Monday 11 July 2011

This blog will no longer be used as a communication channel - please visit the new Support Centre

We want to move onwards and upwards from the malicious hacking attack, and as such we are closing down this historical communication channel. As of today, Monday 11th July, no new service notifications will be posted on this blog, please refer to the new DistributeIT Support Centre from now onwards.

DistributeIT partners will be able to refer to all historical notifications posted on this blog (starting from 23/06/11) on the Service Notifications section of the new DistributeIT Support Centre.

We encourage all partners to subscribe to the RSS feed that is now available to ensure partners are up-to-date with developments.

Domain name renewals, registrations and transfer status updates

Below is an overview of the current status and submission methods of domain name renewals, registrations and transfers for .au domains and .com/.net/.org/.biz/.info domains. If you find anything is not working as described below, please supply feedback to feedback@distributeit.com.au.

Renew .au domains
Automatic processing is offline. For urgent requests, manual processing is available by contacting DistributeIT support team on 1300 711 044 or via domains@distributeit.com.au. If it is urgent please ring as we are currently inundated with tickets and processing time is slower than usual.

Register .au domains
Online – You can register domain names through the Partner Console or directly through the API/WHMCS module. Orders placed get processed via our workflow system, and you can track progress via the Partner Console. If you have problems, please email feedback@distributeit.com.au with the details of the domain transferring and any errors encountered.

Transfer .au domains
Online – You can submit a transfer request through the Partner Console or directly through the WHMCS/API module. Renewals for inbound transfer requests if requested should be operational. If you have problems, please email feedback@distributeit.com.au with the details of the domain transferring and any errors encountered.

Register .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .asia, .mobi domains
Online –  You can register domain names through the Partner Console or directly through the API/WHMCS module. Orders placed are processed via our workflow system, and you can track progress via the Partner Console. If you have problems, please email feedback@distributeit.com.au with the details of the domain transferring and any errors encountered.

Transfer .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .asia, .mobi domains
Online. You can submit a transfer request through the Partner Console or directly through the WHMCS/API module. If you have problems, please email feedback@distributeit.com.au with the details of the domain, account request and any errors encountered.

Renew .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .asia, .mobi domains
Online. These domains can be renewed through the sub-accounts for each of your customers. Please note that until Wednesday 13/07/11, renewal requests will be processed at your retail prices, with any difference between retail and wholesale rates being credited to your commission account. If you have problems processing transactions, please email feedback@distributeit.com.au with the details of the domain, account request and any errors encountered.

Configuring reseller accounts before the scheduled Domain Renewal Process

The domain renewal process has been scheduled to run at: Wednesday 13th July

Please configure your accounts accordingly, following the instructions below.

Wholesale Only/WHMCS/API Resellers
Partners who wish to control their own notices, invoices, register domains at wholesale prices and ensure no emails are sent to end clients (excluding those sent from auDA/iCANN) - will need to ensure that emails are redirected to yourself and disabled from being sent to your end user. To do this, please follow these step-by-step instructions. Please read the support articles for further information on configuring the platform for WHMCS/API Resellers.

Retail Level/Template/Whitelabel Resellers
Partners who use DistributeIT's white-labelled template system for their customer purchases, domain renewal emails and control panel will need to do the following:
  1. Configure your email templates. You can use either the generic supplied email templates, or customise them with your own details. The generic parameters in these emails relate to your organisation and are configurable in the Partner Console under the Custom Managment tab, 'Client Contact Details'. Login here https://theconsole.distributeit.com.au/reseller
  2. Configure the branding of your control panel used by your customers. To manage your control panel theme, for full instructions on how to brand the control panel, click here.
  3. You will also need to tell the system to send the emails to your clients directly. To do this, please follow these step-by-step instructions.
You can also temporarily disable the emails from being sent to your customers by following the API instructions above. Please remember, that in doing so, your customers will not receive emails regarding their domain expirations as we will be sending the emails directly to you as their reseller.

