Features and Fixes

This update was mostly dedicated to under the hood improvements designed to facilitate the upcoming digital ad portal enhancements. There were a few random improvements of note.

Feature: Publishers can remove relationships with their customers.This can now be done in the customers management area.
There is a new button that says remove relationship with customer.

Feature: New delivery location feature supports sending files directly to a delivery destination upon file upload.
In the delivery destinations setup there is a new drop down entry which allows uploaded files to be directly forwarded to an offsite location. Upon selection of this option a new filter drown appears which asks which type of files you wish to send.

Since this is designed as a backup or forwarding method there are 2 items it does not support.
1. Issues: in this case we do not support multiple delivery of files by issue since there can be more than one issue and we dont want to needlessly deliver the file more than once upon upload.
2. Specification filters: Since this item is filtered already by file type it negates the specification filter option.

Feature: Issue Run Date and Materials Due Date can be managed down to the second.
There is also a new item which informs the user if the issue will run in less than 24 hours.

Large Change: Web Containers (Websites) management has now been moved under the company profile and renamed to "Web Media Profiles".
This was done because most customers will only need one web media profile and the left menu item was overkill.

Feature: New translation manager in place which can allow publishers add possible translatable phrases.

Feature: PDFx1a Compression added. This is an option that must be confirmed through support.
This option maintains 100% quality of the printable PDF while reducing its size using compression. This helps download and delivery speed tremendously.

Feature: Folio Number added to the main ad list view.
This new column is only reflecting the folio data which can be found in the job ticket portion of each ad.

Latest Release Features & Fixes

We are putting the finishing touches on our next release of SendMyAd. Included in this feature are the usual behind-the-scenes improvements and optimizations to continually improve the performance for our users. In addition, look for these changes and new features:

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Publishers Notification Update

• Support requests from the ad details view now go to the publication's default material contact. Likewise if a user sends a support request from the Dashboard, and select a publication in the help form.

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Translations Update

• Dashboard Events will alert publishers that there is text in need of translations. This will help you keep on top of ongoing translation needs when new features are introduced in the site. We also exploring ways internally to keep track of all new translations and notify effected customers of the changes.

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Ad Preflighting Update

• Fixed bug in preflight minimum maximum line width tracking. To correct please go to your preflight report and check your line widths.

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File Delivery Update

• Added support for delivery of the original uploaded ad.

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Revision Handling update

• New option in ad actions menu to boost an advertiser's revision limit. This is useful when an advertiser has reached the revision limit and you wish to manually increase that limit. The default adds 10 to the current limit.

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Ereader/iPad Zip Update

• Added new view for browsing uploaded zip files. The left panel was too crowded to see the zip hierarchy.

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Digital Ads Updates

• Preflight settings of digital ads moved to a profile setup where a single profile can be applied to all ad unit sizes at one time. Very similar to how print ads already work. Notice: If you are demoing the digital ad portal you will need to update your new preflight profiles to match your old settings. These were reset in the upgrade.
• Support for IAB image, rich media and digital video size spec import added.
• More campaign information on upload form and better campaign tracking.
• Websites option in the left menu renamed to Web containers.
• When uploading rich media ads, there is a new option to allow multiple file type. Previously only jpg was an option.

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General Site Changes

• Improved our upgrade process, greatly reducing the need for clearing the browser cache after a site upgrade.
• Increased the flash version requirement to 10. The trim tool now requires Flash version 10. Check your version here.
• Increased browser requirements.
• New Requirements
• FireFox 3.5+
• Safari 4
• Now supporting Google Chrome
• IE 8
• We did not change any of the actually lock out of site limits. These are just posted as the minimum requirements. We strongly believe pushing for the latest browser versions helps keep the internet more secure and feature rich.

New right to see publisher's action menu

We've also added a new right to allow or restrict access to the publisher actions menu when viewing an ad. The new right is called "Can see publisher action menu" and can be assigned per group. The default publisher groups will have this right. You will need to add it to any custom groups you've created that need access to this feature.

To do this, visit Manage > Groups, and select each group that must be edited. You can assign the right in the editor view that appears under the Rights section.

New user right to see Dashboard

Following a publisher's request, we've added a new feature that will be in our next update. It will allow you to choose if your users can see the Dashboard. It's called "Can see Dashboard." It is enabled for all default groups in the system. If you have users that are only in custom groups you've created, you'll need to add this new right to the custom groups to still allow access to the Dashboard.

To do this, just visit the Manage > Groups area, and add the right for each group.

New Features for Digital Ads, Part 2

This screencast shows some new options for setting up digital ads, like an automatic IAB ad size converter, the ability to control metadata fields that appear on the uploader, and expanded click tag support.

New Features for Digital Ads, Part 1

This screencast shows a few new features when uploading a digital ad. We can now retrieve an ad from the web automatically, and give you an easy way to create a snippet to link to a digital ad in your site.

EReader / iPad Ads

SendMyAd now accepts mobile / EReader / iPad ads. This is an optional feature - please ask your account representative for pricing information.

See the video for details on how this works.

New trim tool

One major feature of our upgrade tomorrow is a redesigned trim tool interface. We think you'll find the new interface more efficient and easier to use. We've also added a new optional feature that allows a user to add text to the PDF using the trim tool. A typical use of this would be for adding reader service numbers. Please contact a SendMyAd sales representative for more information on the new type tool.

Watch this screencast to see it in action.

This new version of the tool also will display in French Canadian if that is the language selected for the user.

Publisher statistics at a glance

Watch this screencast to see a new summary report with charts to help you keep tabs on your ad activity. You can also use the new Publisher Statistics to see at a glance the most common reasons for advertisers rejecting and revising their ads.

Reason tags make revisions easier

Watch a video of our new Reason Tag system to make it easier for advertisers to communicate why they are revising or rejecting an ad.

Upgrade planned for Tuesday, August 23

We have been working hard on a new release of SendMyAd. We're planning to upgrade early Tuesday morning, August 23. Just some of the features you'll notice in the new release:

New Features:

• Introducing support for IPAD/Ereader/Mobile ads


• Revamped Trim tool interface


• New Trim tool feature allows type additions to PDF files


• Publisher reports view shows more information and chart for incoming ads


• New Revision Tagging System allows customers to quickly categorize the reason for a revision


• Support for GWG ads coming into our system automatically. Supported by Certifyle and Adstream.


• New GWG Filter view


• GWG ads also support embedded preview now


• New Pickup ad filter view


• Quick search supports enter key. This will auto open the top result.


• Back button in light box popup supports hot key CTRL B


• Custom safety available on all sides


• SFTP delivery support added

Digital Ad Features

• Retrieve ads directly from DoubleClick or other digital ad servers for preflighting


• New view to manage your client's uploaders


• New snippet view allows for better result snippets


• Revision of digital ads available


• Easily convert your ad specs to IAB standards


• SWF ads now have several customizable click tag detections

Page Portal Features

• New Page portal allows publishers to upload pages to be preflighted


• Visually compare revisions

Bug Fixes

• Enter key no longer refreshes whole site randomly


• Warning added when selecting SFTP as delivery destination


• Digital uploader can now be configured to require and accept different file types


• Rich Media specifications can accept SWF or FLV instead of automatically accepting both


• When using "Send to other pubs", the "Is a pickup" flag is set to "No"


• When picking up an ad or sending it to another publication, the revision count is reset to zero


• Flash ad upload now supported in IE7


• Numerous small IE7 bug fixes


• Ad Notes are copied on pickups and copies


• Version check bug on Flash ads fixed


• Inviting multiple users bug fixed for IE7

Ads waiting for approval badge

We've introduced a new feature this morning for advertisers. There is a new graphic "badge" next to the Manage > Ads left menu item. The icon shows the number of ads waiting for a decision from the user - to be rejected or approved. We're hoping this extra visual will emphasize to users that they need to decide on the status of each ad they upload and cut down on unnecessary revisions.

Reports feature moved

You may have noticed that Reports is no longer found under the Manage menu on the left in SendMyAd. You can now find this feature in the Dashboard and in your company profile - just look for the Reports button in both locations.

New beta feature: SFTP file delivery

Today's upgrade contains a new beta feature - the ability to deliver files over secure FTP. Also known as SFTP, it can be configured in the add or edit delivery location screens. Please contact support if you would like to test this feature. We'd like your feedback on this new functionality.

SendMyAd June upgrade completed

Our upgrade this morning was successful. All the features noted yesterday are live, and any bug fixes you've been promised for the next upgrade are in place.

Upgrade time!

Tomorrow, bright and early, we'll be upgrading SendMyAd with a bunch of new features:

• Support for iPad, mobile and e-reader ads


• Preflighting of click tags in digital ads


• Specifying date ranges for digital ads


• Expanded multilingual support, including uploaders


• Users can now directly request help while viewing an ad


• Help requests launched from Dashboard allow selection of publication


• Applies extra validation to editing of materials code


• Materials ID is checked for uniqueness during edits


• Adds paging through results of advanced searches for ads


• FLV support for digital ads


• Advertiser admins receive an email when new users from their company register with SendMyAd


• New email template for notifying advertisers when a publisher rejects an ad


• Allowing publisher users to edit the materials ID manually is now a preference

Upgrade complete

We upgraded the site early this morning to bring you a range of fixes and enhancements to SendMyAd. If you've been waiting on a fix or new feature, and were told it was in the next upgrade - it's live now.

This release brings expanded translation support, with the vast majority of the site now supporting multiple languages. If you have a need for a version of the site in a language other than English, let us know so we can arrange the setup for you.

