Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Co-Lab Uses Click2learn’s Aspen to Showcase Scorm Content and Promote Standards
BELLVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 19, 2003–Click2learn (Nasdaq:CLKS), leader in enterprise productivity solutions, today announced that the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative (ADL), a joint project of the U.S. Department of Defense, National Guard Bureau, and Department of Labor, has added Click2learn’s Aspen Enterprise Productivity Suite(TM) to its Co-Laboratories (Co-Labs) in an effort to better evangelize SCORM and the benefits of establishing a single standard for the learning industry.
The ADL, the original generator of the “Sharable Content Object Reference Model,” or SCORM standard, has created a network of three Co-Labs, which serve as the focal point for large-scale cooperative research, development, implementation and assessment of learning technologies and related products. In addition to sharing research, subject-matter expertise, content and tools, the Co-Lab develops, promotes and helps implement common guidelines and standards for the learning industry. The Co-Lab will use Aspen’s standards-based Learning Management System (LMS) to launch, demonstrate, test, and evaluate SCORM content for government, educational, military and other organizations interested in deploying learning technologies and initiatives.
“Aspen is especially valuable to the Co-Lab in this situation, as it allows us to demonstrate SCORM content operating on a technology platform that is commercially available now and to prove that the SCORM standard is real, usable and powerful today,” said Paul Jesukiewicz, director of the ADL Co-Lab in Alexandria, Virginia. “At the same time, we are able to share with Click2learn, a long-time proponent and contributor to the development of standards such as SCORM, important feedback from our conversations with organizations about issues that arise when authoring SCORM content and about the way they use standards in real-world scenarios.”
Aspen also provides the Co-Lab with a SCORM compliant platform on which to do research for future additions and modifications to the SCORM standard. Additionally, Click2learn will participate with the ADL in joint research and development on topics of interest to its customers and the marketplace.
“Our relationship with ADL and the Co-Lab is another important step in our efforts to lead the industry in standards research, promotion and adoption,” said Kevin Oakes, chairman and CEO of Click2learn. “Buyers of learning technology are continuing to demand better return on investment, trackable content with a lengthy shelf-life, and learning assets that can be used in any environment, across disparate technologies. Standards are a critical element in meeting those and many other enterprise learning needs. We continue to be a strong advocate for learning standards because we believe they have a profound effect on an organization’s return on investment and on the health and longevity of the learning industry as a whole.”
About Aspen
Click2learn’s award-winning Aspen Enterprise Productivity
Suite(TM) enables organizations to strategically manage corporate knowledge and workforce productivity to improve business performance. With Aspen organizations can deploy a comprehensive, integrated solution for their specific learning needs, all under one platform with one, seamless user experience. The Aspen Suite consists of separate but integrated modules, including
— Learning Management (LMS)
— Learning Content Management (LCMS)
— Virtual Classroom (VCS)
— Performance Management
— Collaboration, Knowledge Exchange & Instant Messaging
— Information Management
— Simulation Creation and Editing
— Auditing and Compliance Tracking
Whether organizations choose to deploy the entire Aspen suite, or to integrate select Aspen applications with existing infrastructure, Aspen’s standards-based (AICC, SCORM, XML, etc.) modular and open architecture is designed to help companies reduce total cost of ownership and meet a wide variety of business goals.
About ADL
The ADL Initiative is a collaborative effort between government, industry and academia to establish a new distributed learning environment that permits the interoperability of learning tools and course content on a global scale. As a result of a unique partnership between the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the National Guard Bureau, and the Department of Labor, the Alexandria ADL Co-Lab has been established to serve as a public and private sector forum for cooperative research, development and assessment of new learning technology prototypes, guidelines and specifications. The ADL Initiative also created a network of three ADL Co- Laboratories (ADL Co-Labs), to advance the initiative and to serve distinct areas of operational responsibility. The three ADL Co-Labs formed to serve in this network are: the Alexandria ADL Co-Lab (Alexandria, Virginia); the Joint ADL Co-Lab (Orlando, Florida); and the Academic ADL Co-Lab (Madison, Wisconsin). For additional information about the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative, contact the Secretariat, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Readiness, Readiness and Training, visit the ADLNet.org Web site: http://www.adlnet.org.
About Click2learn
Click2learn (Nasdaq:CLKS) is the recognized leader in enterprise productivity solutions for Global 2000 organizations and government agencies seeking to improve business performance and workforce productivity. Using Click2learn’s Aspen Enterprise Productivity Suite(TM), many of the world’s best-known corporations improve sales force readiness, achieve and demonstrate regulatory compliance, improve speed and quality of customer service, and educate customers and partners, while at the same time realizing significant cost savings. Click2learn’s clients include such industry leaders as Accenture, American Airlines, AstraZeneca, Century 21, Fujitsu, Microsoft, Pfizer and Symantec. Based in Bellevue, Wash., with offices throughout the U.S., Click2learn (www.click2learn.com, 800/448-6543) also is represented in, Europe, Australia, Japan and India.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including information contained in this document where statements are preceded by, followed by or include the words “believes,” “plans,” “intends,” “expects,” “anticipates” or similar expressions. For such statements, The Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements include, market acceptance of Click2learn’s e-learning solutions and competing e-learning offerings, the ability to successfully implement Click2learn’s solutions and increase revenues, the ability to successfully address technological developments and standards and the risk factors set forth in filings the Company has made with the SEC. Click2learn, Aspen and ToolBook are trademarks of Click2learn. All other company and product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Click2learn
Karen Peck, 425/637-1643
karen.peck@click2learn.com
or
John Atherly, 425/637-1557
john.atherly@click2learn.com
