Magento is comparatively new open source web application. It was first launched on 31st march 2008. While building the different components of Zend Framework, Magento was created as an ecommerce web application by Varien.

The version 1.1.7 was licensed under the Academic Free License version. It is also available in 3.0-version under the Open Software License. The paid version of Magento was launched in 15th April 2009. It provides service agreement with its developer Varien.

Magento Features

Magento has the following standard features:

  • Site Management: This allows the user the ability to share information through a common administration panel to multiple websites. Magento is also available in user friendly multi-lingual support and localization. A company can access the data easily and different companies can use the system because it supports multiple currencies. Other features in site management include:
  • Web Services
  • Flexible tax rate management
  • 100% customizable design
  • One-Click Upgrades
  • Content Managemen
  • Magento is also mobile optimized configuration and has flexible coupons and pricing tools for marketing promotion. It has the ability to restrict few of the stores and customer groups.
  • Apart from the above benefits, through Magento one can also catalog the different pricing options, landing campaigns, shopping cart, cross sell pages and RSS feeds for the new products.Search Engine Optimization: Magento is friendlier to SEO and it gives full control to the user to rewrite the URLs and store the information through different meta-tag information system. A user can also auto generate the site map and the popular search term on the page.
  • Check out features in the Magento include:
  • Checkout of One-Page
  • Support for SSL security
  • Maintaining shipping addresses
  • Account/Guest Checkout
  • Shopping Cart estimates
  • Accepting donation messages
  • Saved Shopping Carts with configurable expiration time
  • Shipping feature include:
  • Account rates of UPS, UPS XML, Account rates FedEx, USPS and DHL
  • Maintaining the shipping addresses
  • Tracking onsite orders from customer accounts
  • Maintaining multiple shipments against every order
  • Specify the destination according to the countries n every method
  • Shipping flat rate per order
  • Shipping flat rate per item
  • Free shipping facilities
  • Offering table rates for destination and weights
  • Offering table rates for destination and subtotals for products
  • Offering table rates for destination and items

Payment Options

Magento is an e-commerce interface which can be configured to charge and authorize to create invoices as well as can be integrated along with different kinds of PayPal gateways such as PayPal PayFlow Pro, Website Payments Standard and others. Although Magento can be integrated with a lot of other devices, it is also compatible with Google Checkout.

Order Management

As far as order management is concerned, Magento can be used to view, create, edit as well as fulfill orders from the admin panel. It can also help create multiple invoices, shipments and credit memos to allow split fulfillment. It can also help in packing slips and print invoices.