Icovia Space Planner Blog

Icovia Load Time Improvements!

Hello Icovia users. I'm excited to announce that this morning we released an update to the Icovia application that reduces the initial load time of the program by 500% and sometimes even more. This update also helps decrease timeouts and slow load times while switching icon menus, loading and saving plans. You can see the improvements simply by launching the planner, check it out!

Icovia New Feature: Embed your plans as widgets on your blog!

We've added a new feature to Icovia that let's you share your great designs and plans as widgets that you can embed on your website or in your blog. This is a layout of my living room and I've added two beautiful Thomasville pieces of furniture to the floor plan. Click open to check it out for yourself!

Icovia Quick Tip: Adding furniture and products to your plans

Version 5 of Icovia Design Edition brings with it a little known and very powerful feature that allows you to bring any piece of furniture or product you can find on the web into your plans in Icovia. It's very easy to do and it's a great way to show off your design and plans. Check it out!

Icovia Quick Tip: How to create a new room

We get a lot of requests from users and companies who want help in learning how to use the various features of Icovia. This is the first post where we are helping users understand the different ways you can get started with Icovia in creating basic room shapes.

Please check-out the short 3 minute YouTube video and learn about three different ways you can create a new room with Icovia. Please let us know if you like these videos and we'll make more or change them to what you need.

Icovia New Feature: Using Design Edition to help sell Real Estate

Check out how we are using the new plan viewer in Icovia as a way to market this property. Next week you will be able to click on photos and see them right in the viewer. Hope you love this!

Login/Launch Issue: Solution!

Hey users,

I have some good news. The "blank screen" issue that some of you were experiencing has been resolved. After implementing a load balancing server that should make Icovia even faster than it already is, our service provider was having trouble and prevented some of you from launching the planner. Thanks to your reports on the issue, we were able to contact our provider and successfully resolve the issue.

This means that you will be able to login anyway you choose and will no longer have to use the workaround.

I'll keep in touch as we get closer to releasing Icovia version 5.0, a free upgrade from the current version with a complete redesign that rocks! You can check it out here: http://v5xdemo.icovia.com/icovia.aspx

Until then, happy planning.

-Chris, Icovia Service and Support

Icovia Login/Launch Issue

Now that we've had a chance to get acquainted, it's time to get down to business.

 

We have been experiencing intermittent problems with the login/launch feature on our site beginning Friday (6/19). The issue sometimes appears when attempting to log on to Icovia Design Edition using the standard My Account login page at icovia.com. When you launch the planner, a blank screen will appear with the correct URL but the application does not launch.

 

While the launch feature has had problems, the rest of the application has been functioning properly. To avoid this error while we work on a full solution, please follow these steps:

 

- Go to the homepage: www.icovia.com

- Find the area labeled "Interior Designers" on the right hand side.

- From there click on the grey button that says "Test Drive".

- Accept the End User License Agreement.

- Login using the "login" button at the top right corner of the application.

 

This will allow you to access Icovia. Please continue to use this method until further notice. I will create a follow up post once we have it resolved. Again, we apologize for any interruption you may have experienced.

 

Sorry!

-Chris

This calls for an introduction…

Hello Icovia users!

My name is Chris and I was recently hired as the Client Communications Manager at Icovia. I will be personally handling all of your questions, comments and concerns. Feel free to reach me by submitting a case via the form located in the "Support" on our website: http://www.icovia.com/customersupport.aspx I look forward to helping you in any way that I can by updating you on the latest versions of Icovia, frequently asked questions, tips and support issues.

-Chris

20-20 Technologies increases its market share of interactive design Web applications through strategic acquisition of Icovia

Laval, Quebec – January 31, 2008 - 20-20 Technologies Inc., today announced the acquisition of Icovia, provider of interactive, online space planning solutions for the home furnishings, real estate and interior design industry. This strategic acquisition increases 20-20's market share of the increasingly popular world of online design with interactive tools and complements its own suite of 3D web applications called 20-20 Virtual Studio.

"20-20 acquired Icovia both because of its complementary product offering, and its expertise and success marketing technology products to the home furnishings industry. Icovia's space planning solution is a platform we can build upon, extending the capabilities of the product to include 3D visualization," said Jean Mignault, Co-Chairman of the Board for 2020 Technologies and Chief Executive Officer.

