Unify™ Private Beta
Unify is out! Go here to see more about how it works, and start editing your site for just $24.49! – Nathan
For the past few months the Unit Interactive team has been working hard on a little application that is meant to solve big headaches for web designers and their clients. It’s called Unify, and it’s a website content editor that is easy to install and easy to use.
We are ready to begin private beta testing on Unify and we cordially invite you to sign up to participate.
UPDATE:
The beta testing sign-up is now closed.
What is Unify?
Unify is not a content management system. It’s is a simple content editor that anyone can use. It has a ridiculously simple implementation and requires no database integration. To use Unify, you simply go to your website, login, edit the content right on the page, and click “publish.” Done.
- no CMS
- no backend interface
- no database setup
- no proprietary syntax or tags
Just change, add, or delete content right on the page in your browser.
Setting Up Unify
For the designer/developer, implementation is a snap. Once you create an account and download Unify, just…
1. Upload the Unify folder to the server,
2. Add the appropriate Unify classes to the HTML elements or divs that you’d like to be able to edit, and upload the page(s) to the server.
…or…
3. There is no step 3. You’re done.
Why Unify?
Not every website needs a cumbersome and complex CMS. Sometimes all someone needs is the ability to modify content; to edit contact information, to replace an image, or to change some copy. For website owners, the easiest and most intuitive way to do that would be to go to their website in a browser and edit the content right there, on the page. Unify makes this possible.
For Designers & Developers
Wouldn’t you like to have a simple content editing solution for those clients who don’t need a powerful CMS? Unify is perfect for brochure sites and other informational websites where content updates are minor and infrequent. With Unify, your clients don’t have to know HTML and they don’t need to learn to use a complex, counterintuitive backend system. Unify lets you give your clients an easy-to-use editing solution so that they can be self-sufficient …and you can determine which elements they can edit and which elements they can’t.
Unify is not a hosted solution. It lives on the website’s server. The license cost will be very low, allowing for easy inclusion in project budgeting.
Using Unify
After going to www.yourdomain.com/unify and logging in, editable areas become conspicuous on the page. Double-clicking on an editable area or clicking on the edit tab opens up an intuitive editing interface for that content element or containing div. The controls are contextual to the elements you are editing. Unify even has a robust definition list wizard; a feature lacking in other content editing apps. Unify’s intuitive image wizard allows uploading, editing, application of classes, IDs, or alternate text properties to images.
For more complex content arrays, like image+copy+stats for a typical company’s staff listing or a product listing, Unify even has a repeatable element function so that website owners can add a new staff member or product. The user can select a repeatable section, insert a duplicate, and change the relevant information or image. This function prevents your client from destroying a complex product or staff listing while editing in visual mode.
Unify works to preserve good markup. You can edit in either visual or HTML mode. The visual mode prevents users from adding presentational effects (like underlines or colors) to content, so the presentation stays within the CSS.
Sign up for the Private Beta
If you are a web designer or developer and would like to help us put Unify through its paces, please go to the Unify website and sign up to participate in our private beta.
UPDATE:
The beta testing sign-up is now closed.
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- Meet the Staff: Angela Conlon
- Published: Interference
- Project Launch: Ringstats
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- The Analog Notepads of Unit Interactive
- Nathan’s Anniversary
- Developing for Unify – pt. II
- Makin’ Days
- Our 2009 Annual Report
- Sewanee Environmental Institute
- Projects to Kick Off 2010
- The Sum of All Choices
- SnowCraft Fun!
- Risky Wallpapers
- TSTC Web Curriculum Committee
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- Recent Project Launches
- Developing For Unify – pt. I
- Our First Product Launch: Unify
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Comments (57)
Now what I’d really like to see is a take on this that generated pages and navigation too. Can you point out what differentiates this from the competition at the moment; http://www.grabaperch.com/ and http://www.cushycms.com/
Thanks Tom. Perch requires markup PHP includes/tags and Cushy is hosted and has a backend interface. Unify doesn’t need these. Big differences.
This looks awesome! I’m really excited to see it in action. I know so many times when I work with clients, they more or less ask for something like this. Cool stuff, guys!
Unify: the CMS without CMS. :)
Ah – I can think of, oh, I don’t know … a dozen clients who could use this right now! Bring it on …
@Tom H: From what I see, a use can edit the navigation – it’s just not automated. Further, if page generation and automatic navigation creation were added – it would be a CMS (just not database driven).
@Andy: Very nice idea – not only brochure sites, but start-ups and those who prefer old-school FTP website management. (Which might be making a bigger comeback than most of us think – just not the way we’re used to thinking about it – just my opinion though.)
Hey Josh. You may be right. I, for instance, greatly prefer static/included sites to CMS-driven sites. Design View is entirely static. Always has been. I prefer it that way.
…and BTW, Design View will be a Unify site very soon. Will be so much easier to play with.
What a great product, my client’s are also always asking for something like this!
I have one major concern though and that’s security – how hack-proof will this application be?
Signing up for the beta now.
I’ve been hoping for something like this to pop up for a very long time now. Personally I think this is what the future of CMS’s is: taking content generation out of the admin pages. :) Signed up and hoping for an invite! Would make both my and my clients’ lives easier.
@Harmony: Unify will be at least as secure as many of the popular CMSs out there… probably more so given that there are less moving parts to protect. Of course, this is what the beta is all about, so if you haven’t already, sign up and help us make Unify as secure as possible!
Hey, I’d love to kick the tires on this puppy – it looks like exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’ve touched on Expression Engine, but that seems overkill for most projects. I signed up already – dying to try.
guys this looks amazing. can’t wait to get my hands on it and try it out. thanks.
