PrestaShop, the student project that became a top E-commerce platform

We all know the story of the development of Microsoft from a garage, or the social networking site Facebook created from a campus dorm room, but the truth is that most successful projects start from unexpected places. This is also true for the project presented in this article: PrestaShop.

Originally named phpOpenStore, the platform started as a student project, which in just three months after its launch gained momentum being officially translated into thirteen different languages.
Being a free open-source platform with multiple features, it is ideal for online commerce. The robust and efficient structure provided both at the development and usage level makes this CMS (Content Management System) the top choice for entities looking to sell products online.

In addition to being free, PrestaShop also offers premium content. However, this premium content is optional, and anyone with the right skills can create a structured foundation for the desired site.

As the name of the platform suggests, the "store" is the focal point of the attraction. Unlike other platforms, the purpose is limited to a single item of work; however, the lack of variety is compensated by the features and customization options. Whether we are talking about a showcase store or a site with thousands of products, PrestaShop provides everything needed for carrying out a professional activity:

• Functionality
• Elegant themes
• Security
• High module count
• Extensive documentation
• Optimization possibilities on all platforms
• User interface in over 65 languages

Modern commerce comes with strong competition between websites, so any advantage can make the difference between capturing a market segment or losing it.
Despite the fact that the number of e-commerce websites is on the rise, many of them do not present the necessary elements for successful operation.
Even though at present, PrestaShop is not the market leader when it comes to e-commerce platforms, the number of users is steadily growing.

From a security standpoint, websites whose main purpose is commerce are frequent targets of cyber attacks. In most cases, this happens by exploiting a security breach, thus it is necessary for the platform to be as solid as possible in terms of security.

Over time, Prestashop has had several security breaches, but each time the development team has managed to resolve them as quickly as possible, thus demonstrating long-term reliability.