As some of you may know already we have been in the process of rebranding our software.  Well, it's official now. Aptuitiv Studio is now called Branch CMS. With that comes a new website and soon, a brand new user interface for the CMS. 

There is a small change in the administration that you might notice right off. The Aptuitiv Studio logo in the bottom right has been replaced with the new Branch logo. 

Why the name change?

The biggest reason for the name change was that we wanted to separate our website design consulting business with our CMS product. We would like our design partners to feel comfortable using this website with their clients without feeling threatened by the services that Aptuitiv offers. Another smaller reason was that we wanted the flexibility to pursue additional separate products in the future and didn't want our company name so closely tied to our product. 

Goodbye North Wind Media

Part of the rebranding effort was to also consolidate our brands. Nearly 10 years ago when we first started we were North Wind Media.  Then, 4 years ago when we got really serious with our CMS software we spun off Aptuitiv as the brand behind the product. That created some confusion with some of our clients and it also made it a little hard to answer the phone. We had to keep two different phone lines just to keep North Wind Media and Aptuitiv separate. We finally decided to simplify things. 

Hello, my name is....

Here's who we are right now:

Aptuitiv is the company behind it all. The aptuitiv.com website will focus on our website consulting services. This is also the name you'll hear on the phone when you call in and the name you'll see on all emails. 

Branch is the name of our website content management system. 

North Wind Media is no more, but it will live on in our hearts as it's who we were when we humbly started 9 years ago. 

The important thing to remember is that we are still the same people with the same values, services and products.  All of our contact information is still the same too. 

What's in a name?

We chose the Branch name for a few reasons. 

• It's short and easy to remember.
• It represents growth and opportunity (like a tree branch)
• It can represent how your website is a branch of your company's marketing efforts and identity, but integrated into the whole of your business (like a tree branch is integrated into the tree trunk).

What is coming next

We have lots of big plans for the software and for this website. There is a lot more information that we need to get on this website about the CMS, but what we have is a good start. 

Be sure to check out the updated documentation and the new tutorials section. 

There are a number of projects planned or in the works for Branch CMS. The big one that will be coming soon is a brand new user interface for the administration that has improved navigation, a more modern look and is fully responsive (i.e. mobile friendly). 

Here are some other items that are in the works or planned:

• A new toolbar that will show on your website when you're logged into the administration that will make it easier to edit pages.
• Multiple store app updates
• Full inventory support
• Quickbooks integration
• Shipping vendor integration
• Enhanced order management
• Integrated analytics
• Improved SEO tools
• Social network integrations