Today the June release was launched, and it included a long shopping list of updates to both the core system and to several modules, so without hesitation - here it is!

• Improved Spam filtering
• New tabbed administrative interfaces
• Support for TinyMCE Snippets
• Improved memory usage of the Online Store Module
• New Blog Manager options
• Integration of the Social Media Manager and the Blog Manager
• New Search and Membership Management options in the Membership Access System
• Improved image handling in the Product Catalog

With this update, we also included the framework for the new Twitter Update module and several that will be released in July. These updates include improved handling of e-commerce configurations, new options for handling Flash video, and the first version of our Google Analytics integration.

The New Year brings changes for many organizations, and we are eager to share some exciting new changes at Lewis Media. We have two sides to our business: first, we provide web design and consulting services, and second we sell our software to marketing and design agencies world-wide.  

In late 2008 we were approached by a marketing firm who was interested in purchasing our software and that arm of the business. We have recently completed the sale, which will lead to some changes in the way we operate.

To ensure our web design and consulting clients continue to receive the highest level of service available, we are partnering with ZFactor Communications, a long time strategic partner and registered reseller of our Bistro software. The new, closer alliance will see ZFactor taking the lead on delivering more comprehensive web marketing services while our software development activities move to their new home.

Although this will have little impact on our design clients and their websites, it does mean that there will be some new faces and additional services to support them. The most visible changes will be the ZFactor logo on future communications (including newsletters, invoices and cards) and a host of new services to enhance their online and offline marketing. This also means that our Kitchener office will be closing. While software support for Bistro customers and resellers will continue to be provided through our distributor website, online resources and built-in help desk, all other support will be managed by the ZFactor team through their Waterloo office.

These changes represent an exciting new direction for both Lewis Media and ZFactor. We've enjoyed working with you and look forward to a successful and continually evolving business relationship.

If you have any questions about the new partnership or about your site - please don't hesitate to drop us a line.

We received many questions about our February update - here is a quick recap of some of the answers that have been posted to comments, emails and help requests.

What are the new Menu Manager AutoStuff tags?

You can find the full list of new tags in the Online Manual in the Appendices, however for your reference here, the new tags are: SUBMENU, SUBMENU WITH PIPES, SUBMENU AS LIST, SUBMENU AS HORIZONTAL TABLE, SUBMENU AS VERTICAL TABLE, and BREADCRUMBS. These are producer-level tags, so they won't appear in the AutoStuff drop-down list that is visible as you edit content - you will need to type them into the editor, or insert them into your theme files.

What are the new Support Plan pricing options?

We've posted the updated Support Plan price points in the Pricing section of our website. An important clarification - Automatic updates do require an active support plan. However, even if you don't have an active support plan, you can still update Bistro whenever you like, by clicking on System Setup => Check for Updates.

Do I still need the Title Override Beta module?

If you had the Title Override Beta module installed on your site, updating your URL Manager (now called the SEO Manager) will eliminate the need for your Title Override manager. The update process will import all the custom titles you have created, and will disable the Title Override module. However, it will not uninstall the module entirely. To keep your Bistro installation running smoothly, you may want to click on "Admin" => "Manage Modules" and uninstall the Title Override Beta.

It seems we're having an issue with our phone system this morning - if you're trying to reach us right now, the best option for the time being is by email. I'll update this post once we have it resolved.

~ Joseph

Feb 26th Update: It seems we're partially back up and running now - at least our voicemail has kicked back in. Time to look at alternatives. Any suggestions?

It's that time of month again - release day! And today's release is a large one touching the Bistro system, our distributor's website, and nine of the modules. So, here are the highlights of the release to Bistro 2.7.0.3 (for a full list of updates, you can always read our Software Updates RSS Feed).

• Bistro Core: upgraded the installer, added more information to the trouble shooting packages, improved support agreement controls, and streamlined module installation when downloading new modules
• Improved logging and error messages in the Page Manager
• XSS security patch for the Member Access System
• New Menu Manager AutoStuff tags for Breadcrumbs and Sub Menus
• The URL Manager has been renamed to the SEO Manager
• Minor bug fixes in the Contact Us Form, Online Store, and Articles Manager
• 1.0 Release of the Social Media Manager
• Improved Performance and Stability Monitoring

Out of these updates, there are a couple of pretty significant changes. First, the "URL Manager" being renamed to the "SEO Manager" includes several new features as well as opening the door for more comprehensive SEO features that were looking for a home. Previously, this module simply generated search-engine-friendly and custom URLs. With today's release, though, this module now supports XML Site Maps, as well as SEO title override fields (options previously provided through the Title Override module). This change of direction of the URL manager will allow us to further enhance Bistro's already-impressive SEO features.

A second important note, is the release of the Social Media Manager (SMM) - this is the first of our "Social Networking" modules that are specifically designed to add features to other modules. The SMM gives users the ability to easily add social bookmarking and sharing links to content on their website, or to add these buttons into their theme, for inclusion on every page. Watch out for next month's follow-on release of our Twitter connector.

The final update worth bringing your attention to, are the new Performance and Stability monitoring tools - although most end-user's won't notice these changes in-action, our distributors have been working with them for the past couple of weeks. The new monitoring tools respond even more quickly to site outages, and now include helpful monthly reports for distributors, informing them of the status of the Bistro sites they manage. These reports complement our existing trend-analysis tools, and give our distributors more information to use when helping their clients.