Magento

As part of our Magento Connect spring cleanup, we’re introducing new subcategories for the Magento Themes category and assigning new categories to some extensions that have been miscategorized as themes.

To make it easier for merchants to find just the theme they need, we’re introducing 16 new subcategories (see complete list below). The new subcategories will also make it easier for developers to showcase their Magento themes and appeal to retailers in specific industries.

We assigned themes to what we thought were logical subcategories. But if you’re a Magento theme owner and you feel we’ve assigned your theme to the wrong subcategory, login to your Magento Account and change it!

New Theme Subcategories

Animals & Pets
Automotive & Cars
Books, Media, & Entertainment
Computers & Electronics
Consumer and Business Services
Fashion & Apparel
Food & Beverage
Gifts & General Merchandise
Health & Beauty
Holidays & Special Occasions
Home & Garden
Jewelry
Mobile
Sporting Goods
Styles & Colors
Toys & Baby Products

Adding subcategories to themes is part of our ongoing strategy to continually improve Magento Connect for our merchants, developers, and solution partners. Let us know your feedback as well as your suggestions!

Magento welcomes aheadWorks to the Industry Partner Program as a Platinum Partner. With over 100 high-grade extensions and themes used by more than 25,000 Magento merchants, and 40+ official partners in 100 countries, aheadWorks is one of our most active partners. aheadWorks is committed to serving Magento merchants with continued releases of easy-to-use modules for Magento Community, Enterprise and Go.

Artyom Rabzonov, the CEO at aheadWorks, states, ‘Platinum Partnership is much more than a shiny badge on the website. It acknowledges our expertise in Magento extensions and theme development.”

“We participate in many Magento events and are always ready to support the Magento ecosystem,” said Rabzonov.

Magento merchants are also welcome to take advantage of these aheadWorks services:

OnPulse (Magento mobile administration)

aheadCommerce (storefronts for tablets)

aheadMetrics (the ecommerce store analytics)

aheadWorks is a sponsor of 2013 Imagine eCommerce Conference. If you are going to be at Imagine you can meet the aheadWorks team in the Imagine Marketplace.

Imagine 2013 is right around the corner, and there isn't a better way to prepare than with #Preimagine. Magento and the Community have planned various events throughout Las Vegas during the few days leading up to Imagine. This is a chance to meet other Imagine attendees, and explore the M Resort and Las Vegas before Imagine begins.

Below is a complete list of #PreImagine events. Take a look at the Imagine agenda for more information on event times and locations.

Sunday, April 7th

Community Run--Join the Magento Community to run or walk the Rockin Rabbit 5k/Half Marathon! For more information and to register, please visit the race website.

#PreImagine Tweetup by the Pool--The Community is gathering together at the M Resort Daydream Pool for some sun and fun! RSVP to reserve your spot.

PreImagine Vegas City Tour with aheadWorks-- This is your chance to see all of Las Vegas' main attractions! There are a limited number of spots available; RSVP today!

Techies on the Strip 2!-- Relax and mingle with Imagine attendees at Madalay Bay's Eyecandy Soundlounge & Bar!

Corratech's PreImagine Kickoff Party-- Join Corratech for drinks, food, and surprises at the M Resort's Hostile Grape Wine Cellar! Space is limited; RSVP today to reserve your spot!

Monday, April 8th

Registration Refreshments sponsored by Olark-- Pick up your badge and some snacks, and meet some of the other Imagine attendees before the day's events kick-off!

Marketplace Grand Opening & Welcome to Imagine sponsored by Grand River-- Explore the marketplace and sponsor booths, and mingle with Imagine attendees, as well the the Magento team.

Developer BarCamp & Networking Event--BarCamp is divided into multiple tracks, each running a series of rapid-fire, short presentations and will feature community members as well as the Magento and X.commerce’s technical teams. Register today!

SEO with Magento by Magento U-- Learn how to configure your site to employ best practice tools and techniques for ensuring optimal interaction with search engine functions. Magento functionality, tools, and practices for optimization will be highlighted! Register today!

