-round market-match service where registered company-exhibitors regularly receive a listing of interested buyers by e-mail.

In 2006, 1,440 exporters were referred to 149 inquiring buyers aside from 61 other company-, product- and service-related information inquiries under the program. The gifts, toys and houseware, furnishing and furniture, and fashion accessories sectors attracted 872 referrals, further strengthening the Philippines’ burgeoning reputation as a hub for design.

In addition, Catalog Online generated 119,306 search engine hits using Google’s new traffic report tool.

In the competitive marketing landscape of the Internet, “rankings” and “hits” play a huge part in a website’s search-engine success.

COL boasts a consistent showing in both departments.

The website is ranked number 1 when the keywords “Philippine”, “catalog” and “online” are typed on search engines such as Google and Yahoo!.

Under the common keywords “catalog” and “online”, the website still places fir1st out of 170,000,000 results. Meanwhile, when Internet visitors type in the other keywords such as “Philippine” and “products”, Catalog Online appears number 1 out of 1,080,000 match results in the webpages available in the Philippines and number 13 out of 2,120,000 in the entire worldwide web; and with “Philippine” and “exports”, Catalog Online still finds success placing 6th out of 1,020,000 results on the web.

Buying and selling

“Paradise Mango Rum is the first of its kind in the world. Catalog OnLine helps a lot in terms of promoting our product to foreign buyers interested in Filipino products especially those that are unique,” Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc. President Olivia Limpe–Aw beamed.

Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc., an exhibitor of CITEM-organized International Food Exhibit (IFEX), is the producer of 2003 Trendy-award winning Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur, the first of its kind in the world. The company has been exporting this Filipino product to Switzerland and China. Their unique spirit beverages have also been drawing interest from Canada and the United States.

Mr. Benny Y. Aw, Senior Vice President for International Sales of the company added: “CITEM’s Trade Opportunities Program, as a complement, has given us an opening to further widen our export market; we are currently negotiating with a US-based company. Because of COL and CTOP, Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur and Destileria Limtuaco & Co, Inc.’s products have gone a long way.”

Buying agent Raymond Calaranan, of Calaranan International Creative Group, Incorporated (CICG, Inc.), has been servicing gifts and houseware items from the Catalog Online. A valued client is Mr. Tokuyama who operates Jam Restaurant, an eatery cum souvenir shop in Japan.

“He is an avid fan of Filipino design, making it a point to visit the April edition of CITEM’s Manila F.A.M.E. International every year along with me,” he said. “Filipino-designed gifts and houseware make for good souvenirs abroad.”

The e-business twins COL and CTOP are managed by CITEM, the trade promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry.

*Catalog Online, CITEM E-payment, and the Catalog Online 3D Virtual Exhibit are all projects proudly designed and developed by EACOMM Corporation.