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KickApps releases version 3.0

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kickapps.pngKickApps announced the release of version 3.0 of its SaaS application suite. This version makes it easier for web publishers and developers of all levels and experience to deploy Social Networking, User Generated Content (UGC), Programmable Video Players and Widgets. In addition, the new release extends a web publisher’s ability to manage media, members and reporting— essential elements to growing a successful online community.

KickApps 3.0 opens community creation to a wide range of non-technical web publishers. A powerful new WYSIWYG site creation and deployment interface allows web publishers with minimal technical knowledge the ability to build and customize social media websites and widgets with just a few clicks. These point-and-click features also help experienced web developers achieve rapid prototyping and fast deployment.

KickApps 3.0 also includes an array of community experiences that focus on driving member engagement and viral growth: community news feeds, social graphs, one-click media syndication, media-enabled message boards and customized group features.

One of the most powerful enhancements is the KickApps 3.0 Affiliate Center. The KickApps Affiliate Center is where web developers deploy, customize, manage, monetize and moderate their online communities. Version 3.0 transforms the KickApps Affiliate Center into a dynamic control panel that provides real-time data essential to growing audience and engagement. The KickApps Advertising Manager in the Affiliate Center enables ad insertion from all major ad networks for optimal monetization.

Originally posted on January 31, 2008 @ 10:53 am

YouChoose.net Introduces ‘Distributed Social Networking’

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YouChoose.net, whose tagline is “Turning Passions into Actions,” announced the release of its YouChoose Widget.

“Most blogs and online news articles allow people to post a comment. But most sites haven’t developed the critical mass of users to appear active or induce comments. Adding the YouChoose widget to those websites provides that critical mass by supplying an immediate active community. When a blog or article is posted, relevant discussions that are taking place across the YouChoose.net ‘Distributed Social Network’ are immediately displayed on the blog or news site. These replace the usual ‘comment’ link,” Mike Dever, co-founder, explained.

Because that discussion is taking place across potentially thousands of other websites, there is an active community of participants that keep the conversation flowing. Any comment or reply posted on any of those websites is distributed across all of those websites through the YouChoose widget.

Originally posted on January 29, 2008 @ 3:22 pm

Fluid Social brings rich-media merchandising widgets to social networking sites

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Fluid, Inc. today introduced Fluid Social, the fastest, easiest way for companies to create interactive merchandising widgets for social networking sites and personal pages such as iGoogle, blogs, Facebook and MySpace. Part of the Fluid Retail merchandising suite, which has been deployed by dozens of retailers, Fluid Social enables companies to leverage the assets already in use in their online store to create rich-media branded widgets.

Fluid Social is the first productized solution for distributed merchandising. Its full-featured administrative tools make it possible for marketers and merchandisers to control both brand and product content displayed in widgets in real time, without involvement from engineers. This means the widget’s content remains fresh, relevant and in sync with their on-site merchandising strategies.

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Originally posted on January 22, 2008 @ 3:38 pm

Gigya launches ad network for accelerated widget distribution

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gigya.pngGigya has launched its widget distribution network, which connects advertisers, content providers and social media users, to deliver and track results-driven widget advertising campaigns. Kimberly-Clark, Jive Records, 360i, and Avenue A | Razorfish, who is running multiple campaigns, are some of the charter advertisers achieving thousands of widget installs per day through the Gigya network.

The Gigya Widget Advertising & Distribution Network connects advertisers with a large audience of active widget and social media users — charging only when someone actively endorses a branded widget by choosing to install it on their profile page, blog or desktop — and by providing visibility into all of the ways individuals are interacting with a widget’s features and functionality.

Originally posted on January 14, 2008 @ 10:35 am

Netvibes promotes global exchange of universal widgets with Sohu and Maxthon

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netvibes.pngNetvibes announced that it has partnered with Sohu and Maxthon to expand its Universal Widget platform across Asia.

Netvibes Universal Widget API (UWA) enables developers to quickly build universal widgets in just a few lines of code. Netvibes universal widgets are cross-compatible with the web’s leading widget platforms from Apple, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. The widgets are automatically distributed across the Netvibes Ecosystem– the web’s largest network of universal widgets, featuring official partner content from the world’s leading media companies, such as CBS Interactive, CNET China Group, Die Welt, Le Figaro, New York Times and USA Today.

Sohu is the foremost network of leading web properties and portals in China and represents one of the biggest developer communities in the world. Sohu announced its new Open Widget Platform on January 1, 2008, and held the first Sohu Open Widget Developer Forum two days later. Sohu Open Widget Platform supports Netvibes UWA to empower its developer community to rapidly develop and distribute universal widgets across the web.

Maxthon is used by more than 30% of Internet users in China to browse the Web, and it is growing rapidly in the U.S. and other countries as word of mouth has spread through a network of enthusiastic fans. One reason for its popularity is its integrated widget platform, which has allowed users to develop their own plug-ins, or widgets, to expand Maxthon’s already impressive list of features.

Originally posted on January 14, 2008 @ 11:25 am