Lguide Releases Authoritative Analysis of E-Learning For Ten Critical Training Topics

Lguide Contact: Heather Muir

heather@lguide.com

253.383.3779 ext. 1403

THINQ Contact: Bena Blakeslee

Bena.Blakeslee@thinq.com

410.925.4982

Tacoma, Washington (October 16, 2001)– Lguide, a leading independent e-learning research and consulting firm, today announced the release of a groundbreaking research report sponsored by THINQ Learning Solutions, Inc. “Ten Critical Training Topics: A Buyer’s Guide to E-Learning Courseware.”

The report aims to provide the best possible resource for e-learning customers to identify and evaluate Web-based courses that meet their needs in ten mission critical subject areas. It is the first-ever in-depth analysis of the quality of courses in these key training topics.

“As the availability of content-neutral Learning Management Systems for administering e-learning has increased, many customers now have the option of choosing the most effective courses for their employees, regardless of publisher. This opportunity brings with it both the freedom to choose and the obligation to choose wisely,” said Chris Hedrick, CEO of Lguide.

“One interesting conclusion from the report is that quality of courseware has little to do with the size of the publisher,” said Mike Flanagan, Lguide’s Vice President of Research and Consulting. “In some cases, a large publisher provides the best courseware, in other cases, a publisher with a smaller, more focused catalog excels. Our goal was to define criteria that buyers could use to make smart decisions.”

“With hundreds of courseware vendors jockeying for attention, the marketplace is confusing for buyers,” said Hemang Dave, CEO of THINQ. “We support Lguide’s research so that customers can get authoritative analysis that will help them make informed decisions.”

E-learning experts have praised the report. Trace Urden, e-learning analyst for WR Hambrecht + Co., said of the report that “Lguide provides an independent and credible source for distinguishing between the good, the bad and the ugly of e-learning content. In an environment where buyers are increasingly being asked to correlate training expenditures to improved performance, we expect Lguide to become an invaluable partner to anyone with responsibility for purchasing e-learning.”

For each of the ten topics, Lguide researchers evaluated the e-learning courseware of between five and fourteen different publishers. The report includes publishers with large catalogs, smaller publishers with niche content offerings and those that are particularly innovative in their course design. Lguide selected publishers to evaluate in order to ensure that consumers of e-learning have the best possible information to make buying decisions.

Ten Critical Training Topics: A Buyer’s Guide to E-Learning Courseware provides detailed analyses of the quality of e-learning in these topics:

• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

• XML

• Java

• Microsoft Office

• e-Business

• Business Writing

• Customer Service

• Leadership

• Change Management

• Time Management

Lguide researchers provide a short list of recommended publishers, along with detailed analyses of the pros and cons of each vendor’s courses, for every one of these high priority topics.

Lguide will present results from this study at THINQ’s User Group meeting in Annapolis, MD, October 22nd – 25th.

About THINQ

THINQ Learning Solutions, Inc. helps corporations and government agencies attain key business objectives with an enterprise-wide learning solution designed to improve employee and organizational achievement through effective human capital development. THINQ delivers enterprise learning management solutions that provide strategic consulting, leading LMS technology through the THINQ TrainingServer® Learning Management System, broad content qualification and integration, professional services and internal marketing programs to promote a learning culture on a global scale. The THINQ solution is an integral part of any enterprise’s infrastructure and complements key investments in Human Resource management and ERP systems to help companies achieve comprehensive human capital management. The THINQ LMS is AICC certified and SCORM compliant, allowing for seamless integration with products from other compliant software or content vendors. THINQ is a private company headquartered in Billerica, Mass., with operations in the United States, Canada and the U.K. For more information, contact THINQ at (888) 931-3311, or visit www.THINQ.com.

About Lguide

Lguide is the leading independent provider of e-learning research and consulting services, helping clients develop and implement effective e-learning strategies. Lguide offers unbiased, authoritative analysis of e-learning products and services to enable clients to save time and money while making sound purchasing decisions.

Lguide has developed a sophisticated methodology for reviewing Web-based training, and has evaluated over 2,000 products to date, including courseware, learning management systems, and other e-learning tools. In addition to its consulting services, Lguide offers customers access to its expertise through its subscription site’s full library of e-learning research and analysis, and by publishing in-depth research reports Web-based training.

Leading associations and publications in the e-learning industry have come to rely on Lguide as a definitive source for research and analysis, including the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), Online Learning Magazine, and Training and Development magazine.Recent consulting clients include Cisco Systems, Washington Mutual Bank, the City of Seattle, and the State of Washington. Visit Lguide at www.lguide.com