PixelMill Blog

Innovative SharePoint Driven Web Templates Radically Simplify Site Building and Content Management

(DAVIS, CALIF.) - May 9, 2008 - PixelMill.com, a provider of design solutions for Web site builders and content managers, today unveiled a series of new content management system Web templates that gives all levels of Internet users the ability to easily and instantly edit content areas of Web sites from within ordinary Web browsers.

By combining the professional graphic design of pre-designed Web templates with the power of Microsoft's SharePoint-driven content management system (CMS) interface, PixelMill has introduced an unprecedented level of Web design and content management simplicity. With support from Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) experts B4Contact to develop the new Web template products, PixelMill crafted for business professionals a site building and content management solution that enables virtually any staff member with minimal Web experience and training to contribute to and dynamically edit and update a company's Web presence.

"With today's tightening economy and the rapid decentralization of employees and business partners, establishing a Web presence built on a centralized collaborative tool like SharePoint makes good business sense," said PixelMill CEO Jason Reckers. "This new approach removes virtually all obstacles for businesses to quickly create, deliver and manage a world-class Web presence."

PixelMill advanced this initiative to provide users the customer-centric focus of past Web sites and the collaborative features of today's social collaborative sites which bring together employees and business partners into a secure online environment.

Content management system Web templates from PixelMill are used from within ordinary Web browsers. The templates are first loaded onto a Windows SharePoint Services web server in a process very similar to publishing a standard web site. Hosted Windows servers running SharePoint services are available from a growing number of Windows-based hosting companies, including SharePoint experts at Frontpages Web Hosting Network and B4Contact (in Europe), and other large Web site hosting companies.

With the template loaded, staff members given permissions may login and start making edits and most common changes to content areas of the site from within the browser. The innovative Web browser interface allows for the easy addition of pictures, graphics and images, extra pages, and the ability to modify navigation bars, instantly edit and update content areas with full "rich text" capabilities.

Leveraging Microsoft's Windows SharePoint Services to drive the simpleCMS templates follows a series of moves by PixelMill to make Web site building cost effective, easy to manage, and scalable for web presence growth especially for small and medium sized businesses. Among its more recent moves to make Web site building and editing easier, PixelMill introduced in October 2007 a new catalog of Web Themes and Template "Skins" specifically designed for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 to give novice and progressive Web enthusiasts the ability to transform the "out-of-the-box" SharePoint site design into a variety of customizable designs.

PixelMill's new content management system Web templates are designed as flexible, cost effective packages that give small to mid-size businesses a solution they can grow with for internal team and external partner collaboration, as well as on-the-fly maintenance of their own public-facing web site. In addition to its new SharePoint-driven Web templates, PixelMill's other SharePoint services include custom design work for WSS and MOSS (Microsoft Office SharePoint Server). Having contributed to more than 60,000 Web sites, PixelMill's adaption to back-end solutions allowed it to quickly introduce to the design and developer market enterprise solutions that offer increased flexibility and choices in implementing the look and functionality of SharePoint products and services.

Established in 1998, PixelMill serves as the Web's central source of solutions for Web site builders and content managers. PixelMill's extensive digital library features high quality templates and tools - guaranteed royalty free and free of copyright concerns - including more than 2,000 Web, Microsoft® Expression® Web, SharePoint Designer, Adobe® Dreamweaver®, FrontPage®, and HTML templates, 1,800 PowerPoint® templates, 9,000 stock images, and 4,500 royalty free music tracks. Media Contact: Chris Doyle, 916.847.0261 cdoyle@pixelmill.com

PixelMill Introduces "PixelMill Skins^TM" for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

(Davis, Calif.) - October 31, 2007 - Leveraging the entry of the latest version of SharePoint, PixelMill today introduced a new catalog of Web Themes and Template "Skins" specifically designed for Windows® SharePoint® Services 3.0 to give its users the ability to transform the "out-of-the-box" SharePoint site design into a variety of customizable designs.

Advances in SharePoint Services 3.0, which includes a number of design enhancements that make building Themes and Templates much more cost effective and easier to implement for users, prompted PixelMill to develop its first phase series of Skins for business users. Its years of experience designing with SharePoint and providing custom design services for business enabled PixelMill to readily adapt to evolutions in SharePoint. PixelMill's design contributions to more than 60,000 Web sites and its adaption to back-end solutions allowed it to quickly introduce to the design and developer market enterprise and small business solutions that offer increased flexibility and choices in implementing the look and functionality of SharePoint products and services.