Here are some useful links for whitelabel resellers:
If you have any questions or concerns about the renewal process or template email configuration, please contact our reseller support team via support@distributeit.com.au

Friday 8 July 2011

Scheduled release of Domain Renewal Processes on the Partner platform

As you know, DistributeIT domain names have been imported into Netregistry Group’s Partner Console for ongoing management. During the initial migration, all active partner accounts and domain names were imported, giving resellers access to administer their domain names and provide services to their clients.

The next key step in bringing functionality to the new platform is to launch the renewal processes.

The domain renewal process has been scheduled to run at: Wednesday 13th July

Before then you will need to contact reseller support for manual renewal of domain names. After the renewal process has run you will be able to renew your domain names through your reseller portal, until this time for urgent renewals please contact the reseller support team on support@distributeit.com.au or call 1300 711 044.

Before the process occurs, there is important information that you need to be aware of, so you can configure your account to work in a way that is best suited to your needs. When the domain renewal process goes live, email reminders for domain renewals will be generated for all domains that are within 89 days of expiration. The configuration of your reseller account will determine whether these emails are sent by DistributeIT directly to you or White-labelled to be sent from you to your end-users.

All DistributeIT partners should have received an email about configuring their reseller accounts in preparation for this schedule.  If you have failed to receive this email please contact reseller support at support@distributeit.com.au or call 1300 711 044.

Clarification of different Partner level logins

We have had a number of queries from resellers about logging in to their control panel and administering their services. In the partner console, there are 3 different levels of login, each offering a different level of administration.

Partner Console/Reseller master level login
This level of login will allow you to access all domains and sub-accounts that belong to you, as well as enable you to control theming/branding (for whitelabel) or API (for WHMCS/API) reseller settings. This should be the primary login that you use when administering your reseller account. The username and password for this login will be supplied to you, if you are unsure of these details you can contact the reseller support team for assistance.

Resellers can log in at this level via: https://theconsole.distributeit.com.au/reseller

Account level login
This level of login will allow you access to administer domain names that exist in your personal wholesale account. There is no access to domains that are in your sub-accounts belonging to your end-users. Any invoices under this account will be charged directly to you at your wholesale rates. The username and password for this level of administration is the same as your master level login, and you are able to update the password for your account online, or reset if you are unsure of your login using the “forgot account password” link.

This level of login is also available to whitelabel/template end-users, if you allow them to log in and manage services. See http://support.distributeit.com.au/category/integration/template-whitelabel for further information on using the white-label template solution for your end users.

Resellers can log in at this level via: https://theconsole.distributeit.com.au/
Resellers' end users can log in at this level via their partnerconsole host name.

Domain level login
This level of login will allow you access to administer your domain name and/or hosting services. There is no access to change account level details, or to access invoices on the account. An example of how to use this login would be to provide it to a website designer, who needs administrative level access, but who should not be able to view/change account level contact details. The usernames for this level of console login are available to be retrieved at the account level, or can be recovered from the “forgot domain password” link on the login page.

Resellers can log in at this level via: https://theconsole.distributeit.com.au/
Resellers' end users can log in at this level via their partnerconsole host name.

Contract Helpdesk x 5 - Immediate Start

Due to the recent acquisition we require 5 x immediate staff, to work with us on a 3 month contract role, on our very busy help desk.

The roles are located in our Ultimo office in Sydney, very close to Broadway shopping centre.

We are looking to hear from skilled, enthusiastic staff who are available to start immediately. Ideally they will have worked on a helpdesk previously, with ISP/webhosting/domain name experience highly regarded. Hours are flexible.

View the full job ad and apply here.

Thursday 7 July 2011

Phase 2 Migration postponed due to equipment failure

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
The outage and migration of Distribute.IT and Click 'n Go hosting to Sydney scheduled for 1am to 8am Friday 8th July has been postponed due to a technical complication.

Netregistry Group regrets to inform affected customers that a vital part of the new equipment purchased last week to support the migration of Distribute.IT and Click 'n Go Hosting Services from Melbourne to Sydney scheduled for tonight has failed in final testing.

As a result we are postponing the Phase 2 planned migration described below. As new equipment needs to be supplied from off-shore, we are unable to reschedule this migration until firm delivery dates are provided by our hardware vendor. 

There will therefore be no outage between 1am and 8am and hosting services will continue to operate normally.

END SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT