I'm very excited to let you know that the much anticipated, brand spankin' new version of Editor's Desk -- which we're calling version 2.1 -- just went live! 

To put this in perspective, the previous version of Editor's Desk launched about a year ago, and during that time we have solicited and listened to copious client and customer feedback in order to make this new version as powerful, streamlined, easy-to-use and intuitive as possible.  Our software engineers have been hard at work since March developing the new version of Editor's Desk that you see today.

Creating NewsGator-powered widgets to enhance brand recognition and content engagement, drive site traffic and improve monetization of your site has never been easer!  Let's take a look at some of the cool new features in Editor's Desk 2.1.

• A new user interface: Dramatically redesigned and easier to use.
• 30% faster: get more done in less time.
• New, great-looking templates to choose from: the new templates are much better looking, and they do a better job resizing around your content.  We've also integrated an ad payload -- so you can now monetize your widgets on your own or use ours!
• New smart search functionality: A once hidden feature is now seeing the light. You can now set up a persistent search around keywords, and constrain the universe from which to search. This will allow you to guarantee search results from known content providers.
• Feed monitoring: Instantly know if any of the feeds that provide content to your widget are not operating correctly; fix any feeds that are "stuck" with a handy refresh button
• Duplicate ("clone") button: create similar widgets quickly and easily.
• Easier to use and more streamlined: We've changed the widget creation process so it's easier to get started. Just pick the template best suited to present your content and go!

If you already have a NewsGator Widgets account, you don't have to sign-up again; all of your existing login credentials will still work here.  If, on the other hand, you haven't yet used Editor's Desk, follow the simple signup information and you'll be making widgets in minutes!  Enjoy.

And, if you'd like to see the full press release, you can view it here.