Update Jan 14, 2019: After a minor hiccup in our schedule, we are moving ahead with our server upgrade beginning on January 15th at 2 AM Eastern Time. The upgrade should conclude by 10 AM. During this time, some sites may be temporarily offline as we transition to the new servers. We expect this move to be fairly quick and smooth, with as little interruption as possible. After the migration is complete, we will release another update in the next day or so to enable SSL on PhotoBiz 8 sites. Thank you for your patience as we roll out these critical updates! We will provide more information via email once these updates have completed with instructions on what to do next.
Lots of new things are coming in 2019! The PhotoBiz crew has been working hard to bring you all kinds of treats and upgrades in the new year. Right now, we’re busy making sure everything is perfect and right as we prepare to roll out all the goodies. Here’s what’s coming up soon!
Universal SSL Security For PhotoBiz 8
Our new SSL Security System will ensure that every page on your domain is encrypted to the highest level. This will allow SSL certificates to be active across your entire website automatically once enabled. (Learn more about SSL here!)
We are planning to have SSL automatic security available by January 15th. SSL will be available for PhotoBiz 8 at the click of a button, and the security will be immediate and permanent.
SSL security is very complex, and there are many parts and pieces that must come together for it to function seamlessly on the fly as you work on your site. The security must be able to work on every version of every browser and ensure that no one can break into it. We are working carefully to account for all of the details and make sure that universal security is released without any hiccups. The last thing we want is to overlook something and have there be problems on your website! Implementing universal SSL Security across all different kinds of domains while also making it automatic, easy to use, and available at no extra charge is no small feat.
Currently, all of our development efforts are focused on delivering high-quality SSL, and we are in the last phases of testing. As we get closer to our planned release date of January 15th, you’ll learn exactly how to turn on SSL and how to move to PhotoBiz 8 if you have not done so already. We will be happy to waive any one-time fees associated with upgrading to PhotoBiz 8 so that you can take advantage of the new SSL security at no extra charge. If you have questions or want to talk about how moving to PhotoBiz 8 will impact your website, call us at 866-463-7620! We are here Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 8 PM to help.
State of the Art Server Upgrade
In preparation for SSL, we are also moving to the latest server technology with super fast speed. The new servers will enable us to develop new features more rapidly, be more browser aware, and build more client aware functions.
This is probably the kind of improvement that sounds boring but is actually extremely exciting.
With this upgrade, we’re getting a heckuva lot more capability. It will ensure that your website will display everywhere always and adapt seamlessly to your clients’ needs. If you go on Ellen tomorrow and your site gets 75 million hits overnight, your site will be able to handle it no problem! But on a more practical level, we’re future-proofing your website and our business so we can offer more service, speed, scalability, deliverability, and stability.
Updated: This upgrade is planned for January 15th, 2019.
There will be some website downtime for us to migrate the applications, information, everyone’s site data, and control panel to the new environment. We are planning this migration to begin in the early hours of the morning on January 15th, and to finish by 10 am. This means that at some point your site will be offline, but it will be short and your website will be back online as quickly as possible. We have months of planning behind this upgrade and all of our experts are available to make sure it is smooth and fast.
Summary of Important Dates (Updated):
January 1: New Year's Day!
January 2: Test driving new servers
January 7: Finalize migration & confirm that server upgrade is happening on the 8th
January 15: Server upgrade starts after midnight, estimated completion by 10 AM
January 15-18: SSL certificates are generated and installed
Much More To Come In 2019!
After our server update and SSL Security is implemented, we will be moving to more projects throughout 2019!
We have major improvements planned for all of our tools and even some new ones in the works. Significant Ecommerce enhancements are coming, and we will be working to increase our image upload and delivery capabilities. In addition, we will be releasing new layouts, templates, builder blocks, integrations, and designs, too!
It’s going to be a busy year for all of us in 2019! Thank you for sticking with us and for your patience while we get SSL ready. I know it’s been a hot issue for many, and we are entirely focused on creating solutions that work best for you online and for your business.