PixelMill's online Skins catalog introduction (http://www.pixelmill.com/products/website-templates/vivid-office.aspx) arrives at a time when hosting solutions for SharePoint now provide significant collaboration capabilities and flexible, cost effective packages giving small to mid-size businesses a solution they can grow with for internal team and external partner collaboration, and even maintenance of their own public-facing web site. Anticipating SharePoint's increasing relevance, PixelMill has already begun developing new solutions that will move beyond "skinning" SharePoint sites to providing Web site designs that use SharePoint as a content management tool.

"We're investing in efforts that give small businesses the ability to use dynamic content in Web sites that anyone on the team can update," said PixelMill CEO Jason Reckers. "With our new Skins, we're enabling companies today to create and deliver world-class Web presence using multimedia and e-commerce components supported by simple, easy to use and powerful back-end solutions such as SharePoint."

PixelMill began its work with SharePoint in 2003. At that time, PixelMill, through its Vivid Office brand, packaged and developed a number of complementary products, design templates, and instructional guides featured in the Microsoft® Right Tools Toolkit and on www.sharepointcustomization.com. PixelMill experts also developed effective strategies to help users implement these designs into their Windows® SharePoint® Services Web sites.

Supporting its entry into Skins for SharePoint, PixelMill's online seminar series featured at PixelMill EDU, helps designers and developers transition from FrontPage to SharePoint Designer. PixelMill's educational series is designed to help customers learn how to effectively work with SharePoint Designer for both static Web sites as well as easy integration with SharePoint. The series also puts focus on users converting from FrontPage to SharePoint Designer since previous versions of SharePoint used FrontPage to edit design, Web Parts, and data view integration tools. PixelMill EDU is available at http://www.pixelmill.com/services/seminars-webinars.aspx.

PixelMill, established in 1998, serves as the Web's central source of solutions for web site builders offering an extensive array of high quality templates, images, video, audio, add-ons, platform-specific solutions, training, and custom services for developers' Web design needs. PixelMill's extensive digital library features high quality, guaranteed royalty free and free of copyright concerns, templates and tools with more than 2,000 Web, Microsoft® Expression® Web, SharePoint Designer, Adobe® Dreamweaver®, FrontPage®, and HTML templates, more than 1,800 PowerPoint® templates, over 9,000 stock images, and over 4,500 royalty free music tracks.

Media Contact: Chris Doyle, 916.847.0261 cdoyle@pixelmill.com

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Reckers Featured 2007 Adventure Travel World Summit Speaker

(Davis, CA) - October 1, 2007 --- The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has named PixelMill Inc. CEO Jason Reckers as a featured speaker at the global trade organization's third annual Adventure Travel World Summit in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, October 4-7, 2007.

Reckers will join more than 50 adventure travel pioneers and experts representing marketing, Internet, technology, risk management and other disciplines spanning several industries. Future consumers, purposeful-travel trends, and leading-edge destinations headline, while strategic insights, best business practices and practical tools sessions complete the 2007 Adventure Travel World Summit (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com). Themed, "Conversion: Transforming Possibility into Reality." Summit presenters will provide 500 delegates with a valuable array of perspectives aimed at challenging conventions of the global adventure travel community.

Reckers specializes in pairing online tools and resources with long established business strategies to build an effective web presence for small to medium sized organizations. He joins Eric Brodnax, Vice President, Orbitz Worldwide and General Manager - Away.com & Outside Online, and Robin Goldberg, SVP Marketing & Business Development, Blurb.com, among others, in presenting strategic insights on:

• Indicators & Strategy for Search Engine Optimization - Reckers will contribute broad strategies for small to medium size operators looking to make SEO more of a long-term business strategy versus a task list of short-term solutions.



• Pacing the Web's Lightning-Speed Advances - Reckers will provide experienced perspective on emerging video/music technologies, search and mapping innovations, and advances in content and web site management tools such as SharePoint and blogs.



• Fueling Social Networking for Organizational Gain - Reckers will focus on current and developing online options for businesses to benefit from the social networking trends as well as provide perspective on how social networking tools are an extension of long established networking strategies in business.

"Jason was selected for his ability to address cutting edge issues and solutions adventure tour operators, tourism boards, specialty agents and related businesses require to keep pace with this rapid-evolving industry," said ATTA Director Chris Doyle. "He joins an esteemed line-up of presenters whose collective expertise and diversity are designed to lead others in adapting to and leveraging change for positive results."

"Participating in this Summit and engaging with an adventurous and influential audience is ideal for addressing and advancing established and emerging web technologies to benefit the adventure travel industry's rapid global expansion," said Reckers. "This is a gathering of the industry's who's who and will give us all a chance to think about our respective businesses, with whom, and how we can work together in this new age of adventure travel."

About the Adventure Travel Trade Association
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market worldwide. ATTA Members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, travel agents/agencies, guides, lodges/resorts/attractions, media, and service providers. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit, the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost-saving resources to its members.

