BC based Viviti launches new site, API integration, and more

Viviti provides a Content Management System for building websites. Recently, they launched a brand new website of their own, three new partner programs, and built in domain support. 

Creating a website on Viviti takes three minutes. You can drag and drop every feature you could possibly want, change themes, organize your layout, add pictures, etc. They offer components for twitter, facebook, flickr, last.fm, paypal shopping carts, and lots more. Making a site is actually fun!

Having only completed they're beta development stage in March 2009, the Parksville, BC based company has helped tens of thousands of people create a home on the internet.

The true value Viviti offers is the ability to build a site while viewing it in real time, in the browser (no dashboard required). With Viviti, making changes to your web design doesn't require loading new pages, or even reloading the one your on.

There new features add tonnes of value. By offering domain support, all of a users web needs can be handled in one location. Then, there's the new partner programs.

There is the designer program which is tailor made to fit the needs of design studios by allowing them to easily provide their clients with a very easy to use CMS, while saving the studios a lot of implementation time on their designs.

The reseller program is best suited to companies wishing to re-brand Viviti and sell it to their customers from their own website as their very own website builder.

Companies can now provide the Viviti website builder to their customers by using a series of API calls to integrate the Viviti into their own user database, support, and billing system.

Features like these keep Viviti successful in a competitive CMS market (think Wordpress, Ning). The reseller program is especially interesting. These affiliate-type features vastly increase the potential of a product to go viral.

Stuff is certainly happening at Viviti. Today they announced another new feature, built in video support. Check them out to experience CMS done right (read easy/fun).

Twestival Victoria : "Tweet, Meet, Give"

Twestival Victoria takes place on March 25th, as a fundraiser for Concern Worldwide. Last year the event raised $5000 in the name of charity, and hopes to build on that number this year.

“Twestival is a global Twitter fundraising festival with the motto 'Tweet, Meet, Give'”, explains Janis La Couvée.

Janis helped bring Twestival local to Victoria in Septmeber 2009. She is a long-time social relations volunteer (early 90's), and is witnessing firsthand the effects of Social Media.

“In my immediate neighborhood, I sit on an organizing committee for a local community event. We meet all year to produce a one day event. The same sized committe was able to plan and execute Twestival Victoria in just six weeks.”

“As a city, we came in second in fundraising, just behind Toronto who had over four times the number of participants.”

Victoria is an example of Social Media done right. The community is unique because of it's ability to translate online communication into face-to-face relationships.

This past week, the relationships Janis has built both online and off were able to once again benefit a worthy cause.

“Just this past week I decided to shave my head in support of Babes Go Bare for cancer, if I could raise $1000. And it happened! I've shaved my head twice before and NEVER raised $1000. The BC Cancer Agency will now benefit from my influence.”

It's stories such as Janice's that magnify the beauty of Social Media. She has an active network of individuals at her fingertips that can both read and share her messages.

“I love the possibility of increased connection, the ability to network with people outside an immediate geographical location (like a neighborhood), while at the same time still doing all the grass roots community building that is necessary to build capacity on the ground.”

It's individuals like Janice that make communities such as Victoria's click. It's always been this way, and always will be. It just so happens that the means for communication are improving drastically, complements of technology.

Victoria's success is largely a team effort. Organizations and events such as Social Media Club and Wordcamp help to educate the local businesses and people. There's also the local phenomena of Tweetups (#victoriatweetup), which frequently pop-up on a purely organic basis, that keep people connected and informed.

With the rules of Social Media as yet largely undefined, tapping into the mediums potential can be both intimidating and, as Janice explains, a lot of fun.

“To me, Social Media is a giant experiment, especially locally.”

“In the year to come, we hope to mentor the local not-for-profit community, and perhaps have more regular conversations with traditional communications and public relations professionals.”

To get involved with and learn about Social Media in Victoria there are a few resources worth noting. As mentioned, Twestival Victoria takes place March 25th, Social Media Club takes place the fourth Tuesday of each month* and Wordcamp Victoria happens May 15th. As for Twitter, the tag #yyj is as good a place to start as any.

*except for this month, to make room for Twestival

Victoria on the Rise

Victoria's climate is the undisputed northern champ. It's a ferry ride away from Vancouver and Seattle. It plays host to a top ranked Canadian university. There are more coffee shops and organic-based restaurants than fast food joints. It offers unlimited physical recreation. Essentially, Victoria has all the makings of a North American technology mecca, yet too often it's mild temperature mimics it's mild temperament.

Victoria flies under the radar amidst the surrounding tech mega-cities. In the past, it has gone unnoticed in the eyes of the emerging "Creative Class" (arguably the key to any cities future economic growth). Times appear to be changing though, and Victoria is showing signs of potential.

According to a recent study commissioned by the Victoria Advanced Technology Council (Viatec), "Revenue in Victoria's technology sector has roughly doubled since 2000."

The report claims that the city generated $1.95 billion from the technology sector in 2008 alone, and that technology has now surpassed tourism as the city's premier revenue contributor.

MoneySense's "Best Places to Live 2009" sheds some light on the issue as well. The overwhelming deterrent for setting up shop in Victoria seems to be the cost of living. It ranks 145 out of 154 cities in terms of "average house price" and "time to buy a house". Average house price totals a staggering $444k, beating out Ottawa ($272k), Halifax ($234k), Calgary ($362k), and even Toronto ($387k).

Victoria makes up for cost of living in other areas. It ranks #1 in terms of "overall places to live", dominates "days below freezing" (52.6 days annually), and is a leader in "% of population who bike or walk to work" (16%). There's a university, college, hospital and it scores well in the Buzz category (% of population employed in culture, arts, and sports).

In Paul Graham's essay "How to be Silicon Valley", he speaks about a cities growth based on it's attractiveness to start-ups. Graham talks about the key components of building a local tech community.

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