Deutsche Post World Net Signs Global Agreement with SkillSoft for e-Learning; Company Launches First Phase Focused on IT and Project Management
NASHUA, N.H., March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ —
SkillSoft PLC (Nasdaq: SKIL), a leading provider of e-learning courseware and referenceware for business and IT professionals, today announced that Deutsche Post World Net, a world leader in logistics services, has launched the first phase of a multi-phase e-learning initiative that will ultimately encompass the company’s 320,000 employees worldwide. The recently launched training focusing on project management and IT skills, is part of a two-year, multi- million dollar agreement recently signed by Deutsche Post World Net to deliver web-based courseware via SkillPort, SkillSoft’s e-learning platform, as well as project leadership and worldwide consulting support.
Headquartered in Bonn, Deutsche Post World Net (DPWN) is the parent company of DHL, Deutsche Post, Danzas, and Postbank. The company offers worldwide global mail, express delivery and logistics services, as well as comprehensive e-business solutions and a wide-range of financial services.
One of the business drivers for the e-learning initiative was the need to provide more than 1,000 DPWN project managers with training required to achieve Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, awarded through the Project Management Institute. SkillSoft’s courses are aligned with the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge, called PMBOK(TM). This training, along with courses covering a wide variety of IT skills, was launched in February.
“We view e-learning as a corporate imperative and value driver of our business,” said Joerg Staff, director of human resources management for DPWN. “It is the most efficient way to offer high-quality, consistent training to employees throughout the world — a necessary factor for consistent business processes. Because SkillSoft courseware is available in multiple languages, our employees in Germany or France will get the same training as those in the United States. And, we can increase the amount of training made available while decreasing overall costs.”
“Given Deutsche Post World Net’s position as a market leader in logistic services, we are thrilled to be chosen as the company’s primary learning partner,” said Chuck Moran, president and CEO of SkillSoft. “DPWN’s global success underscores the importance of making consistent, quality training available to employees wherever they’re located. ”
“We believe our long-standing experience and expertise in e-learning will add value to our partnership with DPWN,” said Jurgen Theisen, managing director of SkillSoft’s Germany-based operations. “We’re committed to providing strategic guidance, as well as tactical project management leadership, to ensure DPWN’s success with this important global initiative.”
About Deutsche Post World Net
Headquartered in Bonn, Deutsche Post World Net (DPWN) ranks among the largest and most efficient logistics companies in the world. The company offers customers global mail, express delivery and logistic services, comprehensive e-business solutions, and a wide range of financial services. DPWN pursues a consistent strategy of growth and internationalization in its goal to extend market leadership. Deutsche Post World Net is the parent organization of DHL Worldwide Express, with an intercontinental network spanning 220 countries for express deliveries, as well as Deutsche Post, Danzas, and Postbank. For more information, visit www.dpwn.com.
About SkillSoft
SkillSoft is a leading provider of e-learning courseware and referenceware for business and IT professionals. SkillSoft products and services are designed to accelerate the ability of today’s workforce to master the business and technology skills required for competitive success. The company currently has more than 2,800 corporate customers worldwide and more than 4.5 million licensed users.
SkillSoft focuses on meeting the comprehensive business skills and information technology learning needs of professionals in Global 5000 organizations through a comprehensive range of content-focused, e-learning solutions, including:
— Business Skills Library: More than 2,000 courseware and simulation
titles encompassing professional effectiveness, management/leadership,
project management, sales & customer-facing skills, business
strategy/operations, finance, human resources, safety/health and
financial services industry. Courses feature strong visual design; a
focus on instructional objectives at the application and analysis
levels; learner interactivity and reinforcement through RolePlays,
SkillSimulations, and case studies; and pre- and post-course
assessments with prescriptive learning capabilities.
— IT Skills and Certification Library: More than 2,800 course titles
encompassing software development, operating systems and server
technologies, Internet and network technologies, enterprise database
systems, web design, and desktop computer skills. The IT library also
supports more than 40 certification programs.
— ITPro and Business Pro Referenceware: More than 3,500 unabridged IT and
business books and reports are available to online subscribers through
SkillSoft’s subsidiary, Books24x7. A unique, patent-pending search
engine gives subscribers the ability to perform multi-level searches.
SkillSoft customers include organizations such as: Siemens Business Services, Novell, American Red Cross, Fluor Corporation, Verizon, U.S. Army, Deloitte Consulting, Raytheon, IBM, Internal Revenue Service, Army National Guard, Qwest, Department of Transportation, and NEC America.
For more information, visit www.skillsoft.com.
SkillSoft, SkillPort, RolePlay, Search-and-Learn, e-Learning for the Knowledge Economy, NetUniversity, and Accelerated Path are trademarks and/or servicemarks of SkillSoft Corporation. Books24x7 and Referenceware are
servicemarks of Books24x7, Inc. All brand names, trademarks, or registered
trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
This release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results encompassed within the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include difficulties in integrating the organizations of SmartForce and SkillSoft, competitive pressures, changes in customer demands or industry standards, adverse economic conditions, loss of key personnel, litigation and other matters disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in SkillSoft’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2002, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking financial information provided by the Company in this press release represents the Company’s estimates as of March 26, 2003. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company’s estimates to change. However, while the Company may elect to update this forward-looking financial information at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. This forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this release.
Contacts:
Linda Galloway
Apollo Associates
203 790 1591
lgalloway@apolloassociates.com
Dennis Brown
Director of Corporate Communications
SkillSoft
603 324 3000
dbrown@skillsoft.com
SOURCE SkillSoft PLC
03/26/2003
/CONTACT: Linda Galloway of Apollo Associates, +1-203-790-1591, lgalloway@apolloassociates.com; or Dennis Brown, Director of Corporate Communications of SkillSoft, +1-603-324-3000, dbrown@skillsoft.com/
/Web site: http://www.skillsoft.com/
(SKIL)
