We are thrilled with the response to the latest generation of our community platform, IPS4 and hope you have been following the exciting progress and enhancements with IPS4.1.
I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight IPS’ Community in the Cloud service. IPS provides hosted/cloud service to thousands of communities and because we built the software and we limit our service exclusively to our software, we’re able to tailor and optimize our environment specifically for our products. This leads to an efficient, well supported, turnkey solution with a one-stop provider. There’s no waiting as you ask your host to review error logs, make potential configuration changes, repair database tables because a server was improperly shut down or the database ran out of room to expand or update outdated software to comply with the latest requirements. In the unlikely event you have an issue with your community and we don’t already know about it, we will have all of the tools and access required to take care of it with minimal, if any inconvenience to you.
If you’ve previously considered our CiC packages but have hesitated due to disk space constraints, we’re pleased to announce that we have made significant enhancements to our offerings, including doubling the storage capacity on most packages. Whether you’re an existing or prospective client, please take a few minutes to review our offerings on our website.
Here are a few of our more Frequently Asked Questions regarding our CiC service:
Do I have to pay for each application separately?
On all but our Standard 25 package, all IPS applications are included. Starting at $30/mo., you get nearly $500 worth of software wrapped up in a turnkey cloud-based solution.
What happens if I exceed my “online visitor” allotment?
Online visitors are determined based on the number of people simultaneously active on your community within a 15 minute window. This is not a hard limit, so if you are on, for example, the Super 65 package and you have 100 online visitors for an hour, there will be no change or overage. If, however, your average online visitor count exceeds the package amount for several days consistently within a billing cycle, you would be automatically upgraded to the next package. You can then downgrade after the next billing cycle if your activity levels have decreased.
Can I install modifications and themes?
Yes! You may install virtually all applications, plugins and themes from the IPS Marketplace.
I’m already an IPS self-hosted client, can I move to your CiC service?
We’re asked this daily and the answer is, absolutely. In fact, we will move your entire community to our CiC service at no charge to you and will work to make the transition as smooth as possible for you and your users. We can then deactivate your self-hosted license so you’re no longer paying renewals and should you decide to make use of it in the future, it will be as simple as reactivating.
What happens if I want to leave the CiC service and self-host?
That doesn’t happen often, but your data is just that - yours. We do not charge you to provide a copy of your database and attachments upon request. You would need to purchase a self-hosted license to obtain the files that power the community in a self-hosted environment.
Can I use my own domain name?
Yes. Initially, you will need to choose an IPS provided subdomain (eg. my community.invisionzone.com) - after your community is activated, we can switch it to your own domain.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact sales@invisionpower.com with any questions.
No matter how you choose to use IPS4, we appreciate your business!