Cyclos: Software Community Currency System Open Source

Nyari-nyari software, sepertinya Cyclos ini yang paling mantap sebagai pilar teknologi untuk implementasi CCS.

Alasannya simpel:

• Software ini sudah teruji
• Disponsori oleh STRO (Strohalm) dan Instrodi, NGO yang sangat kompeten di bidangnya
• Open source
  

Karena software ini cukup kompleks, sepertinya lebih bijak kalau saya nggak langsung terjun di dalamnya. Namun, saya bisa mencoba mendevelop beberapa modul secara independen untuk:

• micro remittance
• mobile transaction (via SMS gateway)
• web transaction
• check financial statement
  

Setelah itu langkah berikutnya adalah mengintegrasikan dengan MIS/ERP yang dipergunakan oleh koperasi.

Langkah selanjutnya baru mengintegrasikan dengan Cyclos. Sejauh riset saya, Cyclos ini sepertinya modular (plugin-based) dan memang sedang ada development in-progress untuk fungsionalitas mobile transaction (via SMS) maupun dukungan untuk debit/credit card.

PR lainnya, Cyclos ini berbasis Java. Platform Java ini cukup ekonomis kalau dihosting on-premise/on-site, fully open source (OpenJDK) dan bisa jalan di Operating System apapun, terutama Linux/Ubuntu. Namun kalau dihosting di Internet, agak ribet. Bisa sich secara langsung pake public IP, di koneksi DSL misalnya Speedy. Bisa juga pakai VPS, ini butuh biaya lebih gede. Tapi investasi ini tetap besar bagi koperasi-koperasi kecil.

Salah satu solusi adalah mempergunakan Google App Engine for Java, yang mempunyai infrastruktur cloud yang kuat dan biayanya gratis untuk quota yang sudah cukup lumayan. PR-nya ya membuat Cyclos bisa running di GAE/Java ini, dan saya yakin ini bukan PR kecil.

Home - Cyclos Project Site

Cyclos is open source online banking software for complementary currency systems like LETS, Barter networks, Time banks and exchange systems that are introduced in order to stimulate the circulation and the availability of credit in regions or countries with under-use of capacities. The Cyclos team is also looking for opportunities to allow micro finance institutions easy linkage with their administration to use Cyclos as their transactional (on-line banking) system.
Cyclos is being produced by two teams of programmers, one in Brazil and one in Uruguay, being part of the respective national social trade organisation: STRO Uruguay and Instrodi. Cyclos is published under the GPL (open source) license meaning that it can be downloaded for free and used at no cost. Cyclos is developed in Java and runs on a variety of platforms like Linux, Windows, Macintosh and Solaris. From the start the objective has been to create professional software that is easy to use and maintain, secure, and highly customizable.

Cyclos offers a professional and complete on-line banking system where users can administer their accounts, view their transactions, and make (secure) payments via web access or mobile phone. Cyclos comes with various additional modules like a business directory, e-commerce platform, referrals and transaction qualifications, messaging and notification system, call/support center logging, and an integrated management information system.
In addition to the web and mobile payments it is also possible to administer the emission and intake of vouchers (scrip). The software has an extended administration section with build in automatic functions that make it possible to administer a currency system with minimal manual work. A list with all the Cyclos features can be found at this page.

Cyclos comes with various extra modules like an external payment module which allows webshops to support online Cyclos payments and a programming interface (API) for integration with third party software. We are currently working on extensions for SMS and Card payments.