About PixelMill Inc.
PixelMill, established in 1998, serves as the Web's central source of solutions for web site builders offering an extensive array of high quality templates, images, video, audio, add-ons, platform-specific solutions, training, and custom services for developers' Web design needs. PixelMill's extensive digital library features high quality, guaranteed royalty free and free of copyright concerns, templates and tools with more than 2,000 Web, Microsoft® Expression® Web, SharePoint Designer, Adobe® Dreamweaver®, FrontPage®, and HTML templates, more than 1,800 PowerPoint® templates, over 9,000 stock images, and over 4,500 royalty free music tracks.

PixelMill Debuts Transition Assistance Training Initiative for Web Site Builders

(Davis, Calif.) - September 13, 2007 - Recognized as a leader in the development of education tutorials, recorded videos, and Webinars designed for site builders, PixelMill today announced the September 18, 2007 debut of PixelMill EDU™, an innovative and proprietary online training series designed to aid the do-it-yourself Web builder in transitioning to new Web editors, coding standards, and Web technologies.

PixelMill initially launched PixelMill EDU to address critical pain points that hamper site developers' transition into new site-building platforms: learning to transition from building tables-based Web sites to table-less Web sites and from building sites in FrontPage to building sites in Expression Web. PixelMill EDU provides an "extension course", university-style solution that addresses the Web's lack of video-based and instructor-based training and site builders' reliance on written tutorials online, which are often clunky, difficult to understand, and fail to address real-world challenges.

"Over the last year, much of the Microsoft FrontPage community has struggled with the transition to Expression Web," said PixelMill CEO Jason Reckers. "We have all had to change to newer versions of software in the past. That's not the issue here. This time, the challenge is two-fold. Not only is there a need to transition to a new piece of software with a new user interface, but there's also a growing need to adapt to Web standards that push for more CSS with fewer tables and ultimately no tables."

PixelMill EDU begins with two six-week series, each featuring six one-hour sessions. Its first propriety EDU series, which launches September 18th, is "FrontPage to Expression," which is designed to give strong exposure to the new Expression Web software and interface along with tips for transitioning from FrontPage. PixelMill EDU's second series, which starts September 20th, is "Tables to Table-less CSS," designed for Web builders using Dreamweaver, Expression Web, or any other Web editor to transition from building tables-based Web site layouts to working with CSS to edit and build table-less Web site layouts.
Set in a classroom-like environment, PixelMill EDU offers the multi-week, fee-based ($149 per series) online seminars ('Webinars') in a no-nonsense, accessible style, providing ample time for participants to interact with attendees and the instructors. In addition to each class being delivered live, each is recorded for participants to revisit on demand.

Instructors provide guidance to attendees in a how-to format with content focused on applied needs versus a tour around a specific application. PixelMill EDU's head instructor is Corrie Haffly, a mathematics U.C. Davis graduate and author of The Photoshop Anthology: 101 Web Design Tips, Tricks & Techniques. Published by SitePoint.com, Haffly's book covers how to design attractive Web graphics, touch up photos for Web use, create Web site mockups, and master buttons, backgrounds, and more. Additionally, PixelMill's Haffly brought PixelMill's and John Galt's Templates brands to the top of the Web site template market, handled customer support, and wrote volumes of tutorials. Haffly's past work is featured at SitePoint.com and PixelMill.com.

Future PixelMill EDU online educational programs slated for 2007 will address SharePoint and SharePoint Designer and multimedia integration (video, audio/music, Flash, etc.). Another seminar series under development will aid site builders in developing a Web presence where creative designs meet current quality code and licensed images standards, accessibility requirements, and combine e-commerce and modular solutions that enhance Web and presentation projects.

PixelMill, established in 1998, serves as the Web's central source of solutions for Web site builders. PixelMill's extensive digital library features high quality templates and tools - guaranteed royalty free and free of copyright concerns - including more than 2,000 Web, Microsoft® Expression® Web, SharePoint Designer, Adobe® Dreamweaver®, FrontPage®, and HTML templates, 1,800 PowerPoint® templates, 9,000 stock images, and 4,500 royalty free music tracks.

Media Contact: Chris Doyle, 916.847.0261 cdoyle@pixelmill.com

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PixelMill Launches More Than 4,500 Royalty Free Music Tracks From Jupiterimages

Multi-media Options Flourish For Developers In Web Template Field

(DAVIS, CALIF.) – Advancing its strategy to provide more creative and dynamic multi-media product options for developers’ Web design needs, PixelMill.com today announced it released a new online catalog at www.pixelmill.com featuring access to more than 4,500 royalty free music tracks from Jupiterimages.

PixelMill’s offering of Jupiterimages’ music tracks is an extension of the two companies’ new agency agreement, whereby PixelMill already distributes images from Jupiterimages for use in Web templates.

