Dear client, user, partner,
We hope you are coping well with the covid-19 crisis, and our thoughts are with the victims. Our first priority in Icecat is the health of our staff, and compliance with WHO and local decisions to help “flattening the curve”, reduce risks of infections.
In response to client questions, I want to clarify hereby that Icecat and its daughter companies are already 100% cloud-based and therefore completely resilient for the covid-19 induced crisis. The up-time of core-services is typically 99.9%, and that doesn’t change during our common predicament. The services, internal and external systems we use are all 100% cloud based as well. Flexible and remote working is in our DNA, so it is mainly the social component of the offices that we have to compensate for, when working remotely. And, of course, we have to e-meet you instead of meeting physically in shows, offices or other places. For our developer and editor offices, the adaptations took a few days to have sufficient fast computers and connections in all our staff’s homes in Ukraine, and elsewhere, but that is an easy fix nowadays.
So, our editorial production of millions of product data-sheets per year, and our dev sprints are all uninterrupted. Also, our support desk and account managers are available as always. Only finance has to now and then check the mailbox for snail mail, although most communication is online currently. Support, sales, and marketing were already working flexibly, so that is not a fundamental change here, except for missing the Friday afternoon drinks! We have to cope with that.
The e-commerce industry is a life savior in case of lockdowns like in Wuhan, Italy, Spain, France, and Belgium, and expanding. E-commerce is sufficiently mature to satisfy most needs of the online consumer, but we can observe that e-ordering groceries leads to long waiting times, for example. Further, too many retailers still find themselves unprepared for forced shop closures and a full switch to e-commerce. We feel it as our responsibility to help out the retailers and brands that need to make the switch quickly.
Therefore, Icecat and its daughter companies, provide now also free support and advice regarding efficient ways to transform from retailer to etailer, and start your online business to help your clients during the current lockdown. We already provide other free services to make the switch to e-commerce for brands and retailers easy and efficient:
We wish you good health and resilience in these challenging times, and look forward to reach out to help you to help making the lives a bit easier of people who are stuck in their homes,
Your sincerely
Martijn Hoogeveen
CEO Icecat NV
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