Serif Announce Launch of WebPlus X2

Press Release
Nottingham, UK
25 February 2008

Serif Launches WebPlus X2 for Website Design

New version offers modern web gadgets, security, and the power to build communities


Serif (Europe) Ltd, the UK’s leading independent desktop publishing, design and graphics software developer, is delighted to announce the release of WebPlus X2 Website Maker.
WebPlus X2 (List Price $79.99; upgrade prices available*) is the new Microsoft Windows Vista™ certified version of Serif’s award winning website powerhouse. This new release builds on a great legacy of ease-of-use, quality, and versatility by introducing handy on-screen guides and tips, cool new Web gadgets, site security, enhanced e-commerce capabilities, and modern animation, video, and podcasting power. All this is still delivered in such a way that novice or seasoned designers alike can build professional-looking, fully-featured websites – without learning or using any HTML code.

Top new WebPlus X2 features and benefits include:

• Easier to Use than Ever– With all-new templates, on-screen help guides and a Site Checker
• YouTube™ and Podcasts – Add fun, modern and exciting videos and podcasts to sites
• Forums and Photo Blogs – Build vibrant communities with interactive features
• Site Security – Password-protected pages with user accounts and user signup security
• Flash™ Animated Photo Galleries – Stunning and slick animated photo collections
• Enhanced E-commerce – Easy e-commerce enhanced with database support for large stores

Even Easier to Use

Whether choosing one of 30 all-new professional website templates, 10 email templates, or designing from scratch in WebPlus X2’s DTP-style interface, creating sites is now easier than ever with new on-screen How To guides. The How To tab provides step-by-step guidance so users needn’t be daunted when creating their first site or using WebPlus for the first time. A new Site Manager helps everyone stay in control of resources and page, site and hyperlink settings, plus the new Site Checker finds and can automatically fix a range of common design and Web-compatibility issues.

Embed YouTube™ and Podcasts in WebPlus X2 Sites

Hot on the heels of some of the Web’s coolest technologies, WebPlus X2 enables users to add their own or everyone’s favourite YouTube videos to their sites, along with downloadable audio and video as podcasts – with no HTML expertise. YouTube videos are hosted by YouTube servers and play in the familiar and reliable YouTube video player. For podcasts, even if iTunes is unbroken ground for some, it’s a great way to make media available to millions of iTunes users, supporting subscriptions for automatically downloading new episodes. Stardom beckons!

Build Communities with Forums and Blogs

It’s now a snip to build online communities with new discussion forums and to encourage conversation using blogs. Blogs are enhanced in this release to support photos for rich travelogs, family news, project diaries or general interest daily images. The all-new forums can be private or public, can have moderators, selectable design themes, and more. There’s no need to search for a forum solution, no need to make a database to store messages, and no need to ensure that web hosts support chosen forum and database technology; Serif hosts forums and blogs for free!

Site Security

WebPlus X2 introduces popular security to its pages, with user login, user account signup, email verification, and anti-spam signup security to prevent automated “bots” from obtaining user accounts. Users and user groups can allow for individual password-protected pages and can be shared with forums and blogs to restrict posting. Of course WebPlus e-commerce remains secure using popular online banks with built-in transaction security.

Flash Animated Photo Galleries

The new must-have feature for any photo-rich page, Flash animated photo galleries add a polished and glossy way to show off family snaps, portfolios, or any other special images. These new galleries feature impressive animated transitions plus slideshow effects and background audio, and are based on ready-made but customisable designs with differing attractive layouts and effects.

Enhanced E-Commerce

E-commerce remains easy in WebPlus X2 with helpful wizards for PayPal, Mal’s and RomanCart online banks, ensuring all the information and functionality is in place for successful online selling. WebPlus X2 goes further by introducing support for larger stores and catalogues thanks to database merge technology, where a single design space is automatically repeated to feature large amounts of database information such as product descriptions, pictures, prices and Buy buttons.

The Coolest Graphics are Built-In

In-vogue graphic design is built right in to WebPlus X2. On top of a versatile set of drawing tools, special effects, 3D, and image adjustments, new popup image rollovers bring polished photo presentation to WebPlus. Visitors hovering their mouse over thumbnail images are treated to a larger popup image, allowing people to be selective about what they see and to see it in an efficient and trendy way! New effects for WebPlus objects and images offer stylish reflections with variable fading, plus there’s new customisable outlines featuring graduated colours and transparency.

Improved Site Navigation

WebPlus X2 sites are even easier to navigate thanks to three powerful new ways to browse, using a site map, breadcrumb nav bar, or site list combo box. Navigation bars have been enhanced to support page anchors and their design is now more flexible with editable separators and bar ends.

WebPlus X2 Offers Even More

WebPlus X2 has yet more to offer... in addition to the headline features, we’ve also worked hard to further improve on WebPlus X2’s award-winning predecessor. WebPlus X2 sports a revamped, tabbed interface and customisable keyboard shortcuts for improved productivity. Enhanced search engine optimisation, plus new, free site search and visitor analytics mean that published sites can grow and flourish as they can be more useful to more visitors. Many other aspects of WebPlus X2 including RSS feeds, drawing tools, text editing and table formatting have also undergone improvements thanks to the involvement of our customers in our support and development process, making WebPlus X2 even more usable and valuable.

“With a stunning range of powerful new features and improvements, WebPlus X2 can produce truly impressive, professional results in virtually no time, and we’ve made sure this is achievable without clouding website design with the messy business of using HTML code!” said Gary Bates, Serif’s Managing Director. “The Web continues to flourish for individuals, families, communities and businesses alike, with the production and publishing of sites becoming cheaper and more popular than ever, so we’re very happy that WebPlus X2 has something to offer everyone who wants to make attractive, fully-featured websites, painlessly – and without breaking the bank.”

* Existing users of Serif software should contact Serif on 1-800-55-SERIF (73743) for upgrade options.

End

Serif WebPlus X2 includes: WebPlus X2 Program CD, WebPlus X2 Resource CD, User Guide

Sales Enquiries:
Toll Free Sales Hotline: 1-800-55-SERIF (73743) Serif Online: www.serif.com Email:sales@serif.com
Address: Serif Inc.The Software Center13 Columbia Drive, Suite 5Amherst, NH 03031 United States of America

About Serif
Serif is the publisher of the award-winning software range that includes PagePlus, PhotoPlus, DrawPlus, WebPlus, ImpactPlus, AlbumPlus, MoviePlus and more. Founded in 1987 with the aim to develop low-cost alternatives to high-end publishing and graphics packages, Serif has been repeatedly praised for its powerful yet easy-to-use software which has put professional effects and demanding publishing tasks within the reach of ordinary PC users around the world. Now with over 2 million customers worldwide, Serif has 250 employees at its head office, development and European sales center in Nottingham, UK and its North American sales operation in New Hampshire, US.

Contact Information

Sarah Connelly

Direct Marketing and PR Manager

Serif (Europe) Limited

Contact via E-mail