Ning, (www.ning.com), the leading platform for custom social experiences, today announced a new set of product options focused on giving Network Creators even more ways to develop and grow their networks online.

Three versions of the Ning Platform – Ning Pro, Ning Plus, and Ning Mini – will launch in July of 2010, and will include all of the features that Ning Network Creators have come to rely on for over the past five years, along with exciting new upgrades and options.

As part of this announcement Ning has signed a letter of intent with a major educational company to sponsor all K-12 education Ning Networks globally and keep the service free for teachers and their students.

Ning provides a powerful platform that enables Network Creators to focus on the important work of developing their communities. Since its inception, Ning has been focused on building the best product to serve the needs of these passionate individuals.

“Our Network Creators are some of the most passionate and creative users of social networking technologies on the web, and by focusing on our three new product offerings, Ning will be able to extend the power and control we bring to our customers,” said Jason Rosenthal, CEO, Ning. “We’re excited about our company’s new direction, and see these premium products transforming the way that current and future Network Creators build with Ning.”

As previously announced, Ning will phase out its free ad-supported product in favor of these three new price and feature offerings. This shift will put the emphasis squarely on the most active Network Creators, and enable them to build even more engaging custom social experiences for their members.

Ning Network Creator Manny Hernandez notes, “I was glad to learn the details about the new price options. They cover a broad range of Network Creator needs, including a low-cost option aimed at nonprofits and individuals. Ning has been a great solution for us on TuDiabetes and EsTuDiabetes, where we use most of the current premium services they offer. I find the new Ning Pro option a great deal and a good fit for our needs and budget.”

Feature-rich platforms

The Ning Platform offers a host of powerful features for Network Creators; including blogs, photos, forum tools, branded media players, extensive design controls and integration with other leading social media services.

Over the coming months Ning will roll out even more ways for Network Creators to enhance their networks, including the following updates:

The ability to replace the Ning ID with a custom sign-in system, as well as support for authentication with Facebook, Twitter and more
New APIs to enable mobile and desktop application development opportunities
Increased design flexibility through additional homepage text boxes and RSS modules, as well as improved header and footer control
Network Creator controls to enable access to premium content
Reporting and analytics around member usage, content and demographics
New Product Packages

Ning Pro: As Ning’s flagship product, Ning Pro is the right choice for Creators who are serious about building a comprehensive social experience and need flexibility, integration and support. Ning Pro Networks offer unlimited membership, full control over branding, multimedia options including music uploads and branded players, and advanced customization. Price: $49.95 / month or $ 499.95/ year
Ning Plus: Ning Plus offers a robust set of tools and features to grow a highly-engaged, branded social network. Ning Plus Networks provide unlimited membership, full control over branding, and features including events, groups, chat, pages and Ning Apps. Network Creators using Ning Plus will also have advanced customization options that include the ability to edit CSS, add Javascript and make use of a Language Editor. Price: $19.95 / month or $199.95 / year
Ning Mini: Ning Mini is the fastest and simplest way to start social networks for a classroom, small non-profit or family group, giving organizers the ability to create a social network in under 30 seconds. Networks using Ning Mini have access to Ning’s core features including, blogs, photos, forums and video embeds, and the added ability to run custom advertising. Price: $2.95 / month or $19.95 / year
Current Network Creators will have the opportunity to select the package that is right for them within 30 days of the July rollout. Those choosing to migrate from the Ning platform will be provided with the time and tools to export their members and content using standards-based data feeds.

About Ning

Ning is the leading online platform for the world’s organizers, activists and influencers to create social experiences that inspire action. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., Ning offers an easy-to-use service that enables people to create custom branded social networks. With more than 300,000 active Ning Networks created across politics, entertainment, small business, non-profits, education and more, millions of people every day are coming together across Ning to connect around the topics they are passionate about. Ning was co-founded in October 2004 by Chairman Marc Andreessen and is privately held. For more information, visit www.ning.com

Vesta Digital LLC announces IntelBuilder 2.2 version update that integrates all aspects of online marketing tools and brings them into one powerful web based application framework.

IntelBuilder Social Media Website Platform is the first platform that offers web content management system (CMS), social media marketing, and sales lead tracking with strong reporting and measuring tools. In addition, this website platform comes with built-in search engine optimization (SEO) and business modules that help generate traffic and retain customers on your website.

Key Features
IntelBuilder is a content management system and social media platform for publishing and distributing content on the web. It is designed for easy control and maintenance and allows you to effortlessly add content pages, edit existing content and remove outdated material from your website.

With IntelBuilder users are able to automatically distribute and aggregate web content throughout the Internet – on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WordPress, Blogger, RSS Feeds, Digg, Delicious – and other social networking and bookmarking websites – with the touch of a button. The visibility and exposure of your content increases over 200%.

