I noticed some interesting news last night and contemplated whether or not to cover it here.   It looks like Micheal of Solostream has sold his premium theme business to Jigsaw Group.   I’ve always been a big fan of Michael and his work at Solostream, so I’d like to first start this post by congratulating him.  It looks like he will still be working for Solostream, so future releases should have a similar look and feel to what we’ve come to expect from the Solostream brand. 

So, on to the post.   Unless I am forgetting another acqusition, it looks like this is the first premium WordPress theme brand to sell?  If so, that is pretty big news for this market.  

According to the announcement, we can expect some big changes over at Solostream:

Increased product offerings.

Under Michael’s direction, our immediate plans include the production of many new templates, which incorporate new features/plug ins and exciting designs.  We will be sending out announcements to keep you alerted as we ramp up our production schedule over the next few months.

Enhanced customer service.

You will continue to receive the same high levels of service that you have come to expect from Solostream.  Plus, we are adding personnel to our customer service team and creating a new forums area where you will be able to search for answers to your questions.

New innovations throughout the company.

We are also going to dedicate time and effort to improving communication and assisting the members of our Affiliate Program to generate new sales.

It looks like Solostream is moving more towards a business model that mirrors what Woo Themes (formerly Premium News Themes) has become.   A team of designers and developers that will work on creating new themes at a much more rapid pace.   It also allows for collaboration and improved innovation in themes.  

I think this has potential because buyers of their premium WordPress themes will get more than just the theme with their purchase.   The become part of a community, get forum support, etc.   Like I mentioned above, the business model has already found some success and I think it will here to. 

So, what do you think of this?   How will this affect the premium WordPress themes market?  Will other people sell their businesses as well?  Will the teams forming muscle out some of the individuals trying to start up their own businesses?   Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Last week with the help of premium theme author Michael of Solostream, we announced an opportunity for our readers to get a free Solostream WordPress theme.  We ended up getting some good participation, and after speaking with Michael and going over the entries, Michael informed me that he would be giving away a total of five Solostream theme licenses for free!

Here are the results:

• Co 1st Place – The Autism Education Site
• Co 1st Place -Melissa Eaton
• 2nd Place – Blog Toolkit
• Co 3rd Place – Emad Ibrahim
• Co 3rd Place – Momworx

Congrats to our winners!   You should receive an email shortly with Michael’s contact information at the email address you provided with your comment.

You may remember that late last week I introduced you to Michael of Solostream’s newest premium WordPress theme creation, WP Vybe.  Well, Michael’s theme has been such a hit with WordPress users already that he has decided to offer up a couple free WP-Magazine or WP-Vybe licenses to our readers!

Here are the prizes Michael is offering:

1. 1st Place – Developer’s License for either the WP-Magazine or WP-Vybe themes.
2. 2nd Place – Premium License for either the WP-Magazine or WP-Vybe themes.
3. 3rd Place – Basic License of either the WP-Magazine or WP-Vybe themes.

You can see my reviews of both themes here:

WP-Magazine Review

WP-Vybe Review

In order to be considered for one of these great theme licenses, all you need to do is write a review of either theme on your blog.   In your review, make sure to link here to this post (so we can track entries) and also to Michael’s theme page.  We will then review the entries this weekend and pick 3 winners, so you’ll want to publish your review by the end of the day Friday.

If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments below!

After close to six months since his last theme release, it looks like Michael of Solostream is back with his newest theme release, WP Vybe.  Michael advertises this new theme as the most advanced premium theme Solostream has released, and after looking through the theme I have to agree.

Here are the listed features that come with WP Vybe:

• Theme settings page in your Wordpress control panel.
• 2-column or 3-column layouts.
• 10 different color options with control panel setting for further customization.
• Optional featured article glider for home page.
• Gravatar integration.
• Optional banner ad integration.
• Optional built-in post thumbnails.
• Optional logo/header image integration via control panel.
• Built-in site search.
• Built-in drop-down navigation for sub-categories and sub-pages.
• Built-in author page and author profile with Gravatar support.
• Widgetized sidebars.
• Comment and trackback separation.
• Post author comments highlighted.
• Basic SEO techniques integrated.
• Original Photoshop files (PSDs) available for download via control panel.
• And much more …

Here are some screenshots of WP Vybe, including a screenshot that shows all 10 different colors you can choose from:

WP Vybe Homepage

WP Vybe Post Page

While the look of WP Vybe speaks for itself, where this theme really shines is within the control panel.  I’ve had the privilege of being able to look through a lot of premium WordPress themes over the past year, and this one definitely takes the cake of those I’ve seen so far.   Though WP Vybe works fine without making any settings adjustments, as you can see from this picture you can control just about everything from the built-in control panel:

Each of those links takes you to a section of the control panel.  I’m serious when I say you’ll have to scroll for close to a minute to reach the bottom of the page.

Despite all these new features and functionality, Michael has chosen not to raise his prices, and instead is offering WP Vybe for his standard pricing of $99.00 (Single-Use), $199.00 (Mulitple-Use), and $299.00 (Developer’s Pack).