Highlights of the Media Collective update to version 6.0 include:

Embed code release and expiration – Widen has made the expiration of assets and permissions more intuitive and less time-intensive. Embed codes can now be made active only between dates defined by administrators, making the Media Collective a more effective media hub for brand consistency.

Social media integration – New API integrations allow authorized users of the system to publish videos to YouTube. The new feature also facilitates the publishing of links to images, videos and other media to Facebook and Twitter.

Watch assets – Users can now “watch” assets, prompting alerts for activities related to changes made to specific media including new versions, metadata updates, and release/expiration dates.

Alerts – New system messages, administrative tasks, watched asset alerts and other notifications are easily accessible in a new Alerts Menu. This aspect of the interface will feel familiar to users, as it resembles similar features in popular social networks.

Streamlined metadata entry – Updates to the Media Collective’s metadata functionality will enable users to utilize dependent metadata, auto-complete, and other enhancements. Administrators will also be able to set required metadata parameters, restricting the ordering of assets that have not been assigned certain metadata.

Multiple asset search – Users will be able to search for multiple assets simultaneously. This will be particularly useful in instances where they can copy and paste more than one filename into Collective.

Widen also introduced updates to functions exclusive to system administrators:

Pin favorites – Administrators can now add their most-used admin tools pages to a list of favorites.

Role wizard – Role creation is even easier now thanks to new templates and smarter technology.

These updates to Media Collective come on the heels of other enhancements made over the course of 2011, including a new, more intuitive search function.

“The search update in Collective allows users to quickly see their results and narrow them through filters.  Preview images load as you scroll, which allows users to see their results more quickly,” said Software Development Manager Deanna Ballew.

Recent updates also introduced asset Collections. Administrators can define access to Collections as narrowly or broadly as is necessary to a given campaign’s success.

Contact Widen through this form for more details on what’s new in Media Collective 6.0.: http://www.widen.com/contact/contact-us.php

“These improvements to the Widen Media Collective represent just the latest step in our ongoing quest to make our DAM system the most sound, stable and empowering tool at our customers’ disposal,” said Jake Athey, Widen Marketing Manager. “We’re focused on the future of DAM software. With our talent and dedication to customer service, we know we’ll play an important role in that future.”

About Widen Enterprises, Inc.

Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Widen has honed its more than 60 years of experience in premedia services and color management specifically for assisting customers with building brand equity and supporting consistent brand representation across print and Web communications. Through its inventive suite of Web-based digital asset management applications, Widen software services provide marketing networks with real-time, Web-based access to clients’ digital asset libraries, subsequently eliminating manual search and file preparation time, costs related to replacing images and videos that cannot be located, and added costs for hardware, software and upgrades. For more information, visit: http://www.widen.com.

On top of earning the high distinction as Best in Category for Pet Services, the Zoom Room was also ranked #3 on a list of the Top 50 Franchises, in all categories, in the nation with under 50 units. Now in its seventh year, the “FBR50” is the only awards program to look at actual franchisee satisfaction data and rank companies through these specific criteria. Based on a survey of more than 22,000 franchisees representing more than 300 franchise brands, the 2012 award winners represent a variety of franchise concepts and industries.

“There are some outstanding franchisors associated with these awards, and to be included among them is exceptional,” said Mark Van Wye, COO of the Zoom Room. “This validates the system we’ve put in place for every franchise owner across the nation. We’re looking forward to adding even more franchisees in the coming years to join our team.”

The Zoom Room, founded by animal training expert Jaime Van Wye, focuses on the bond between the owner and their dog by offering an array of classes and activities for mainstream consumers in a modern, social atmosphere.

Franchise Business Review annually recognizes franchisors with the highest overall franchisee satisfaction based on its survey of franchisees. The survey includes 33 benchmark questions, relating to the franchisee’s experience and satisfaction as well as market area, business lifestyle, and other demographic characteristics. Franchise Business Review contacts each franchisee individually with an average franchisee participation rate of 70 percent.

