Request

[Mondi]

Hi,

Background
We are a professional services agency that publishes training guides and course manuals for events we facilitate ourselves. Our vBulletin installation allows participants to interact online with our facilitators, also with each other across the different organisations we work with.
Recently we received requests from off-shore businesses who would like to hire us to facilitate engagements for them. We can address these requests in two ways: either we manage and facilitate these engagements ourselves, or we train people who are ‘close to the fire’ with a view to develop ‘internal’ representatives for our business. These people will become licensed trainers.

Requirements
If we opt for Option 2, to develop trainers, these trainers must renew their licenses annually and for a fee. Each license may remain active for predetermined periods, which we must be able to control. Annual renewals should be the default but we may also allow trainers to take-out ‘trial’ licenses, in which case their licenses should remain active for periods considerably shorter than one year – say, four weeks, for example.

Once a trainer pays her/his fee, payable by credit card, (s)he should be given immediate access to these training materials, downloadable either through Jelle’s Downloads II module or through a personalised member/trainer panel/page.

This isn’t much different from the way the likes of vBulletin distributes its licenses, although this has changed now with the introduction of vB-4; no longer time- but version driven. vbSEO still maintains this approach, so do many other software providers.

Obviously, the mod/product must be fully compatible with vB-4. Ideally, the product should be integrated rather than be a bolt-on, which is something we can purchase right now. That’s not what we want, however.

Ideally – and this would make us throw parties if it became possible – we would like to offer coupon-driven discounts. Some trainers may retain access to our materials for free while still be required to renew their licenses.

Trainers should be given different options for obtaining these materials, which they can set in the shopping cart panel. Materials can be distributed as non-modifiable .pdf’s, as word documents, as powerpoint presentations, or as packages with offer all of the afore mentioned. Selection will affect price/license fee. This isn’t much different from what vBulletin and vBSEO offers; options such as Professional Installation and Branding Free licenses, each adding to the purchase price.

Finally, very much like vBulletin/vBSEO License Distribution, trainers should receive an email when newer versions of the materials they purchased become available. If these materials become available within their license periods, trainers can download them at no extra charge. If they become available outside their license terms, a new license must be purchase to re-initiate the license cycle.
Mate, I thought I better be complete and comprehensive here – so apologies for the length of my response. Finally, we are willing to pay for this as long as the charge justifies the functionalities offered. Again, we keep our eyes open for bolt-on shopping cart solutions – in fact, have picked two suitable candidates already – but if you are having a go at this and are confident it can be done – willing to wait.

I am not a coder but am prepared to help you out in any other way if that’s handy.

Appreciate your message – Cheers for that! Look forward to hearing from you soon(ish)