View source for CatGen

'''CatGen is an open-source e-commerce platform created by PEOPLink''' and used to bring artisans in the South in direct contact with western markets.


URL = http://www.catgen.com/



=Background=

From NextBillion.Net:

"PEOPLink launched the first online crafts catalog in 1995. Although 
financially successful, it’s impact and scalability was limited. 
Realizing that it made more developmental sense to have the artisans 
themselves manage their info, the company released its first version of 
CatGen in 2000. Now in its 4th revision, the software “enables any 
enterprise anywhere to create its own web catalog. It operates off-line 
for low bandwidth situations and generates catalogs with many 
sophisticated features such as credit card payments via PayPal, and 
ability to print paper catalogs or burn them to CDs."

Although the CatGen client can upload an artisan’s catalog of products 
to any low cost server, for $100/yr they can host their catalogs on the 
CatGen server. For their extra investment, artisans receive search 
engine optimization (meaning a higher placement in Google searches), 
web traffic statistics, and the ability to participate in _searchable 
marketplaces_ [5]. By increasing the number of potential customers 
reached, these extra features may in fact pay for themselves.

Dr. Salcedo mentioned a couple of lessons he’s learned over the years. 
First, the key to the successful use of CatGen is having a local 
partner who can provide technical support, business assistance and training. He 
likened CatGen to the ‘brain’ of a living system; without the arms, 
legs, and other vital organs, the brain will die. Telecenters can offer 
some of these support systems, and in turn help improve their own 
financial viability. Second, the application can be useful in even the 
most remote areas. He shared _an example_ [6] of an entrepreneur that 
set up his own successful e-commerce business using a solar-powered 
laptop and a cellphone for connectivity. Finally, to reduce shipping 
costs, artisans use the ‘LIBIBO’ method: little boxes inside big ones. 
By shipping orders in bulk once a month, transportation costs can be 
reduced by as much as 80%.

What’s next for PEOPLink and CatGen? The organization has tied up with 
eBay, which plans to launch its own Artisan Marketplace within a few 
months. PEOPLink will act as an ‘_infomediary_ [7]’ between the artist 
and eBay, helping artisans post their items to the online auction site 
and increasing trust in the transaction by the consumer. The goal is to 
have 13,000 – 15,000 artisans selling through the site by the end of 
2006."
([http://www.nextbillion.net//blogs/2006/04/13/success-at-the-intersection-of-globalization-and-the-internet])



=More Information=

See [[Open Source for Artisans]]

[[Catgen]], at http://www.catgen.com/


[[Category:Resources]]