Six Apart Announces Developer Edition of Movable Type 3.0, Giving Developers, Enthusiasts and Corporate IT Departments a Customizable and Secure Publishing Platform for Weblogs

Business Wire, May 13, 2004

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 2004

New Publishing Platform Addresses Demand for More Extensible

Architecture and Greater Security While Providing More

Flexible and Varied License Options

Six Apart, whose award-winning TypePad and Movable Type software has made it a leader in weblogging software, today announced the developer edition of Movable Type 3.0. The fully-featured publishing platform provides an enhanced architecture that allows developers to customize Movable Type, enabling new applications to be written and new revenue opportunities to be created for the developer community. In addition, Movable Type 3.0 offers a new suite of controls to manage reader comments, giving corporate and individual webloggers control over the comments posted to their weblogs. Finally, Six Apart announced new support and licensing options, letting corporate, institutional and individual webloggers choose the plan that best fits their needs.

"There are thousands of dedicated webloggers who have great ideas to build upon Movable Type's core system," said Mena Trott, Six Apart's co-founder and CEO. "By making Movable Type 3.0 an extensible publishing platform, we have enabled them to build and create their own modules or plug-ins and even start businesses to sell them. With their imagination and skills, Movable Type will become the core of innovative, unique and useful publishing solutions all over the globe."

In addition to offering new ways to extend the application, Movable Type 3.0 includes revamps of much of its core engine, offering a range of optimizations and speed improvements as well as a broad new suite of controls for managing reader comments and integrating with authentication services.

Trott said that interest in weblogs as an internal and external communication vehicle for corporations and institutions is booming.

"The number of weblogs is expanding, not only among individuals but also among businesses and governmental institutions who like their immediacy, simplicity and ability to create communities," said Trott. "At Six Apart, we've seen a 50 percent increase in sales of Movable Type's Commercial product in the last quarter, and a 250 percent increase over a year. We've had a sizable number of companies join corporations like Disney, the US Census Bureau and About.com in using Movable Type to foster stronger relationships with their employees and customers."

Trott said Movable Type 3.0 Developer Edition is being promoted to experienced developers, enthusiasts and corporate IT departments, giving them a head start in creating new capabilities on the platform. "By the general release of Movable Type 3.0, we expect to not only have a rich platform but also a great number of plug-ins created by the developer community."

TypeKey Authentication Services: Identity Management and Security

One of the key components of Movable Type 3.0 is the ability to integrate with TypeKey, Six Apart's online authentication system used for authenticated weblog commenting. TypeKey gives weblog publishers the tools they need to ensure the people who post comments on their weblog have a verified identity, keeping weblog conversations on track. It can combat "content spamming," or junk comments and prohibit unauthorized comments. For more information, go to www.typekey.com.

"Plug Into Movable Type" Developers Contest

Separately today Six Apart also announced the "Plug Into Movable Type" developers contest, offering $20,000 in prizes and the ability for developers to publicize their new Movable Type 3.0 plug-ins. The company said new qualified plug-ins will be posted on the Six Apart website, giving developers an opportunity to promote and if desired, sell their work. More information and details on how to enter can be found at www.sixapart.com/contest/plugin.> New Support and Licensing Options

With Movable Type 3.0 Developer Edition, Six Apart is announcing several new options for licensing and support to meet the increasing diversity of its user community. Previously, Six Apart offered just two plans, a voluntary contribution supported version and a restrictive commercial license.

Under the new plan, users will be able to select from a number of licensing options including professionally supported personal and commercial licenses as well as variants for customers with multiple weblogs and authors. Bundled with all paid licenses are a range of enhanced support services, including a new knowledge base and support ticket system. In addition the company will continue to offer an unsupported no cost version for download.

Additional advanced fee-based services for Movable Type 3.0, such as configuration and installations, will be available to all paid licensees within the next few months.

More information can be found at www.movabletype.org

About Six Apart

Six Apart Ltd., based in San Mateo, CA, is the company behind the Movable Type weblog publishing platform and the TypePad personal weblogging service. Founded by husband and wife team Ben Trott and Mena G. Trott in 2002 and funded by Neoteny Co., Ltd, Six Apart creates tools that enable tens of thousands of individuals, organizations and corporations to participate in the web's full potential by publishing their ideas on the Internet with simple, yet powerful software and services. For more information about Six Apart, TypePad and Movable Type, visit the Six Apart corporate weblog at www.sixapart.com.