CiviCRM Community Forums (archive)

Hello,
I'm interested in trying out CiviCRM for my organisation, but want to do something perhaps a bit unusual.  Right now I have:

• one website which people register for our events in one local country (Thailand, and hosted in Thailand), and receives credit card payments and therefore has a database of previous registrations.  Its php custom coded.  Right now it doesn't take donations, but I'd like it too.  I will redevelop the website soon, possibly using Joomla.
• Some people register offline, those I have in an Access Database. Also have many contacts just on paper.
• later this year will have another website, on a different host, in the UK, which will allow people to register for our events in all countries (including thailand), and also receive credit card payments, which would therefore create a new database of contacts.
  
• I am right now creating a new website, on a host in the UK, which is a social website for alumni, primarily, who have previously joined our events, wherever in the world that might be.  It uses Joomla, Jomsocial-a bit like Community Builder, and also has Kunena Forum.  This one I want to be able to receive online donations and pledges too.
  

I don't want lots of separate contact databases, and would like CRM facilities.  I'm thinking of installing CiviCRM on the new website that I am creating.

I would like to import my contacts from my local thai database into CiviCRM--I guess this is easy.
I will manually add the paper contacts obviously.

I want to then invite those contacts, group by group, to join the community site.  Should not be members straight away, but choose sign up and fill in more bio data.  This bit is difficult, as I want their CiviCRM user data, their jomsocial and joomla user data, all integrated.  Know anyone who has the ability to do such a thing that I could hire?

Ideally, I'd like it if when they register and pay on my thai website, they are added automatically to CiviCRM on the other host.  Perhaps using a cron job and SOAP, JSON or whatever.  Or is it possible to install CiviCRM on both machines, but just keep the data on one of the hosts?  Is this what they call Multi-Site Installs here?

If not, again, know anyone or company who could do such a thing?  Or have any alternative suggestions?


Much appreciate your time, and looking forward to getting our user data organised and centralised!