Miva Merchant has recently released the newest version of their popular online shopping cart software, Production Release 7, also known as “Wombat.” This latest version can be downloaded by anyone utilizing with a Miva Merchant 5.5 license via the Streaming Update feature. WebNet Hosting, a Premier Partner Miva Host since 2004, offers both new and existing clients a free upgrade to the newest version of Miva from old versions, site transfers from previous hosts and a free Miva license (a $995 value!) when a new account is opened.
If you are the operator of an online business and not yet taking advantage of Miva Web Hosting then now is the perfect time to transfer. With the new “Wombat,” Miva Merchant is now officially a PCI PA-DSS (Payment Card Industry, Payment Application - Data Security Standard) certified shopping cart application. The deadline for PCI Compliance is very rapidly approaching and all e-commerce sites must comply with the DSS guidelines by July 1st, 2010. If an e-commerce website processes and stores credit card transactions and/or other private information then they must utilize PCI Compliant Hosting and all payment applications must adhere to the PA-DSS.
Non-compliance with the rules established by the PCI causes websites to risk increased merchant fees and penalties, termination of merchant accounts, costly fines and even being completely shutdown. Many shopping carts and e-commerce hosting applications are not compliant with the new DSS, especially carts that are considered “open-source” and lack the funds to go through the certification process. This is bad news for those operating e-commerce websites that use shopping carts that are not certified. The risks of non-compliance, highlighted above, are a very really threat to the livelihood of online storeowners. If your site is not compliant with the new DSS because you are using a shopping cart that is not certified, then now is the perfect time to transfer. July 1st is very rapidly approaching and your business could be severely and detrimentally impacted due to non-compliance.
Other features of the new Miva Merchant “Wombat” include:
· Advanced order processing tools
· Innovative inventory management
· Updated, user-friendly CSS interface
· Dynamic pricing
· Ability to take phone orders from the admin panel
· Improved SEO capabilities
The new CSS UI is beneficial for the e-commerce operator in many ways. It increases functionality of websites by truly separating a site’s content, code and physical appearance. This new feature allows users to change the visual elements of their website without modifying the way in which it functions, which decreases the chance of a site breaking and not performing to its best ability. With the new UI, a better site and administrative layout is created providing users with a modern looking and functioning site without any costly or time consuming development.
The cutting-edge, new Miva Merchant Wombat truly takes the online store to the next level. With this release, Miva Merchant solidifies itself as the leader in customizable online shopping cart software.