Follow @MagentoImagine on Twitter for more information on #PreImagine events and news!

Imagine Transportation

From April 8th through April 10th, we will be offering shuttle service from Green Valley Ranch, South Point Hotel, and Mandalay Bay to the M Resort. Check out the the shuttle schedule here!

We look forward to seeing you in Vegas!

As part of our commitment to build the world’s best eCommerce marketplace, we’re introducing new quality control requirements for extensions and cleaning up Magento Connect.

Here’s a look at the criteria (see table below) we used to evaluate extensions for Magento compatibility and popularity. Read our FAQs below to learn more about the clean up process, and how it might affect you as a developer.

The new requirements will make it easier for merchants to find and download up-to-date extensions, and will increase the overall value of the Magento Connect marketplace for both merchants and developers. But “cleaning up” Magento Connect means those extensions that don’t meet the new quality control requirements will be delisted (removed from Magento Connect) on April 3rd.

So what should you do if you feel your extensions might be affected? Nothing yet. You’ll be notified next week if your extension has been delisted. If your extension is delisted on April 3, 2013, you can resubmit your extension once you’ve had a chance to make the required updates.

Delisting Criteria

Extension Type	Reason for Delisting	Exception	Evaluation Time Frame
Magento CE extensions only	Extension is not compatible with Magento Community Edition v1.3 or higher	N/A	Early March 2013
Paid extensions (Magento CE and EE)	Paid extension has not had any referral traffic on Magento Connect for 6 consecutive months	Paid extensions uploaded on or after 08/01/2012	08/01/2012 to 01/31/2013
Free extensions (Magento CE and EE)	Free extension has been downloaded fewer than five times in 6 consecutive months	Free extensions uploaded on or after 09/01/2012	09/01/2012 to 02/28/2013

FAQs

Why is Magento delisting extensions?
We’re delisting extensions based on compatibility with recent versions of Magento, and frequency of download/referral. We believe this will improve the overall quality and discoverability for all extensions in the Magento Connect marketplace.

Which extensions will be delisted?

1. Extensions that are not compatible with Magento Community Edition version 1.3 or higher
2. Paid extensions (Magento Enterprise Edition and Magento Community Edition) that haven’t had any referral traffic from the “Get Extension” button on their Magento Connect listing for 6 consecutive months (Exception: Paid extensions uploaded on or after August 1, 2012 will not be affected).
3. Free extensions (Magento Enterprise Edition and Magento Community Edition) that have been downloaded fewer than five times in 6 consecutive months (Exception: Free extensions uploaded on or after September 1, 2012 will not be affected).

How many extensions will be delisted?
Approximately 20% of all Magento Connect extensions will be delisted.

Is this a one-time initiative?
Maintaining the high quality of extensions available through the Magento Connect marketplace is extremely important to us. We may undertake similar quality control measures in the future.

Is Magento delisting developers or extensions?
Only extensions will be delisted, not developers. A developer may have multiple extensions and only those extensions that fail to meet the new quality control requirements will be delisted.

Do the new requirements apply to both industry partner and developer extensions?
Yes. All extensions available through Magento Connect will be held to the new requirements.

I’m currently using an extension that has been delisted. Can I continue to use it?
Yes. Delisting an extension from Magento Connect won’t affect customers or their installations.

What happens to my listing on Magento Connect when my extension is delisted?
If your extension is delisted, your listing becomes inactive and will no longer be visible. However, your extension will still appear under My Extensions in your Magento Account.

How can I get my extensions relisted on Magento Connect?
If your extension is delisted, you may resubmit your extension to Magento Connect.

What happens to my Ratings and Reviews if my extension is delisted?
If you choose to resubmit your extension and it is accepted, your ratings and reviews will be reinstated.

04/01/2013 Update: The extensions that meet the delisting criteria will be removed on April 4th, 2013. Owners of the extensions that are impacted will be notified on April 4th, 2013.