IntelBuilder 2.2 offers rich reporting tools such as measuring and monitoring of online conversations taking place on the website. A blog module that comes with this platform is built into your website and unlike WordPress, is a branded part of the website. Content and Blog administrators are notified of every new conversation taking place on a blog post and therefore are able to automatically engage with that user, auto-follow and send them custom “thank you” message. This active participation creates more meaningful conversations and builds a “true” audience with users who have taken interest or liking to in the company’s product or service.

“IntelBuilder 2.2 Social Media Website Platform gives you capabilities that no other social media platform has. These new enhancements further enrich a very extensive software program and create a more engaging social media experience for their customers,” says Artem Gassan, CEO of Vesta Digital.

About Vesta Digital
Vesta Digital creates, develops and implements web-based software solutions that help businesses of all sizes to enhance productivity by increasing efficiency and overall profitability.

www.vestadigital.com

The winners of the 2010 Design and Remodeling Industry Blogger Awards are: Joys of Home (Best Interior Design Blog), Brookfield Homes (Construction Industry Blog) and Craftsman Home Remodeling (Best Remodeling Blog). Sponsored by Jackson Design & Remodeling, readers voted online for their favorite blog out of 22 nominees in three categories: Interior Design, Construction Business and Remodeling. Winners will receive a $500 cash prize and a JDR Blogger Awards Winner badge to display on their blog.

Sponsored by Jackson Design and Remodeling, the goal of the JDR Blogger Awards is to give recognition to the work of industry bloggers, while promoting the professionalism of the remodeling industry and keeping the public informed about the latest trends in home design.

“With more and more consumers going online for remodeling advice, research and design ideas, we felt it was the perfect time to acknowledge these bloggers who are helping to educate and inspire people who are considering a remodel, looking for design ideas or even taking on their own projects,” said JDR President Todd Jackson. “We want to thank all the amazing nominees this year and offer our congratulations to the winners.”

While we weren’t eligible for our own awards, you can keep in touch with JDR’s award winning team of designers and remodeling experts and find information on the 2011 JDR Industry Blogger Awards on our Blog or through our social network at facebook.com/jacksondesignandremodeling and twitter @jacksondesign.

About Jackson Design and Remodeling
Jackson Design and Remodeling has been serving the San Diego community for 20 years. Todd Jackson, President and CEO, has established an enduring tradition of quality and service in the remodeling industry. Jackson and his team have won numerous awards for their work, including 23 COTY awards, several Chrysalis awards and the 2007 and 2009 Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. The company has been named one of Inc Magazine’s fastest growing companies for two years in a row, is one of the San Diego Business Journal’s “100 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies” for a third consecutive year and has also received Remodeling Magazine’s coveted “Big50 Award.” JDR offers design-build services giving clients peace of mind that the entire remodeling process, from start to finish, will be seamless. This approach allows for creative thinking, detailed planning and exceptional project management, and is the reason why JDR has built a trusted reputation in the industry for its quality work and commitment to client service. For more information, visit www.jacksondesignandremodeling.com, call (619) 442-6125 or follow us on facebook: Jackson Design & Remodeling and twitter @jacksondesign.

SOKULE.com, a new social media network, offers small businesses a forum that allows them to save time while marketing their brands using the popularity of social media marketing. Business owners who are committed to utilizing a smart, profitable, and streamlined social media platform are now turning to SOKULE to help them quickly meet their online marketing needs.

SOKULE is a uniquely designed social media platform that operates in a similar fashion to Twitter, but includes additional features that streamline the process of social media marketing for small businesses.

Members of Sokule.com have the opportunity to “squeek” messages of up to 500 characters through Sokule.com, while simultaneously posting the same message to 38 additional social media profiles as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, while also pinging blog sites like WordPress and Blogger with just 1 click.

This multi posting and pinging process ultimately provides better marketing exposure, because the messages will get indexed by search engines much more quickly than if a business owner were to update each site individually.

The primary goal of SOKULE founder Jane Mark and developer Phil Basten was to create a profile for small business owners that worked in the same way as other popular social media platforms.

Part of what can make running an e-commerce website difficult is the task of getting the message seen and heard by others online, especially in the beginning stages.

SOKULE makes this process simple and easy by alerting various blogs and social media sites in a manner that causes search engines to take notice of posts that originate from SOKULE.

This, in turn, offers fast and widespread exposure and faster search engine indexing for those who need traffic to their websites in order to get their businesses up and running.

SOKULE has also pioneered a mobile platform that allows members to post updates and send out messages while they are on the go and away from the office.

However, the main difference between SOKULE and traditional social media sites is that business owners can profit from using SOKULE to promote their own individual brands and products.

Though a base membership at SOKULE is free, another factor that makes SOKULE special is the ability for SOKULE upgraded members to earn commissions each time they refer a new upgraded member to the service.

Developer Phil Basten says that “This is the perfect membership for a business or individual who is really serious about using social networking to dominate their industry.”

For further information, please visit http://www.SOKULE.com

My Twitter Toolbox is a brand new site that provides members with all of the Twitter tools available on the market. The site was developed to help business owners be more effective and markedly increase their productivity with the fastest growing and most popular social networking site out there – Twitter.

