GeoLearning to Power E-Learning for 1.8 Million US Federal Government Employees

July 9, 2002

GeoLearning LMS awarded 4-year contract to power “Gov Online Learning Center”; 1.8 million federal employees represents largest e-learning implementation ever.

GeoLearning, Inc., a leading developer of learning management systems and Web-based training solutions, announced today that its ASP-delivered GeoMaestro™ learning management system and e-learning delivery platform has been selected to power the first module of the Gov Online Learning Center, the U.S. federal government’s employee training site. The training site will provide easy one-stop access to just-in-time training for the effective development and retention of a high-quality and diverse federal workforce.

The Gov Online Learning Center is an effort by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the U.S. Office of Management & Budget (OMB) to simplify and unify e-training services across federal government and is one of 24 e-government initiatives that support the President’s Management Agenda. The site will be available at www.golearn.gov when it debuts later this month.

OPM was designated by OBM as the managing partner for the Gov Online Learning Center initiative. OPM has worked in partnership with federal agencies to provide one-stop access for the 1.8-million people employed by the federal government. The first module of the Gov Online effort will offer more than 30 free online training courses in areas such as computer security, ethics, supervisory development, desktop computer skills and project management. Future modules will incorporate additional training courses, products and services to meet identified needs.

The GeoLearning LMS will serve as the storefront for the Gov Online Learning Center. The online system will track and report training information such as the courses taken and completed by employees, and will compile user feedback. With this data agencies will be able to more effectively collect and manage training data. The GeoLearning system will be available worldwide 24 hours a day, seven days a week—including end-user technical support—providing federal employees with unparalleled access to learning and development resources.

“We are extremely proud and excited to be chosen as the e-learning platform for a federal initiative of this magnitude and importance,” said Frank Russell, president and CEO of GeoLearning. “In this first phase, we will be working with OPM to give every federal employee with a .gov or .mil e-mail address access to the resources in the Gov Online Learning Center via the GeoMaestro™ system.”

The GeoLearning solution can also integrate online content development and delivery with traditional classroom training into a single system capable of supporting a truly blended learning environment, thereby enhancing agency human capital initiatives and advancing continuous learning as a strategic business investment.

“The purpose of the site is to reduce the number of similar courses agencies offer and to standardize the coursework,” said Michael Fitzgerald, OPM’s director for the e-training initiative project. “A lot of agencies struggle to meet legislative and agency-mandated training requirements. This site will become the storefront for those courses, enabling us to take advantage of economies of scale and reduce redundant training efforts across the federal government.”

“The Gov Online Learning Center is the e-learning industry’s flagship project, calling for the very best in technology, implementation processes and service levels,” said GeoLearning’s Russell. “Being selected to power the largest e-learning implementation our industry has ever seen confirms GeoLearning’s position as the leading provider of ASP-delivered e-learning solutions and the premiere e-learning supplier to the U.S. federal government.”

About GeoLearning, Inc.

GeoLearning is the leading provider of ASP-delivered learning management systems and e-learning content for organizations around the world, including Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies and educational institutions. With no hardware or software to install, the company’s e-learning platforms can be implemented in days, giving clients the power to launch AICC and SCORM-compliant courseware, deliver synchronous events, track learner progress and measure learning results. Additional information about GeoLearning can be found at www.geolearning.com.