Jump to content

The future of IPS?


Guest The Clash

Recommended Posts

Posted

With Nexus seeming to be the main focus, as well as IPB 3.0, some discussion I've heard about them is leaning toward the fact that IPS is changing focus to more business-oriented clients rather than the small website owner who just needs shared hosting, or a forum to run...Are these rumors true, or will IPS just be expanding to business customers as well as maintaining the hobbyist-type customers?

  • Management
Posted

Current and future products will simply be shaped to be more adaptable to their respective user. As a mere loose example with IPB, many of our enterprise customers don't want their users to use the PM system. They can presently skin it out, but the underlying base for the system remains. In future versions, things will become more modular and the PM system, calendar, etc. can be completely removed. On the other side, our hobbyist users want more features. We'll be able to accommodate that with core changes in future versions of IPB without adversely impacting performance and appearance for those who don't want such features.

Scalability is key for the future. :)

Posted

I dont know what is happening, but I highly doubt IPS will 'abandon' the people that helped get IPS where it is today :)


No offense to anyone, but none of us expected what happened with 2.0 either...

Current and future products will simply be shaped to be more adaptable to their respective user. As a mere loose example with IPB, many of our enterprise customers don't want their users to use the PM system. They can presently skin it out, but the underlying base for the system remains. In future versions, things will become more modular and the PM system, calendar, etc. can be completely removed. On the other side, our hobbyist users want more features. We'll be able to accommodate that with core changes in future versions of IPB without adversely impacting performance and appearance for those who don't want such features.



Scalability is key for the future. :)


...Then again, for the most part, it did turn out for the better. Good to hear that everyone will be happy. :)
Posted

I would hope that IPS keeps its current image. Affordable software for individuals & corporate software. Possibly having software that is extremely flexible as Lindy has explained.

Such as an IPB Basic version, IPB Advanced version, and a IPB Corporate version. Each customized to fit each things. Such as Advanced version and Corporate versions have the ability to take out plugins such as calenders while the Basic version doesn't have any of those features but could be purchased.

Just a thought.

Posted



Such as an IPB Basic version, IPB Advanced version, and a IPB Corporate version. Each customized to fit each things. Such as Advanced version and Corporate versions have the ability to take out plugins such as calenders while the Basic version doesn't have any of those features but could be purchased.



Just a thought.


I'd rather what Lindy was saying...A modular version of IPB, like Nexus is turning out to be - all of the features for the same price, but optional via the ACP....Not something like Microsoft did with the 5 versions of Vista.
Posted

I'd rather what Lindy was saying...A modular version of IPB, like Nexus is turning out to be - all of the features for the same price, but optional via the ACP....Not something like Microsoft did with the 5 versions of Vista.



I agree, letting people pick and choose what they want on top of the core is the way forward. Nexus illustrates this perfectly.
Posted

I agree, letting people pick and choose what they want on top of the core is the way forward. Nexus illustrates this perfectly.



I think judgement should be reserved on that quote until Nexus is actually released and see how its users rate it.
Posted

Current and future products will simply be shaped to be more adaptable to their respective user. As a mere loose example with IPB, many of our enterprise customers don't want their users to use the PM system. They can presently skin it out, but the underlying base for the system remains. In future versions, things will become more modular and the PM system, calendar, etc. can be completely removed. On the other side, our hobbyist users want more features. We'll be able to accommodate that with core changes in future versions of IPB without adversely impacting performance and appearance for those who don't want such features.



Scalability is key for the future. :)


How about if there is a Home version of your products, that have more personal features, and a professional version that is for enterprise uses :)
Posted

I can't think of anything worst, to turn IP.Board into Vista.... with five different versions for each user.... urgh.

From what I understood of what Lindy said, I didn't see that payment of modules would be introduced. I saw it as, the ability to fully turn basic modules (calender, pm system.... etc) off, removing them from use.

IMO, I love IP.Nexus, the administration and ability behind it; and if tabs were introduced replacing the current tabs in the IP.Board ACP, I would see it as a great improvement.

:)

  • Management
Posted

How about if there is a Home version of your products, that have more personal features, and a professional version that is for enterprise uses :)



Different home users have different needs as do enterprise users, so it would be difficult to simply create IPB "editions." I can tell you that moving forward, there will of course be different options available for different types of users. As a standard disclaimer, we're certainly not going to strip out the PM system, calendar, or anything else and begin offering them for sale as separate components, nor are we going to begin charging for individual features. It is likely, however, that you will see more add-on modules/applications become available with the next generation of IP.Board.

