Invision Community (IPS) – Forum software, CMS, eCommerce

Invision Community (IPS), formerly known as Invision Power Board (IP.Board) and IPS Community Suite, is a comprehensive, proprietary platform designed for building and managing online communities. While it originated as a Forum software, it has evolved into a full-featured suite that includes applications for content management and eCommerce.

The platform is developed by Invision Power Services (IPS) and runs on PHP and MySQL.

Here is a breakdown of the key features you mentioned:

1. Forum Software

The core of Invision Community remains its robust forum system.

Forum Views: It supports multiple display options like the traditional forum view, a visual Grid view with images, and a Fluid view for collating topics across forums.
Engagement Tools: Includes features like custom reactions (emojis), private messaging (Messenger), and personalized Activity Streams.
Moderation: Comes with a Mod Cpanel for managing forum content, members, and more.

2. CMS (Content Management System)

Invision Community is not just a forum; it functions as a content management system that integrates with the community structure. This is often referred to as the “IPS Community Suite.”

Applications/Modules: The platform is built around a modular system of “Applications” which extend its functionality. The core platform serves as the CMS, allowing for a variety of content types.
Other Content Applications: Beyond forums, the suite often includes applications for:
- Pages: A powerful way to create custom pages, databases, and a full website front-end.
- Blogs: Integrated blogging features for users or staff.
- Gallery: For hosting and managing images and multimedia.
- Files/Downloads: For sharing files with the community.
- Calendars: For community event planning.

3. eCommerce/Commerce

The Commerce application allows community owners to generate revenue directly within their platform.

Sales: It enables the sale of physical merchandise and other products via an integrated Storefront.
Subscriptions: You can sell monthly subscriptions to grant members additional access and privileges.
Donations: Facilitates collecting contributions from members to support the community.
Tools: Includes essential eCommerce features such as:
- Order tracking.
- Coupons and discounts.
- Fraud review tools (with optional MaxMind integration).
- Support for staff-assisted customer help (support tools).
- Advertising space management.