Publishers can now also upload their own logos and custom branding information for the front "landing" page. You can also tweak the CSS file for the site to customize the look and feel. These features are found in the Look and Feel section of your publisher settings.

Changes to password reset system

In order to help users that have not yet had a chance to set up a new security question and answer, we've restored the old ability for a user to reset the password themselves by following a special link emailed to them. They will receive this email automatically now if they enter their username in the password recovery area, and we detect that they do not have a challenge question. Users with challenge questions will use that method for their password resets. We hope this will make the system even simpler to use and require less work for publishers.

This functionality will appear in the next upgrade, tentatively planned in about a week.

Resetting your advertiser's password

We've recently revamped the password reset feature in SendMyAd (read previous post for details).

For advertisers who have forgotten their passwords prior to the upgrade last Thursday, they will not be able reset their password themselves because they won't have had the opportunity to create a security question and answer.

Instead, we present that user with a message to contact their publisher to reset their password.

We've created a short video to walk you through that process.

New password reset system

Our existing password reset system has proven difficult for many advertisers to use, so we've replaced it with an easier method. This follows the widely used challenge question and answer format you've surely used on other sites. Many online banking sites, for instance, use this method to protect your identity.

Any new users will be prompted to enter their password recovery question and answer when they create their account.

Existing users will be automatically taken through the process when they log in to the portal after Tuesday night's upgrade. This is a one-time process and will take less than a minute for a user to complete.

We think you'll find the new method of resetting forgotten passwords much easier and quicker.

Technical contact for publishers

We have added a new configuration option in Manage > Company Profile where you can supply the name of a technical contact for your company.

This person will receive copies of any technical support requests created in the portal by your advertisers or internal users.

Very often the support requests received by SendMyAd are not technical issues with the software, but simple questions about an ad or a company policy. Now your technical contact can receive these immediately and provide timely first-line support for those types of queries.

Please be sure to select your technical contact after Tuesday's system upgrade.

System upgrade coming tomorrow night

We've been busy implementing a bunch of under-the-hood improvements to SendMyAd, and a variety of smaller fixes and enhancements our users have requested. We've also added the foundation of several larger features you'll be hearing more about in the coming weeks and months.

The upgrade is planned for Tuesday evening. Remember to check our blog and in the portal itself for updates.

New notification type

We're adding a new notification email for when ads are revised. Previously you would get an email saying that new materials had been uploaded but there was no indication that it was a revision - it used the same email template as for new file uploads. Now you can control these separately. They of course have separate templates for your customizations. Simply enable this new notification under your publisher preferences.

One additional note - to make this transition easier, if you have "Notify us when ads are uploaded" enabled in your preferences, we've automatically enabled this new revision option. That way you'll continue to receive an email alert. You'll just need to customize the message with the new template if you wish.

Publication specific approvals

Approvals can now be set for individual publications.

Publication level notifications

Now you can control all email notifications at the publication level. You can set different groups or the default materials contact for any of the various email alerts. Previously you could only specify that a single group or the materials contact person would receive all types of notifications.

Watch our video for an explanation.


One thing to note - your existing settings will be migrated to the new system. You only need alter the configuration if you want to make use of the new feature.

Improved Advanced Search

Our January 2010 upgrade features an improved advanced search for ads, publications, issues, users and customers.

See the video for a walkthrough. We think you'll appreciate the new interface and the speedier results.

SendMyAd upgrade tonight

Tonight (7 pm Eastern) is upgrade time. Lots of new stuff coming, see post below for details and watch for videos here soon.

January 2010 Upgrade New Features

The January SendMyAd upgrade includes the following new features:

1. Publication-specific publisher approvals.
   


2. Individual notifications can now be managed at the publication level.


3. Better digital ad management using website containers.


4. Publisher customizable metadata.


5. Add margin to document support.


6. Advanced search has completely new interface - for ads, publications, users - and better performance.


7. Multi-language support:




• Publisher option to select languages approved for use with their portal.


• Publisher interface to edit custom translation table.


• User selection of preferred language - and is remembered even on login screen before authentication.


• Email and site text templates are now customizable for all supported languages.




8. Dashboard events system allows publisher and site to post important notices for users.


9. Right created that allows publishers to alter ads after the ad is completed.


10. Individual ad sizes can have custom closing dates using an offset from the publication run date.


11. Ability to cancel queued deliveries.


12. Current timestamp is now available as a variable when delivering files for the file or directory name.


13. New footer on all outgoing emails. Copyright notice, link to privacy policy and email template code for troubleshooting included for now.
    
14. Advertisers now can view the preflight report (under Actions menu) for an ad after it has been approved.


15. Email variables concerning ads are expanded and standardized across all templates.


16. Delivered count as optional table column for publishers only.


17. Easy access column preferences and column reordering.


18. Notes in ad view always show notes count.

As always, any bug fixes you might have been promised are included in this update.

Watch this blog for video tutorials for all the new features starting this evening through the next few days.