Six Apart Ltd., who are responsible for Movable Type, have just announced the upcoming debut of TypePad, a hosted weblog tool based on MT technology that looks set to compete head-to-head with Blogger. This is terrific; I’m really happy to see that the MT engine will be broadening its reach.

TypePad is just one part of a frenzy of fairly major announcements today from the husband and wife team of Ben and Mena Trott; the company has also completed a round of financing, hired notable blogger Anil Dash as V.P. of Business Development, and formed a board of directors.Weblogging is getting to be a serious business now, apparently — these are damn exciting times for the medium, and it will be at least interesting to see if its communal spirit will survive. We’re edging ever further away from the Internet of the late 90’s, which was defined mostly by rampant speculation and charlatanism. The success of companies like Six Apart is evidence that we’re moving closer to the next phase of innovation, tempered not only by sober experience, but the kind of true entrepreneurship that the late 90’s caricaturized and mocked. That is, a small coterie of dedicated, passionate individuals in a small room building new businesses.