Further OnApp improvements

Our already great integration with OnApp Cloud just get better! Your client will now have access to new backup-related features, including:

Backup->Template conversion
If you offer cloud/vps backup space, you can now add them ability to convert their backups into re-usable OS Templates from HostBill interface with just few mouse-cliks – simple as that!

Backup Schedule
If you enable Schedules in related OnApp user roles your clients will see new option in their clientarea interface – Schedule Backup. With this option your customers will be able to manage their automated backup schedules, allowing them to create daily/weekly/monthly/yearly backups.

New ticket department permissions

Now you can use additional settings in your Ticket departments including:
- Allowing staff member to reply using email
- Prevent customers from closing ticket opened by staff member
- Prevent customers from re-open ticket closed by staff member

Of course there is lot more in new version For full list of changes/fixes go to hostbillapp.com/changelog/

I’d like to take the opportunity and wish our valued customers and friends Happy Holidays and a New Year from HostBill team. Its been amazing year for us, full of great integrations, major HostBill improvements and number of great new customers to work with.
See you in 2012!

Invoice templates

Everything is marketing – even invoices sent to customers. Make sure your invoices will stand out! With new HostBill feature – invoice templates – customizing your HTML & PDF invoices sent from HostBill is really simple! Just use built-in editor to create your own, professional looking invoice, and impress your customers! No programming skills & file edits required! Learn more here

Translation tags

Now HostBill is first and only, 100% Multilingual billing system! Each aspect can be translated to your customer native language – product names, email templates, registration fields, form elements, news, knowledgebase & much more! With easy to use translation tags you can generate tag, that will be replaced with value in visitor language – simple as that! Learn more here

PowerDNS integration

PowerDNS is best Open Source solution for Managed DNS hosting available. Now with our feature-rich integration you can give your clients ability to manage their DNS records in fast and user-friendly way trough billing system interface. Learn more about this integration at PowerDNS Feature page

OnApp module re-built

Our integration with OnApp is already known as best-one available, we’ve decided to make it even better by introducing fresh clientarea template & set of brand new features. Make sure to check our OnApp feature page to learn more about recent improvements.

1. HostBill 3.0 has been released few days ago, featuring major domain management updates
2. We’ve introduced OnApp:LoadBalancers integration as only billing system on the market!
3. Security has been significantly improved + we’ve added built-in security manager
4. Languages are no longer kept in database, you can easily manage them through Admin: Language manager
5. I could go on like this for a long time…

…but why not develop something now? OK!

Introducing: Direct Order Link Plugin

If you’re using HostBill already you probably know that you can use Direct order link for services, so client can add product to cart without selecting one from list by visiting certain URL. Now with Direct Order Links plugin you can do much more! How to use it:

- Log in as administrator & activate Direct Order Link plugin

- While logged in, visit your clientarea->cart

- select product, configure it the way you want (add addons, set forms elements, set values, billing cycles, discounts etc.)

- click on Generate Now

- you will receive direct order link that will contain your current cart configuration – send it to customer for rapid checkout process!

See how it works:

We’ve been working recently on DevKits, documentation and examples so you can integrate virtually anything with HostBill now!

Whats possible?

- Hosting/App/Provisioning modules

- Connecting forms with provisioning modules

- Payment Gateways

- Plugins

- Using API

- Domain Registrars

- Custom Product Types (work in progress)

Stay tuned for next updates – I’m off  trying to hook up coffee machine API with HostBill

Kris

Problem:
When creating billing plan using API its not possible to create machine as client, as OnApp throws HTTP500 + bad response error.

Solution:
We’ve created patch for OnApp Full-Featured module 2.1. To apply it please download your copy of module again from our clientarea, and extract archive contents
in main HostBill directory.

Patch drawbacks:
This patch hard-codes clients’ cpu-shares to unlimited (its not setting cpu-shares limit in OnApp), and for new machines created from HostBill clientarea it sets cpu-share to 1, despite of slider settings.

Please note:
This is temporary patch, once OnApp will fix this bug with next RC/Stable version we will upload regular version of module with working CPU-Shares limit.

Tax(VAT) Exceptions

If you’re selling goods or services to company with registered VAT EU number you should not charge tax (A reverse charge). With HostBill you can turn on tax exceptions for such customers – and most importantly – HostBill can do it automatically for you!

Watch how easy is to configure HostBill to do so:

Sequential Invoice Numeration and Pro-Forma invoices

In most EU countries paid invoices are required to have consistent, sequential numeration, unpaid invoices can be treated as Pro-Forma invoices. You don’t need to edit any files in HostBill to fulfill those rules, or have second accounting software for invoices. With two mouse-clicks you can turn on Pro-Forma invoicing and sequential paid invoices numeration – its that simple!

See mentioned two clicks configuration:

Click on image below to open video.

In this video you’ll be able to see how easy is to start selling SSL Certificates from Enom using HostBill – all certificates can be automatically configured and ready to sell with your reseller prices under 40 seconds!

What else to expect? Mmake sure to check http://extras.hostbillapp.com/ as using it we will inform you about new contributions for HostBill – there are just dozens of tasks in hosting industry that we’re going to automate with HostBill! Make sure to subscribe for future updates.

Don’t waste time and check out what’s its all about:

Quick Tour: http://hostbillapp.com/2/index2.1.html

Release Info: http://forum.hostbillapp.com/showthread.php?t=554

Order Now: http://hostbillapp.com/order/

What to expect from new version:
- New great looking one-step comparison order page – preview
- Servers/Apps groups and automatic load based server assignment
- Clientarea improvements – allow clients adding funds
- ProRata billing
- Further adminarea improvements
- Improved ticket departments management
- Further improvements in email templates + inline email edition
- …and much more!