Specific use of S2 for existing database

Hi, I want to make sure I can customize this to accept an existing database. My client has a database of current subscribers to their product. The subscribers are on different types of subscription plans, i.e. different length of years, and different $ values, so the expiration dates and price for each subscription (roughly 1,800) is different. The database is built in and maintained through MS Access.

I understand that with S2 Member you can create the subscription plans for new users, and it will keep track of the length of the term of the subscription. I want to make sure we can import our existing data into the S2 database, and convert them to users. More importantly, I need the length of the subscription term information to transfer correctly.

Once this is complete, is it possible to update the data on a weekly or biweekly basis. In other words, to upload an updated database, and have existing values overwritten, and/or new values added?

The other question is, assuming the above is easily done, once this step is complete, I will have over 1,800 users who will need to access the data online (the contents of their subscription). Are these users going to be able to set their own password. For example, can each user be sent an email with a temporary password and prompted to change their password the first time they log in.

Thanks so much.

Thank you for your inquiry.

s2Member won’t be able to connect to your current database of Users right off. You’ll have to Import these Users via .CSV file, which means you’ll have to run some kind of special export routine to get a file that you can import your current Users into s2Member. I’m sorry that it’s that way but that’s how it goes :-\.

This article goes over (briefly) how these CSV files are formulated if you’re interested in seeing that:

Knowledge Base » Import (or Mass Update) Users

Once this is complete, is it possible to update the data on a weekly or biweekly basis. In other words, to upload an updated database, and have existing values overwritten, and/or new values added?

Yes you could do that. s2Member will allow you to update Users via CSV file, too.

The other question is, assuming the above is easily done, once this step is complete, I will have over 1,800 users who will need to access the data online (the contents of their subscription). Are these users going to be able to set their own password. For example, can each user be sent an email with a temporary password and prompted to change their password the first time they log in.

Hm, no that’s a bit trickier. s2Member expects to get a password to create a User, and doesn’t send any emails when it Imports a User. To accomplish this would require some custom code, I’m afraid.

Thanks Bruce. So when uploading the initial CSV file, i can control the subscription variable. In other words, if a user subscribed to the company product in December of 2012, and their subscription runs up in December of 2013, it is possible for the CSV to be say that, and this information will transfer to S2Member? If I understand correctly, this is probably possible with using the values “First Payment Date (mm/dd/yyyy)”,”Last Payment Date (mm/dd/yyyy)”,”Auto-EOT Date (mm/dd/yyyy)” in the CSV structure.

So when uploading the initial CSV file, i can control the subscription variable. In other words, if a user subscribed to the company product in December of 2012, and their subscription runs up in December of 2013, it is possible for the CSV to be say that, and this information will transfer to S2Member?

Yes you can set all of this up within s2Member and it will work okay. s2Member will use the settings you have set up for Automatic End of Term even if you import your Users. Just make sure to set up the EOT Date when you sign your Users up.