04/01/2013 Update: We have received multiple questions around CE version compatibility criteria. Please note that Magento CE extensions should support either 1.3, OR any version higher than that. So if you are supporting a version higher than 1.3, you are fine and your extension won’t be delisted due to version compatibility criteria.

We are excited to announce the Imagine 2013 Breakout Session speakers and topics! The speakers were carefully chosen based on their expertise in the most crucial aspects of eCommerce. This year, we will have three different tracks: Technology Track, Strategic Marketing Track, and a Business Solution Track. No matter what your area of focus, there’s always something that will meet your needs. For a closer look at the speakers, please take a look at the Imagine 2013 Breakout Speaker page.

Technology Track

Learning To Fly: How Angry Birds Reached the Heights of Store Performance

Fabrizio Branca, Lead Magento Developer, AOE media Inc.

The Importance of Fully Managed Hosting for Magento Enterprise

Greg Strelzoff, Chief Executive Officer, Zerolag

Data Isolation and Merchandizing in a Single Magento Instance

Vitaliy Golomoziy, Architect, SME, Magento Anton Kaplya, Software Engineer, Magento

Host and Boast: Best Practices for Magento Hosting

Chris Wells, Chief Executive Officer, Nexcess

Happy Together: Creating Successful Magento ERP Integrations

David Alger, Chief Technology Officer/Lead Engineer, Classy Llama

Mobile First: Responsive Design for eCommerce (a follow up to the 2012 session)

Brendan Falkowski, Founder, Gravity Department

The Future of Magento Extensibility

Christopher O'Toole, Senior Software Engineer, Magento Engene Tulika, Software Engineer, Magento

Strategic Marketing Track

Traffic Jam: Going Beyond Search Engines

Moderator:	Josh Kaplan, Vice President of Business Development, True Action
Panelists:	Kyle Faino, Director, Marketing and eCommerce, Super Supplements Corey Frons, Chief Marketing Officer, Bulb America Ross Kramer, Chief Executive Officer, Listrak Tomer Tagrin, Chief Executive Officer, Yotpo

Responsiveness Design: Where, Why and How

Moderators:	Tonya Browning, Senior Design Director of User Experience, Magento Erin Tozour, Manager of Web Design, Magento
Panelists:	Doug Broadhurst, Marketing Manager, Scosche Industries Brendan Falkowski, Founder, Gravity Department Bob Meyer, Managing Director, Gorilla Group Jason Meugniot, President & Cheif Executive Officer, Guidance

The Search Continues: SEO/SEM Trends for 2013

Moderator:	Danny Essner, Head of Merchant and Partner Marketing, Magento
Panelists:	Michael Mothner, Chief Executive Officer, WPromote Seth Rand, Cheif Executive Officer, Rand Marketing Chris Hamze, Digital Strategist, Electric Pulp

"The Conversion Surgeon"

Chris Goward, Chief Executive Officer, Wider Funnel

Act Now: 10 Tips for Boosting Revenue

Moderator:	Ryan Thompson, Director of Partnerships, Magento
Panelists:	Uri Foox, President, Pixafy Ed Hoffman, Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development, SLI Systems Gregory Segall, President, One Pica Richard SextonPresident, Caroline Rustica

Brands to Beat: Brand Building in an Omni Channel World

Eric Yonge, Chief Executive Officer, Eystudios.com Don Davis, Editor-in-Chief, Internet Retailer

Business Solution Track

Growing Strong: How Start-Ups and SMBs Grow with Magento Enterprise

Moderator:	Michael Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, Corra
Panelists:	Ryan Bonifacino, Vice President of Digital Strategy, Alex and Ani Alex Cramner, Vice President, International Military Antiques Frank DiRocco, Associate Prodct Manager, Peer1 Hosting Darren Johnson, Director of eCommerce, Lovesac

The Consumerization of Corporate Commerce

Moderator:	Vincent Tran, Business Development, Magento
Panelists:	Luis Colon, Director R&D, CDS Global Nick Cron, Cheif Technology Officer, BuyerQuest Brad Martell, General Manager & Vice President, Zeon Solutions Misak Melikyan, Lead Engineer, M-Go

Enabling Commerce Everywhere

Moderator:	David Levy, eCommerce Strategist, Digital Evolution Group
Panelists:	Steven Berkovich, Director, Deloitte Jeremy Hanks, Founder & Cheif Executive Officer, DropShip Commerce Rhys Hayes, Chairman, IE Media Jonathan Klonsky, Founding Principle, Something Digital Micke Paqvalen, Chief Executive Officer, Kiosked Ltd.

