IntegralCES. Free software for managing social currencies

IntegralCES platform (https://integralces.net/) has been running since 2014. Many networks have migrated or planned to do so and other new ones have been created. Managing our own tools implies responsibility and taking care of them. Many privative platforms of mail or social networks that we use habitually think that they are free, but it is not true, they are paid because we are the product that enriches large corporations (personal data, advertising, etc.). Behind the IntegralCES there is a development team that takes care of the process and responds to our self-organization needs, but we are all IntegralCES.

This campaign is open indefinitely by:

• Receive contributions from the networks that participate in the IntegralCES, as reflected in the conditions of use: https://www.integralces.net/public/conditions-es
• Make any donation that you want to make to contribute to the maintenance and development of the IntegralCES.
• Participate in the financing of the development of a specific functionality. You can check the programming tasks provided in: https://www.drupal.org/project/issues/1367140?categories=All

We build our alternative

After using the CES system for years, some of the main reasons for building an alternative platform at CES were the following:

– Use free code financial software.

This is a fundamental pillar in the transparency of our economic system. It also allows the collaborative development of the software, so that anyone with technical capacity can provide their improvements and thus build a robust and complete system. Until the appearance of the IntegralCES, any assembly decision on the configuration and operation of its economic and financial system is subject to the possibilities of private software, which we could never autoconfigure or improve. On the contrary now, with free software, when we need a new functionality, only one technician can develop it with guarantees.

– Usability and functional design.

The connection with all the social currency networks used by CES is maintained. Transactions can be made between networks on both platforms, starting from the Global Clearing Central gateway (www.clearingcentral.net).

We work to improve visualization on mobile devices and integration into other free code platforms (CoopFunding, Virtual Market, …).

– Economic self-management and security.

The installation and maintenance of IntegralCES is free and depends on ourselves. We use our servers and look after the security and protection of our data.

Phases of development

Given the strategic importance of our self-management and empowerment process, the CIC (www.cooperativa.cat) and various Catalan eco-networks (www.ecoxarxes.cat) supported a team of developers with the objective of having an operational version for summer 2014.

At the end of 2014, several Catalan eco-networks initiated migration from the CES to the IntegralCES (ecoxarxa del Bages, ecoxarxa de Tarragona, ecoxarxa del Maresme, Cooperativa Integral Catalana) and other new ones were already created directly in the new platform.

In October 2017, the annual meeting of the coordinator of social networks under the XES (www.monedasocial.cat) was created, create a management and communication team of the IntegralCES, as well as strengthen the computer resources and the development team.

Sign new network or migration process from CES

SIGN: The basic software is already fully operational, any newly created network that you want to use IntegralCES, can register here: https://www.integralces.net/public/new-exchange-en

MIGRATION: To find out in detail the process of migration between CES and IntegralCES, you can consult the following link: https://docs.integralces.net/dox/en/de/d21/a00006.html

The initial developer team continues to work at IntegralCES, which allows an essential continuity to program new features that cover needs detected. We are writing a list of new implementations, in order to prioritize, evaluate and add them to the new software.