Being a major pure play open source technology player, CIGNEX has had significant engagement in the e-commerce space with numerous e-retail clients. One of the common questions the clients nowadays ask us is –
“Is it a good move to upgrade my store to Magento 1.9?”
This question has prompted us to develop a full-fledged blog for our esteemed e-commerce clients who still have this query in the back of their minds. Well, the answer to this query is
“Yes, an upgrade to Magento 1.9 will be most definitely preferable.”
Let’s do a deeper dive on some key aspects around this answer.
1. Do you actually need this upgrade?
From our perspective of continuously delivering value to our clients’ business, we say that it is critical to upgrade to future proof your ecommerce business. The new version tackles multiple security concerns of the older versions. It also provides a huge array of functionalities that can give your business the much needed relevance and competitive edge. Going from version 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 or 1.7, to 1.9 really expands the usability and efficiency of your e-commerce store.
2. What are these upgrades?
Every year Magento releases new updates to its technology which seeks to incorporate the rapid evolution in the business and tech landscape. This move aims to keep more than 217905 Magento stores worldwide to operate in context to changing times. These new changes are generally announced during the annual Magento Imagine event.
Version 1.9 brings about the following crucial updates –
- Responsive – The application now has built in responsive design functionality. This allows your site to look, feel and function consistently across desktops as well as smartphones and tablets.
- Better handling of currency – This one is especially valid for European clients who wish to enable cross border commerce and drive pricing consistency with changing currency. This consistency also factors in the tax liability and currency rates from different regions.
- Future ready - While Magento 1.5 used previous version of MySQL database, version 1.9 now supports MySQL 5.5 and 5.6. It also has enhanced compatibility with PHP 5.4. Additionally, it supports memcached PHP extension.
- User friendly – End customers can now select CoD or Bank Transfer as payment options upon checkout. They also get better service experience with upgraded security features built into 1.9.
- Many more – From 1.6 to 1.9, Magento has brought about some 550 updates, improvement and fixes involving stability and functionality.
As always, security has been key to upgrades at Magento. With the new round of security patches in 1.9, Magento not only closes its recent vulnerabilities, but also helps elevate customer purchase experience with a secure and stable buying platform. Here are some key security updates for 1.9
- Resolved XSS cross site scripting vulnerability
- Resolved issue of showing different order to a customer
- Removed the option to change currency in case of PayPal Website Payment Standards
- Removed all .swf files from setup and administration module to boost security
- Improved the security around action URLs in forms (contact details or payment details)
- Better integration with PayPal express checkout
- Resolved issue of USPS, DHL, FedEx and UPS shipping methods
3. Has this upgrade been proven to be successful?
CIGNEX has had the chance to upgrade to Magento 1.9 for many of its clients. Let’s look at the quantum of value this upgrade provided to the client with an interesting case study.
3a. Background – The client is a leading west coast distributor specializing in wire, components, cable, connectors, and installation solutions for audio, video, broadcast, and datacom professionals.
3b. Business Need – The client wanted us to execute Magento upgrade to version 1.9 and carry out merchandizer’s remapping for 3 key business outcomes
- Full responsive design support
- Enhanced visual appeal
- Better features and functionalities built into the store
The larger picture objective was to improve overall user experience.
3c. The version upgrade implemented the following important features into the store
- Support for more than 23,000 products across 900+ categories and 100+ manufacturers
- Maintained a page load time of 5 seconds
- Integrated modern day tech enhancements such as CSO Shipping, Google Translator, Magmi, in-house computer system & customer’s shipping accounts
- End to end Dealer Management
- Automated email and newsletter scheduling
3d. The advantages this move brought to the client business spanned –
- Superior reseller rating of 9.77 out of 10
- Improve credibility with Google trusted store
- Managed workflows for merchandisers and customers
These advantages were driven by accomplishing the larger picture goal of stepping up overall user experience.
Take your Magento store to an altogether new level of refreshing customer experience by utilising these new fixes and upgrades available with Magento 1.9. Connect with us at CIGNEX to know more about our e-commerce competencies using Magento.
