We recently released another great new feature in Sixent. This time it's focused on connecting Sixent to the broader Web. Though we have many integration points and APIs planned, we thought we'd start with a simple, obvious and frequently requested integration: Twitter.

There are two phases to this integration. The first is to allow your Sixent status updates to be synchronized with Twitter and vice versa. The second is a set of pods that will let you pull in Twitter updates to your dashboard, profiles and group pages.

This blog post describes only the first phase which is now live at Sixent.com.

Why Does Twitter Matter?

Twitter may not yet be "mainstream" but it's well on its way with over 18.2 million unique visitors in May 2009 and growing rapidly.

It's a simple utility that inspired our own Sixent status update feature. Twitter provides a way of sharing and following the answer to the question, "What are you doing?". To its credit, it has become much more than this narrow definition and is now at the forefront of the "real-time" Web.

In addition to individuals, companies are embracing Twitter by placing it at the heart of their social media strategies. They use it to connect and converse with their various audiences in an immediate and personal way. Twitter's openness means nearly everything is public. This is important as it means you can choose to "follow" anyone or any company you like without needing permission.

Conversations are possible as each Twitter update can be in reply to another. Replies start with @username where "username" is the person receiving the reply. This type of open conversation is similar to profile comments that exist within Sixent. People can tune in if they like and then join in if they have something to add.

Twitter's own search engine is a great way to monitor your brand or any topic you like. Tags are popular in Twitter and take the form of #keyword. They're also know as "hashtags". It's now common place to follow a conference session and submit questions in real-time by "tweeting" a message that includes an agreed-upon hashtag.

Sixent Profile <> Twitter

What's unique about Sixent's integration with Twitter is that you are able to authorize more than one Twitter account and you can then configure a one-way or two-way sync with any or all of your profiles.

Another nice feature is that we'll never ask you for your Twitter password. It should be secret - so keep it that way. Sixent instead will send you to Twitter to give "Sixent.com" permission to access your updates. You can later revoke access at anytime from within Sixent or Twitter. Smart (and safe).

You may have noticed a new "Pending Action" on your dashboard as shown below. Just click "Sign in with Twitter" to get started.

Next, you'll find yourself at Twitter with two options, "Allow" or "Deny" access to Sixent. Click "Allow" of course. Note that there is a new section in Sixent called "Integration Options", if you haven't authorized any Twitter accounts, it looks like this:

Once you have authorized at least one Twitter account, you'll see more options. They let you setup any automatic synchronization you'd like between Twitter and Sixent.

Given the example below, I have authorized two Twitter accounts and I've connected them in different ways to my various Sixent profiles. Now, if I update my "pdame" Twitter account from my mobile phone, two of my Sixent profiles will be updated automatically.

( click the image to enlarge )

Tweeting Your Sixent Status

Once you're all set up, you don't really have to think about it again. As you update Twitter or Sixent, the synchronization will take place instantly. Easy.

If you want to write a status within Sixent and then carefully pick where it will appear, you can choose, "Select Profiles" as done before. What you'll see now is a reminder of which profiles are connected to Twitter accounts. It will also list the individual Twitter account you've authorized so you can update it directly without updating Sixent.

Updates "via Twitter"

Any status update you or others make that originate from Twitter will be indicated as being "via Twitter" as shown below. Clicking the Twitter link will take you to that specific update on Twitter where you can then reply, favorite, delete, and so on.

Viewing In Twitter

A status update that was posted to, or received from, Twitter has a dedicated page provided by Twitter. Those Sixent status updates will now offer a "View in Twitter" link as show below.

Twitter Accounts & Settings

Over time, you may want to remove or authorize more Twitter accounts or perhaps re-configure how they're matched up with your Sixent profiles. To edit any of these settings, select "Integration Options" from the "My Setup" menu available from your Sixent dashboard.

We really hope you take advantage of this new integration option. In the coming weeks, we'll release our second phase: new Twitter pods that let you monitor, profile and search Twitter all within your Sixent pages.