Big Data: This Time It's Personal

Moderator:	Kevin Eichelberger, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Blue Acorn
Panelists:	Jim Davidson, Manager of Marketing Research, Bronto Software Tim Domke, Head of Big Data, eBay Inc. Jodie Ellis, Director of Marketing, Optimizely Jeff Lawrence, Chief Executive Officer, Granify Inc. Mike Wodtke, Director of eCommerce, Blu Dot

Magento - Your Passport to Global Growth

Moderator:	Jordan Weinstein,Director of Business Development, Channel Advisor
Panelists:	Kian Gould, Chief Executive Officer, AOE Media Inc. Clint Reid, President, iGlobal Stores Claudio Rivabene, New Technology, eCommerce Platform & Infrastructure Manager, QVC Mitch Robins, Senior Systems Engineer, Rackspace

It’s Time to Automate Magento’s Payment Fraud Prevention Capabilities: Ground Breaking Technologies and Best Practices

Greg Wooten, Chief Executive Officer, SecureBuy, a SignatureLink, Inc. company

As you join hundreds of successful merchants, Magento partners, and energetic developers at Imagine 2013 in less than 3 weeks, take the opportunity to get the training you need to ensure your success with Magento.

The Magento U team is offering two classroom courses for Imagine attendees on April 11 & 12. Whether you’re a business owner looking to better manage your online store or an advanced developer looking to hone your expertise, join us immediately after the conference to learn from Magento experts.

Check out the classes being offered here. Only a limited number of seats are available, so reserve your spot now!

About Magento U:

Magento U helps eCommerce professionals – merchants, developers, designers, and systems integrators – get the tools, expertise, and best practices they need to maximize the value of their Magento deployments. Courses are designed by a team of Magento experts and professional instructors, and combine both lecture and lab exercises to increase learning and retention.

Peter Millar knows classic, American-style men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. When the company planned its new Magento Enterprise site design, they knew their target demographic was moving toward a multi-device shopping experience. The new site’s design needed to react accordingly.

They chose Magento Gold Solution Partner Gorilla Group to implement the broad flexibility of Magento Enterprise, resulting in an enhanced user experience and a design that more accurately reflected their luxury brand status.

One of the highlights of the new site is the responsive design framework, which enables the company to present “intentional experiences” tailored to site visitors across desktop, tablet and mobile devices. For customers who want the full brick-and-mortar experience, an interactive store locator was implemented to help them find local retail partners.

With average order value up more than 20% across mobile and desktop channels and mobile visits up 140%, Peter Millar’s elegant new site is ready to embrace every style of consumer shopping.

View customer success story

Thousands of companies – including many of the world’s biggest brands – are using Magento Enterprise to grow their online businesses. Wondering how Magento Enterprise can help your business?

Have a Magento success story you’d like to share? Contact success@magento.com.

Get the training you need to customize and create extensions for Magento’s one-page checkout and continue building skills and expertise in this conversion-critical area.

Sign up for Checkout II: Onepage Checkout and learn how to trace the flow of steps and data during checkout, as well as customize select functions. This two-hour, on-demand e-learning course covers:

• Checkout Steps Overview
• Converters Concept
• Steps Processing
• Checkout Type Models
• Login
• Billing/Shipping Addresses

Sign up before the end of March and we’ll give you a coupon good for $50 off one of the other courses in the Checkout Series: Checkout I: Shopping Cart and Price Calculations; or Checkout III: Shipping; or Checkout IV: Payments.