To develop advanced modules and features within the software (I have no off-hand examples), requires significant ongoing development and support resources. Some companies choose to pass these costs along to the customer by way of an across-the-board price increase that everyone pays, or some choose to offer them as options. We prefer the latter as not everyone may need or want the expanded functionality and thus, should not have to incur the cost. Similar to purchasing a car -- if you don't feel a navigation system is necessary for your vehicle, you shouldn't have to pay for it.

We'll have a lot of information available as we progress. As of right now, there are other priorities such as Nexus, IPSBeyond, introduction of new hosting services, etc. Stay tuned to the company blog. :)
Posted

I definatly like the way Nexus components / addons appear to work. I think IPB would benefit from it greatly in the future! I do like IPS a lot and can not wait to see what else they keep coming up with.

Posted

Is there anywhere I can read about this? :unsure:



Stay tuned to the company blog.


As Lindy said, they will post updates and discussion in their blog, or in the News forum. :)
Posted

The current design of Nexus is wonderful. If it needs some fine tuning, it'll get it. But as it stands, IP.Nexus's interface is so much better than IPB's right now. That's why I wish that IPS would make IPB a component of Nexus.... The Nexus business product could be used for personal use just as much as IPB can be used for business.

I saw a comment about IP.Nexus not working with javascript disabled... Well with the current design it's hard to make it work. Nowadays it's hard to find a browser that doesn't support Javascript. The most trouble you'd really have is with a mobile phone.. And with the iPhone using a complete browser, the competition isn't going to stay far behind (Opera).

Posted

I think judgement should be reserved on that quote until Nexus is actually released and see how its users rate it.



Maybe you have not noticed that beta 1 has been out for over a week and we have been using it all that time.
Posted

I saw a comment about IP.Nexus not working with javascript disabled... Well with the current design it's hard to make it work. Nowadays it's hard to find a browser that doesn't support Javascript. The most trouble you'd really have is with a mobile phone.. And with the iPhone using a complete browser, the competition isn't going to stay far behind (Opera).



I'm not too worried about Opera, but I fear our biggest challenge there is getting Microsoft to update Pocket IE for the first time in years.
Posted

I'm not too worried about Opera, but I fear our biggest challenge there is getting Microsoft to update Pocket IE for the first time in years.



Well you see that's the thing - the "mobile version" of IE is not a full browser. It's designed to be a mobile browser, much like the mobile Opera is. What I meant before is with the iPhone having a full browser on a mobile device, it's going to drive the competition into putting a full browser onto theirs. And with most companies like Nokia, Motorola, and Samsug having their own "mobile os" (not counting Windows Mobile devices), the only way they'll get a full browser like Apple has is if they contract something with Opera. With the "windows mobile" devices, it is very unlikely that they'll be able to fit the current version of IE onto a mobile device. It just isn't designed to be compact, especially with it's reliance on DirectX. It will happen eventually though, but not before IE gets another work over.. And by then other companies will have already beat Microsoft to it using Opera... Unless Microsoft puts millions of dollars into it in a rush, which they like to do... And we all know what happens when they rush things. Infact, they don't always have to be in a rush for things to go so horribly wrong.

Point being... Mobile devices are the only devices with limited browser capability, accept for the iPhone. There should be no reason for a browser not to have java script enabled on a computer. And with "mobi web" or "wap" going down the pipes, that limited capability isn't going to last in phones either.
Posted

The real issue is that Opera Mobile is a pretty terrible option for a lot of people - since they charge $25USD for it. As if.



Again... I didn't say "opera mobile" I said "opera". A company that already has experience with mobile devices like Opera would be most likely be the next ones to have a FULL browser on a mobile device. And you wouldn't be paying for it, the mobile companies would. There is no way in hell that Nokia, Samsung, or Motorola is going to make their own "full browser". It would make sense that they would apeal to opera. The reason why it's $25 USD is because it doesn't actually come with these devices. It's something you have to get separately.

Also, Opera and Mozilla are the only mainstream cross-platform compatible browsers on the market. Mobile devices hasn't really been Mozilla's focus.
Posted

Also, Opera and Mozilla are the only mainstream cross-platform compatible browsers on the market.



According to most stats, Webkit-based browsers ( Safari mainly ) have a far ( 4%~ ) bigger market share than Opera. Webkit is open source and cross platform ( Safari on Windows, KHTML powers Konqueror and is in the process of being re-merged with/into Webkit ).

Also don't forget that the iPhone isn't the only Webkit based mobile browser. Nokia are using it on a number of their phones now, and i'm certain there are others.

Mobile devices hasn't really been Mozilla's focus.



It hasn't been in the past, but it certainly is now. They've committed to releasing a mobile version of Firefox as soon as they can, likely in the Firefox 4 timeframe.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...