PixelMill introduced the music track option because Web technology and the bandwidth for audio and video have improved to the point that the option is viable, cost-effective and readily accessible. Music track solutions, combined with video, images and other add-on options, are bringing significant value to small and medium-sized businesses seeking to enrich their online presence. As a result, site builders using Web templates as a base may now add to their suite of semi-custom site-building options, royalty free music tracks that can be used for such purposes as in-site commercials, banner ads, dynamic header graphics, and a host of other interactive marketing approaches Web surfers have come to expect.

PixelMill.com, a one-stop online store featuring high quality templates, images, video, audio, add-ons, platform-specific solutions, training, and custom services for developers' Web design needs, introduced the innovative music tracks purchase option to continue increasing its blend of innovative multi-media options for use with Web templates (pre-designed Web site layouts). In the new era of digital and modular design solutions, PixelMill seeks to combine a variety of technologies to enable designers to more efficiently and affordably create compelling Web sites.

According to PixelMill Chief Executive Officer Jason Reckers, “Adding royalty free music tracks is a natural progression for PixelMill and our customers as we help them to not only create great looking sites or presentations, but also helping them create a more exciting and interactive multi-media experience for their intended Web visitors.”

As the use of Web templates has become a viable option for both new and experienced Web site designers and developers, PixelMill has increased the delivery of complete solutions that will help anyone, with a little time and resources, learn how to add quality multimedia to their site our presentation. Audio tracks were the next natural step as they are increasingly being used as background music for PowerPoint presentations, in the production of recorded commercials, seminars, Webinars, Flash movies, image slide shows and as Web site background music (using a player that allows the customer to start and stop the music).

With regard to music tracks, "royalty-free music," in contrast with "rights-managed" music, allow developers to pay a one-time fee to use the track as many times as desired (as long as usage falls within the license agreement). Rights-managed tracks usually involve users having to track all the ways that the track will be used, and the pricing may be affected by how the track is used, and how many times it is played or displayed, as the designer usually is required to pay royalties to the artist for each use. With royalty-free tracks, each track may be used without any additional tracking.

PixelMill, established in 1998, serves as the Web's central source of solutions for Web site builders. PixelMill's extensive digital library features high quality, guaranteed royalty free and free of copyright concerns, templates and tools with more than 2,500 Web, Microsoft® Expression® Web, SharePoint Designer, Adobe® Dreamweaver®, FrontPage®, and HTML templates, more than 2,000 PowerPoint® templates, over 9,000 stock images, and over 4,500 royalty free music tracks.

PixelMill Becomes Member of ProStores Design Certification Program

(DAVIS, CALIF.) - PixelMill.com today announced it is a Certified Designer under the ProStores Design Certification Program, created to expand the network of Web developers and designers versed in creating stores for ProStores merchants.

ProStores, an eBay Company that allows small- and medium-sized businesses to create professional online stores, customized with their own branding and domain name introduced its e-commerce platform certification program in June 2007. ProStores Design Certification Program offers existing and prospective merchants with a progressive, qualified resource of clean, easy-to-navigate and professional-looking stores built specifically for them. Those securing ProStores certification have demonstrated proficiency in designing ProStores sites to exacting specifications.

Earning ProStores certification further fixes PixelMill.com's position as the Web's central source of professional solutions for the broader Web development community. In addition to becoming a 'ProStores Certified Designer' merchant solution with over 40 ready-to-use and 250 ready-to-convert ProStores-enabled e-commerce Web templates, PixelMill offers an extensive array of high quality templates, images, video, audio, add-ons, platform-specific solutions, training, and custom services for developers' Web design needs, including custom design solutions to ProStores merchants.

PixelMill for years has served as a top Web resource for Webinars, education and training programs to support products, services and matters relating to Web site design. PixelMill also authors and publishes its own series of on-site and downloadable tutorials for a wide array of products, tools and resources to make site building quick and easy.

"ProStores offers the unique combination of an affordable solution with virtually unlimited flexibility in store design," said PixelMill Chief Executive Officer Jason Reckers. "As an authoritative source of training programs itself, PixelMill heartily supports ProStores' e-commerce Web design certification program because it ultimately maintains and improves quality industry standards that bring greater value to merchants, as well as to the customers they serve."

PixelMill, established in 1998, serves as the Web's central source of solutions for web site builders. PixelMill's extensive digital library features high quality, guaranteed royalty free and free of copyright concerns, templates and tools with more than 2,000 Web, Microsoft Expression Web, SharePoint Designer, Adobe Dreamweaver, FrontPage, and HTML templates, more than 1,800 PowerPoint templates, over 9,000 stock images, and over 4,500 royalty free music tracks.