CM4all Releases New Consumer Edition of WebsiteCreator

HostReview.com
Tuesday, July 18, 2006; 04:17 AM

CM4all, a leading developer of Web-based applications for the Internet with over two million customers worldwide, announced the availability of the CM4all WebsiteCreator Consumer Edition. The new Consumer Edition is being officially presented for the first time at HostingCon 2006 and will be available to MSOs, ISPs, and telcos for licensing, customization and installation soon. Enhanced features include multi-author blogs, community photo albums, and an event planner all within a professionally designed Web site. Available for re-branding, the CM4all WebsiteCreator has additional appeal for service providers seeking to retain their brand identity while broadening their portfolio, allowing them to benefit from the evolving mass market in consumer hosting.

CM4all WebsiteCreator Consumer Edition complements the existing CM4all WebsiteCreator, which was primarily built around the needs of small to medium sized businesses (SMBs), by providing OEM partners with an additional version developed to satisfy consumer needs. An important advantage for CM4all customers that want to target both the business and consumer markets is that only one installation of the CM4all software is required. The consumer version of the AJAX-based software will be sold through CM4all’s channels which include MSOs, ISPs, and telecommunications companies, all of which use CM4all’s software to provide value-added services to their customers as well as increase customer retention.

This new Consumer Edition includes enhanced Web 2.0 capabilities and some very specific new features: event selection with pre-configured pages displaying a number of events to choose from (e.g., weddings, vacations, parties, and family events); professionally designed consumer-oriented templates; community photo albums that enable designated users to view, upload, and share pictures, albums or slideshows; powerful event planning including RSVP functionality and integrated guest management capabilities; multi-author blogging within the live Web site. An RSS Interface allows customers to share blogs with “Mashup” sites.

“The CM4all WebsiteCreator Consumer Edition will fit perfectly into the services portfolio of any MSO, ISP, or telco and represents a simple avenue for generating additional revenue and increasing customer retention. We have already received a lot of positive feedback from potential clients outside of our traditional channels that want to tap into new customer groups,” said Robert Schovenberg, CEO of CM4all.  “By integrating Web 2.0 functionality such as drag-and-drop, live editing within the Web site, and multi-author blogging, we are sure that this consumer-oriented edition will appeal to a vast number of Internet users.”

"Verio plans to offer this version of WebsiteCreator to our wholesale resellers who can bundle it with our hosting service for their consumer users. Functional features such as multi-author, blogging and photo sharing will enhance the offering," said William Thomson, director of Verio product management. "We look forward to extending this product to our customers who serve the consumer market."

As ISPs and Web hosts continue to flood the market – nearly 15,000 Web hosts are in the U.S. alone – it becomes increasingly critical for them to differentiate themselves from the masses.  Through offering value-added services with products like CM4all WebsiteCreator, Web hosts, ISPs, and MSOs can gain an edge on the competition and diversify their offerings at the same time.

With over 2 million paying customers worldwide, CM4all WebsiteCreator is the most popular online website creation software in the world. CM4all software is currently being distributed via leading telcos, MSOs, ISPs and web hosting companies in Europe, Canada, the USA, South America and Japan. Customers include T-Online, 1&1 Internet AG, Terra Networks S.A., Swisscom Fixnet AG, Verio Inc. and NTT Communications.