Months of programming and thousands of hours have gone into making My Twitter Toolbox the most powerful and comprehensive set of Twitter tools on the market. Here is some of the recent feedback My Twitter Toolbox has received:

“This is a one-stop shop product to effectively use Twitter.” – Felicia Grimes, FGI Solutions

“For less than the cost of fast food meal, we provide you with all things Twitter in one location” said David Perdew, the owner and creator of My Twitter Toolbox. “Each month, we add to the current bucket of Twitter applications” he said, “to ensure that our members have the edge when it comes to using Twitter”

“Talk about comprehensive…I have never before seen a more complete and helpful compilation of Twitter tools, thanks!” – Rob Richards, JVCashAnytime

My Twitter Toolbox is available 24/7, and it consolidates all essential Twitter applications in one easy-to-use location and organizes them by useful categories such as:

Account Management
Analysis
Better Blogging
Better Business
Better Health
Better Living
Better Networking
More Info
Productivity
Sharing

There are over 200 Twitter tools for members. The site includes Twitter training, which covers an introduction to Twitter, Twitter Tips, how to leverage Twitter with HelloTxt, and how to follow a Twitter Mind Map. In addition, My Twitter Toolbox offers forums where members can interact with one another. Membership in My Twitter Toolbox is available for $5.99 and comes with a 30-day, no-questions asked, money-back guarantee.

After months of work, My Twitter Toolbox is now open to the public at http://MyTwitterToolbox.com.

Social Media Network Analysis: Next Practices in Social Network Analysis, Tools and Media Friday 30 April 2010, 8:30am – 5:00pm Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, California USA

Social media, communities and collaboration are defined by dynamic network structure. The success of social media is determined by underlying social networks. Success is not determined by technology, applications or social networking sites. Social networks are the complex, omnipresent foundation of all social media, communities and collaboration. Comprehension, visualization and optimization are critical to social media.

Social media network analysis visualizes, interprets and optimizes the complex network patterns and flows of social media, online communities and enterprise collaboration. Comprehension and mastery of social media network analysis fundamentally advances the success of applied social media and achieves the most favorable outcomes.

Like the spreadsheet in the 1980s, the process diagram of the 1990s, social graphs and network analyses are the critical tools of 21st Century organizations, economies, the environment and civil society. Mastery of social media network analysis is critical to comprehension, performance and prosperity in all the new economies.

This workshop uses NodeXL. It is a free, open source network analysis package for Excel. In the workshop, a range of pervasive Internet social media including Facebook, discussion groups, Twitter, enterprise collaboration, communities-of-practice, blogs and email are presented, analyzed and visualized. Comprehensive network patterns are explored to illustrate the scope of variation among applications and between types of contributors. These patterns reveal steps to achieve continuous success with social media, communities of practice and enterprise collaboration.

About

The Social Media Network Analysis workshop is practical, hands-on, low-cost and high-value. SMNA is highly germane to commercial concerns, the enterprise, non-profit organizations, small/medium sized companies, startups, investors, consultants and entrepreneurs. Your SNMA workshop is a small-group, close-in configuration of authentic conversation, hands-on experience, skill development and participant collaboration. It is designed for all levels. All are welcome.

Secure, discount check-in for the Social Media Network Analysis workshop is open and filling up fast. Registration in advance is required. Registration ($299) includes meals, parking, refreshments, materials, Wi-Fi access, reception, group workspace and discounts.

FreeConference® application takes communication in the virtual world to the next level with audio conferencing. FreeConference provides the tools and shortcuts to schedule a conference and invite friends to join right from a user’s Facebook page.

“Once people realize that conference bridges can be used any time to bring two or more people together to talk, it opens up a new world for family and friends to gather and chat about anything,” said Ken Ford, CEO of Global Conference Partners, parent company of FreeConference. “FreeConference is not just for business discussions, but for anyone that needs to bring people together for communication.”

The FreeConference application can be easily added from Facebook, and existing FreeConference account holders can just enter their current User ID and Password to access their existing dial-in numbers and access codes. For those without an existing FreeConference account, there is a FREE sign-up process within Facebook that gives users a dial-in number and dedicated access code that can be used anytime. Premium features such as Toll-Free and Conference Recording can be added for a nominal fee.

FreeConference’s Facebook application lets users:

Schedule conferences within Facebook
View upcoming and past conferences
Manage invitee list from Event page
Share pictures, videos and links
Allow friends to invite more friends or create “Secret” Event
Share conference history with friends
Use anytime for business or to talk with family and friends
Use your conferencing number anytime outside of Facebook without a reservation
About FreeConference®

FreeConference originated the free teleconferencing concept with highly automated, enterprise quality conferencing services for businesses, organizations and individuals requiring top-tier performance at little or no cost. FreeConference continues to lead the industry with innovative value-added audio and web conferencing options that let users customize the conferencing features they need, just when they need them. FreeConference is a service of Global Conference Partners™. For more information, visit www.freeconference.com or www.globalconferencepartners.com