The integration of the two technologies from each company has already yielded a new product – Icovia 3D, an interactive 3D space-planning tool, home furnishings retailers and manufacturers can use to extend their physical showrooms virtually and in 3D.

"Icovia is excited about the acquisition because it allows us to rapidly roll out new products and features that will help our customers market their products online," said Steve Street, Chief Executive Officer of Icovia. "20-20's 3D technology is particularly impressive. We evaluated all the 3D technologies currently available and found nothing as powerful, easy to use and feature rich as 20-20 Technologies. 20-20's products extend far beyond online 3D space planning to a range of powerful products for design, specification, order processing and e-procurement and more," he added.

The combination of Icovia's knowledge of the home furnishings industry and 20-20's proven expertise as the leading provider of interior design software solutions makes for an offering that is very attractive to home furnishings retailers and manufacturers. "Our clients can link their online planning tool to web analytics software, allowing them to gain valuable insight into consumer preferences, and measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns through user registration," said Jean-Francois Grou, President and Chief Operating Officer of 20-20.

The premiere of Icovia 3D takes place at Las Vegas Market, a world-class showcasing venue for the home furnishings industry.

Icovia also offers tools for homebuilders and homebuyers, and tools for the real estate industry, which will be the subject of further announcements in the near future. After the transaction, 20-20 will hold 51% of Icovia, for a consideration of US$1.6 M, with management of Icovia holding the remaining 49%. Transaction is expected to close on or before February 15^th, 2008.

About Icovia

Icovia was founded in 2000 and has become the industry leading online room planning solution for retailers, manufacturers, interior designers and homeowners. The Icovia Room Planner delivers value to businesses and consumers at once with powerful, easy-to-use interior design tools that combine free usage with registration-based features to identify potential buyers as actionable contacts. Icovia's customers span a number of industries including home furnishings, real estate, Internet retailing, consumer electronics and interior design, including La-Z-Boy, Kohler, Nautilus, GMAC Real Estate and Samsung. Icovia is privately-held and headquartered in Londonderry, NH. For more information, visit www.icovia.com or call 1-603-206-6206.

About 20-20 Technologies Inc.

20-20 Technologies is the world's leading provider of computer-aided design, business and manufacturing software solutions tailored for the interior design and furniture industries. Dealers and retailers use its desktop and Web-based products and solutions for the residential and commercial markets. 20-20 offers a unique proprietary end to end solution, integrating the entire breadth of functions in interior design through one platform. It provides electronic data communication from point-of-sale software programs to manufacturing and world-leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, including computer-aided engineering and plant floor automation software. Operating in 13 countries with more than 500 employees, 20-20 is a publicly traded company (TWT) on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). For more information, visit www.2020Technologies.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws.

Implicit in this information, particularly in respect of future operating results and economic performance of the Company are assumptions regarding projected revenues and expenses. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned that actual future operating results and economic performance of the Company are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including general economic, market and business conditions and could differ materially from what is currently expected.

For more exhaustive information on these risks and uncertainties you should refer to our most recently filed Annual Information Form which is available at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information contained in this report is based on management's current estimates, expectations and projections, which Management believes are reasonable as of the current date. The reader should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it is under no obligation and does not undertake to update this information at any particular time, unless required by applicable securities law.

For More Information, Contacts:

20-20 Technologies Inc

Marilena Varano

Marketing Communications Specialist

(514) 332-4112 ext. 258

Icovia    

Steve Street, CEO      

(603) 206-5205    

Email: Steve.Street@icovia.com    

Becky Stevens, Virtual Marketing LLC

(713) 444-6860

Email: Becky.Stevens@virtualmarketing-pr.com   

LDB Interior Textiles talk about the benefits of the Icovia Rug Planner

This is an excerpt from the January 2008 issue under the S.M.A.R.T. Report titled Stepping It Up! By Candace Sheppard which you can read here: http://www.ldbinteriortextiles.com/

"Room design and decorating involves a lot of imagination and creativity," says Joëlle Sarette, marketing coordinator for CompanyC. "[Our] room planner helps to take abstract ideas and turn them into something more tangible. This enables both consumers and retailers to better communicate their visions."

Partnered with Icovia, an online room planner provider, the planner is accessed via Internet from the manufacturer/retailer site—either at home or at a local dealer's store—and helps to improve the purchasing experience. The interactive environment allows the consumer to make sound decisions about the rug set in various environments. They can save their room plans, share it with friends via email and tweak it before a final decision is made.