“We’re seeing more of a focus from franchisors on unit profitability. This has been a big focus for operators in the past several years, but now it seems franchisors are actually responding. Franchisees are rating support from franchisors better than they were a few years ago,” said Franchise Business Review President Michelle Rowan. “Everybody’s more optimistic going into 2012.”

For more information about the Zoom Room, please visit http://www.ZoomRoomOnline.com.

About The Zoom Room®
The Zoom Room is a dog training center and canine social club specializing in dog agility. Founded in 2007 by expert dog trainer Jaime Van Wye, The Zoom Room offers dozens of classes teaching dog owners how to train their dogs, in addition to hosting events such as dog birthday parties, breed meet-up groups and fundraising events. For more information, visit http://www.ZoomRoomOnline.com.

About Franchise Business Review
Franchise Business Review is a national franchise market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and franchise buyer experiences. The firm’s services include commissioned franchise research projects, as well as industry-wide studies of franchisee satisfaction. Franchise Business Review is headquartered in Portsmouth, NH, and can be reached at (603) 433-2270. Please visit http://www.FBR50.com for more information.

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The project, which includes a commercial automobile service shop area with 16 service bays, four new classrooms, a dedicated customer service area and new parts and equipment storage rooms, is part of an ambitious effort to accommodate an increase in enrollment and provide a technologically-advanced learning environment for students.

“The new Joliet Junior College Automotive Technology Center doubles the capacity of the Automotive Technology program and creates a superior learning environment for students,” said Ed Faron, project manager for Wight & Company. “Automotive Technology Center students now have computers at each vehicle service bay for convenient access to instructional literature, repair guidelines and automotive part diagrams. Fourteen inground and two floor-mounted vehicle lifts provide the highest quality facility for auto and truck repair.”

Wight & Company, who designed and built the first LEED-certified school in Illinois, developed the expansion to both facilitate learning and be environmentally friendly. “We strive to incorporate sustainability in everything we do. With this project, we are happy to have delivered an end product that meets the educational needs of Joliet Junior College students while also achieving environmental responsibility,” said Lois Vitt Sale, chief sustainability officer at Wight.

“Green” elements of the expansion include:

•   Skylights and clerestory to utilize natural light
•   LED lighting fixtures on occupancy sensors
•   Shop and classrooms served by separate high-efficiency HVAC equipment
•   Light-colored coating on asphalt parking lot and a white single-ply roof to reduce urban heat island effect
•   Controlled rainwater discharge into sewer system
•   Native landscaping
•   Recycling more than 75 percent of the project’s construction waste

Each of the four new classrooms are focused on automotive instruction and are outfitted with projectors and screens for instructor presentations. At the same time, the addition of 17,000 square feet enables Joliet Junior College to accommodate even more students to satisfy the increased demand in automotive courses.

“Sustainable stewardship is a way of life in our company, and we work with our clients to promote environmental awareness and responsibility,” continued Vitt Sale. “Sustainability is not a one-size-fits-all recipe. For each project, we help our clients identify their specific environmental pressures and priorities, and offer sustainable strategies that deliver solutions that reflect their goals, whether it be creating a high-performance learning environment or enhancing operating efficiencies.”

The expansion forms the east edge of a newly configured and relandscaped entry plaza at the main entrance of Building D. The new commercial auto shop, a vehicle maintenance shop that serves the students and faculty of Joliet Junior College, frees up the former auto shop space so it can be used as an extension of the classroom.

About Wight & Company
Established in 1939, Wight & Company is a leader in integrated solutions for the built environment. With a professional staff of specialists, including 60 LEED® Accredited Professionals, Wight provides clients with comprehensive architecture, engineering and construction management services to the public and private sectors. As the first firm to receive Green Firm Certification from the Sustainable Performance Institute (SPI) and the architect of 30 LEED® certified or registered projects including silver, gold and platinum designations, Wight is committed to sustainable design and construction principles. It maintains offices in Chicago and Darien, Ill. For more information visit www.wightco.com.