1. The Era of Composable Commerce: Modularity instead of Monolith
Open-Source-Enterprise-Software is currently enjoying steadily growing popularity. An increasing number of companies worldwide are recognizing the advantages and increasingly integrating open-source software solutions into their business processes and workflows. The decisive reason for this trend lies in the impressive flexibility of such software products: The modular architecture of such systems is particularly sought after because it offers extensive expansion and customization options. This enables companies to dynamically adapt their IT systems to changing business requirements. In addition, this flexibility facilitates the replacement of rigid and often inflexible monolithic online shop systems. Modularity not only stands for adaptability but also for a sustainable and efficient use of technical resources, optimizing business processes and facilitating the integration of future innovations.
2. The Challenge of Traditional Open Source Projects
Traditional open-source initiatives often arise from the commitment and passion of individuals or smaller developer groups who have taken on the challenge of solving a specific technical or societal problem. These projects are often the result of community collaboration and innovation, with developers investing their time and knowledge voluntarily and without direct commercial interest. Although these projects can offer remarkable solutions, they often face limitations in usage. In particular, in many cases, they are not suitable for use in large companies and complex enterprise environments. This is often because such projects were originally not designed with the aim of providing highly scalable and robustly integrated solutions that meet the diverse requirements of businesses.
When open-source projects are subjected to in-depth analysis, it often becomes apparent that they can flourish up to a certain level of development before reaching a point where a fundamental redesign of their underlying architecture becomes necessary. This necessary redesign arises from the need to meet increased demands for scalability, performance, and reliability posed by a growing user base and more complex deployment scenarios. A project that once began as an agile and cost-effective solution may therefore lose momentum through these adaptations. This means that considerable financial resources, especially in the form of labor costs for programming and implementing new systems, are required to successfully navigate this transformation. For organizations and companies seeking a consistently stable and ready-for-use solution without taking on the risks and uncertainties of comprehensive restructuring, however, an alternative is available.
3. Smartstore: A Pioneer in Enterprise Open Source
SmartStore AG was founded in 1999 from the system house XternData.de established in 1995 in Dortmund. The goal was to become a global e-commerce company based on open source. Although a planned IPO in 2001 was abandoned, Smartstore has remained true to the open-source principle from the beginning. From mid-2010, the topic of Enterprise Open Source was firmly anchored in the company's DNA. The core team of engineers still bears full responsibility for the development of Smartstore today.
4. The Definition of "Enterprise OS"
It is crucial to distinguish between the enterprise open-source model supported by a provider and other open-source projects when selecting software for your company. Smartstore Enterprise OS is specifically tested and hardened for enterprise use. To belong to "Enterprise OS", products must meet the following criteria:
- Comprehensive Testing and Performance: The products must be thoroughly tested, performance-adapted, and proactively checked for security vulnerabilities.
- Security and Lifecycle: A security team and appropriate tools are necessary to respond to emerging security vulnerabilities, inform users, and provide assistance in resolving issues.
- Guaranteed Quality: If you are left to deal with quality and security issues on your own, it is not "Enterprise OS".
- Predictable Lifecycle: "Enterprise OS" always provides a predictable lifecycle, which is defined a priori and contains component information that may have different release cycles.
5. Technology and Target Audience
"Smartstore Enterprise OS" is designed for larger, internationally operating brands and trade companies. The platform can be understood as a Commerce Framework. The platform enables your company to optimize and scale in parallel with business requirements. It offers scalability and flexibility in areas such as orders, users, catalog, and functions.
- Individual Customization: The edition allows you to quickly map individual requirements such as Order Management, Business Intelligence, Marketplace, CRM, ERP, or PIM without having to touch the actual core of the software.
- Technology Integration: The mix of "Smartstore Enterprise OS" and Microsoft Visual Studio in conjunction with the Microsoft Azure Cloud opens up unprecedented opportunities for companies.
6. Enterprise Support and Cost Structure
"Smartstore Enterprise OS" is open-source but not free. This edition includes everything created around Smartstore. Another
distinguishing feature is the provided Service Level Agreements (SLA) and support. The best certification is of no use if no 24/7 support
is provided in case of problems.
The enterprise services include:
- Implementation Partners: Implementation partners are available who provide support and SLAs. These define what is supported and how quickly the customer can expect a response and assistance.
- Response Guarantee: In addition to the source code, customers enjoy a 7/24 response guarantee, with Enterprise Support guaranteeing the handling of the support request within a maximum of 2 hours.
- Personal Support: A personal contact, including direct dial and individual support, are available.
- Legal Security: From the Enterprise Commerce Edition, customers benefit from full warranty and liability.
Additionally, materials and recommendations are issued to help customers with the provisioning and management of software, such as documentation, knowledge base articles, and forums.
Conclusion
The concept of "Smartstore Enterprise OS" differs from traditional open source like a custom-built, high-load transport aircraft from a freely available blueprint for a hobby glider. Both utilize open principles, but the Smartstore aircraft is industrially hardened, maintained by a professional maintenance team, and comes with a guaranteed insurance policy (SLA), ensuring that the greatest challenges in global trade can be reliably met.
For more blog posts about "Smartstore Enterprise" check here.
https://smartstore.com/en/enterprise-edition
For more information on "Smartstore Enterprise" and "Smartstore Enterprise OS", see here.
Cloud-Native Platform – no
more hosting stress with Cloud Commerce made by Smartstore
https://smartstore.com/en/cloud-native-platform-no-hosting-stress-with-cloud-commerce-made-by-smartstore
Hosting
Smartstore in a Web Farm
https://smartstore.com/en/plug-in-hosting-smartstore-in-a-web-farm-with-redis
Smartstore ETL, your autopilot for Data
Warehousing according to ISO 9001
https://smartstore.com/en/smartstore-etl-your-autopilot-for-data-warehousing-according-to-iso-9001
With Smartstore in the
Cloud
https://smartstore.com/en/smartstore-in-the-cloud
Artificial Intelligence in
E-Commerce
https://smartstore.com/en/artificial-intelligence-in-e-commerce
Smartstore and the
Orchestration, Provision, Management and Scaling of Containers
https://smartstore.com/en/smartstore-and-the-orchestration-deployment-management-and-scaling-of-containers
Smartstore and Microsoft Power BI enable Shop Statistics at the Highest Level
https://smartstore.com/en/smartstore-and-microsoft-power-bi-provide-shop-statistics-on-the-highest-level
Do you have questions about this topic? Or would you like to send us your feedback? Then you can reach us via the contact form, by email at info@smartstore.com or by phone from Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4 pm at the number +4923153350.