Ohh! I just missed it. I wish I could test the beta :(
Very interesting, glad to see someone working on this kind of stuff. I’m considering trying something different for an upcoming project. Got one question though.
This seems similar to Adobe InContext Editing. What differentiates you guys? :)
Can you implement a notifier of some kind ( email, twitter, etc. ) to alert the masses ( me ) when Unify is publicly available?
Oh no! I can’t believe I missed the beta for this! This sounds like a very exciting app! I can’t wait! Just one more exclamation mark to emphasise just how excited I am…!
This sounds absolutely brilliant! Thanks guys.
Wow, that looks absolutely awesome, can’t wait to get to test this out when the beta opens up again!
Thanks for all the nice feedback, folks. I’m glad to hear that you’re liking the premise for this app. We’ll be out of beta soon and will announce the commercial release of Unify in several ways, including @unitinteractive on Twitter. Stay tuned!
@Daniel: Unify differs from the Adobe product in significant ways. While we both aim for a similar experience for the user, 1) theirs is cloud-hosted while ours is self-hosted, 2) they use flash in order to function and ours is JS and PHP, 3) theirs requires a monthly subscription while ours has a one-time, modest license fee. There are likely many other differences, but this should give you a good idea. Thanks for your question!
Would you please cc me when you notify Ivan that Unify is publicly available?
How would you compare this to http://www.cushycms.com/?
I’m curious as to when you think Unify might become publicly available? If not soon, may we still be added to the private beta group?
Come on Andy…throw us a bone. How soon is soon? Would really love to see more as I am on the verge of needing a content editor like this and if I cant get my hands on this to see with my very own eyes soon i’ll need to sign up elswhere…and how miffed will I be if its as smokin as it sounds.
Thanks, all, for your interest in Unify. If you want to be notified of the release, you can to go the temporary page http://unify.unitinteractive.com/ and sign up. Thanks!
Looks very interesting. Will this be open source, or will there be a licensing fee, like Perch CMS.
This will be way cool if it works as describe! I would love to beta test this!
@Clayton: When released, it will be licensed for a modest price. But again, it is not a CMS and does not work like one. It is merely an in-browser content editor.
@Humidity: Sorry, can’t say when it’ll be available in commercial release. Again, please sign up to be notified of the release if you like. Thanks for your interest!
alrite, but how do we restrict the users who can edit the content?
Looks like a great product. Would this product be able to edit the meta data like description and keywords.
@Anoop: by user accounts
@Steven: Thanks. No, this is a simple content editor. It is not (yet) a development platform.
Hope it works/pays off, as getting sick and tired of WordPress for clients.
This rules – I’ve seen similar free releases with Ajax but there was no way to login or regulate who had access to make changes. I hope it gets released soon. ;-)
hey guys, we want a release! Hurry up! :)
I am looking at light CMS systems and need to make a choice very soon. Isn’t there any ballpark release date available?
Thanks everyone for your interest (and impatient enthusiasm ;-). It will likely be weeks before Unify is released. Hang in there (or make other arrangements if you need something now).
@Rick: thanks, but keep in mind that Unify is not a CMS; only a content editor.
This looks very interesting and I’m very sorry that I missed the beta.
My first solution, for the project that I’m working on, was CushyCMS but then I stumble upon Unfiy.
This sound more interesting and also easier for the client to understand how to work with editor/CMS.
I love option to skip hosted solution and a backend interface.
@Andy: Hang in there (or make other arrangements if you need something now).
As you mention, is it possible to make arrangement to try a beta.
I would like to use it on project that I’m working on and waiting “weeks” for realise of Unify is too long period for this project.
@Miljenko: Thanks for your thoughts. The beta period is over and we’re making final preparations for the commercial release. So I’m afraid that there will be nothing available for about another month from now.
Thank you for quick replay.
I don’t have time to wait for release, obviously in this case I will need to use another solution, but I looking forward for some other possible usage of Unify in my projects.
Hi will it be able to edit content in a php page? so I can keep the techy stuff away from clients.
@brian: Unify will work on a php page… so long as there is content there to edit. It will also cycle through any includes on the page and edit them accordingly.
Looks promising. Could you comment on whether licensing will be one-off or per site deployed on?
@pactum: Unify will be licensed per domain. If you specified mydomain.com, Unify will not work for subdomains off of that domain, such as subdomain.mydomain.com, but you could register subdomain.mydomain.com. Each domain or subdomain requires its own Unify license.
Looks really interesting. Would really love to give it a spin. An invite would make my day. *smile_nicely*
It is a month later (“there will be nothing available for about another month from now”)… but I know how software development goes and I wish you guys the very best. Any news yet? An update on the ETA?
@Keith: Too late, Unify has now launched! http://unify.unitinteractive.com/
I couldnt believe noone thought about creating a so perfect way of in-browser-editing before. I was just looking for that and getting sad ’cause you can find nothing in internet but full featured cms or mere wysiwyg editors. I havent yet used Unify, but surely will soon. I’m used to choose free open source products, but I’m also very happy to pay for getting such a great software. Just one question: there will be modular plugins for Unify, such as galleries, news ticker, upload systems, and so on?
Thank you guys, God bless Texas!
@Pitaro: Thanks! To answer your question: Unify was developed to lay on top of what you may already have on your site, so there are no specific plugins… but Unify has been tweaked to make sure that it works well with whatever lightbox you may have installed, and provides a file upload system of it’s own. Other than that, you can really use whatever you want.
Hope this helps.
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