Browse Category: New Features

Dive into Cloud Hosting with HostBill!

No matter what you think about cloud hosting – it’s here to stay. Whether it’s best invention since sliced bread or just marketing hype – you can (and you should!) make money out of it.

cloud_icon_1

Don’t know where to start? Start with a stable billing system + cloud platform that suits your pocket. Here are just a couple of ways on how to bring IaaS to your customers with minimum hassle, and most importantly with fully automated provisioning through HostBill:

Method 1: Have few more bucks to spend on hardware? Build your own cloud!

Consider OnApp – integration with HostBill includes Cloud, CDN, Load Balancers
Or try CloudStack – sell cloud/vps with rich end-client interface

Method 2: Little less money for hardware? How about Cloud VPS service?

HostBill provides feature-rich integration top VPS control panels like:
SolusVM
Citrix XenServer
Virtuozzo
VMware ESxi

Method 3: Just starting? Let other worry about hardware – time to resell cloud!

Number of VPS/Cloud hosting providers already offers HostBill modules, including:
Vps.net
Dediserve
RackSpace
Linode

Any control panel/platform is missing for you? Let us know – we can automate everything! 😉

HostBill 3.1.4 release – changes/improvements

It’s been a week – so time for another update from HostBill team!
Lets take a glimpse of today-released, all new, HostBill 3.1.4:

Further OnApp improvements

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

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

onapp_backup_convert

Backup Schedule
If you enable Schedules in related OnApp user roles your clients will see new option in their client area 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.
onapp_backup_schedule

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 a ticket opened by staff member
– Prevent customers from re-opening a ticket closed by staff member

Of course there is lot more in the 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. It’s been an amazing year for us, full of great integrations, major HostBill improvements and number of great new customers to work with.
See you in 2012!

Overview of new HostBill features

A lot has changed since the last post on this blog – our development yet again gained momentum and we’ve introduced a number of cool new features in HostBill. Lets take a quick tour of what’s new in HostBill:

Invoice templates

Everything is marketing – even invoices sent to customers. Make sure your invoices 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 the first and only, 100% Multilingual billing system! Each aspect can be translated to your customer’s native language – product names, email templates, registration fields, form elements, news, knowledgebase & much more! With easy to use translation tags you can generate a tag, that will be replaced with value in visitor language – simple as that! Learn more here

PowerDNS integration

PowerDNS is the 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 a fast and user-friendly way trough the billing system interface. Learn more about this integration at PowerDNS Feature page

OnApp module re-built

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

Direct Order Link plugin & few updates from HostBill dev team

What we’ve recently been up to? It’s been a while since the last post here, in case you haven’t noticed yet we’re posting updates and plugins more often on our second blog – extras.hostbillapp.com. So whats new in HostBill?

  1. HostBill 3.0 has been released few days ago, featuring major domain management updates
  2. We’ve introduced OnApp:LoadBalancers integration as the 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 already using HostBill you probably know that you can use Direct order link for services, so client can add product to the cart without selecting one from the list by visiting a certain URL. Now with Direct Order Links plugin you can do much more! How to use it:

– Log in as an administrator & activate Direct Order Link plugin

– While logged in, visit your client area -> 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!

Price: FREE Download
To install: Extract archive in your main HostBill directory and follow screencast guides to activate.
This plugin will be included with HostBill 3.1 by default

Support Tickets: Custom Fields

Backstory

Running hosting company support is critical. You need to decrease number of replies for customers to get problems solved.

You very often ask clients for:

  • root password for VPS
  • version of software they are running
  • upload the necessary files

This is why we have added new feature: Custom Fields. Your customers can immediately add additional information when new ticket is created.

Continue Reading

Version 2.2 coming up!

Stay tuned for next updates – version 2.2 will be released later today! What to expect from the new version? Major cPanel focus! Just take a look how your shared hosting client section might look like:

cpanel_new_client

What else to expect? Make sure to check “Extras” section on our website 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!

Next version preview pt.2 – CSV Export addon

The next version is coming up, and as I’ve just finished developing this I thought I’d share a screenshot of the new add-on that will be included with the new HostBill (1.4.6). CSV Exporter is a simple tool for everyone who wants to do accounting outside HostBill and who needs a set of data exported from it. Youʼll be able to export invoices, transactions, accounts, domains and client details to be used in any program that is compatible with CSV format.

csv_export