SkillSoft Announces Express Guides to Speed ‘Time to Competency’ for New Technologies and Certifications from Cisco Systems and Other Technology Vendors
NASHUA, N.H., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — SkillSoft PLC (Nasdaq: SKIL), a leading provider of enterprise e-learning, today announced the availability of 24 Express Guides for Cisco Systems certification program support. Based on Cisco’s own instructional materials, these electronically- delivered instructional guides support new and enhanced Cisco technologies and the corresponding new certification requirements. Included in the first set of Express Guides are titles to support changes in Cisco’s CCNA, CCNP, CCDA, CCDP, CCIE, and CCSP certification programs.
Targeted to IT professionals who need information immediately upon release of new technologies, Express Guides complement other learning options, such as e-learning courses and books, both of which require longer development cycles to bring to market. SkillSoft plans to deliver additional Express Guides for Cisco, as well as those supporting other technology vendors, throughout 2004. Currently, eight titles to support MCSA and MCSE certification programs for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 are also available.
“Express Guides give us the opportunity to bring critical information on industry-leading technologies to our customers even faster,” said Jerry Nine, chief operating officer of SkillSoft. “By leveraging relationships with key technology partners such as Cisco Systems, we can deliver study guides and instructional information to IT professionals within weeks, rather than months. Express Guides are an extension of our commitment to deliver a wide range of informal and formal learning options to business and IT professionals — all accessible online through sophisticated search options.”
Express Guides can be searched, launched, and managed through SkillPort 6, SkillSoft’s learning management platform, as well as other third-party learning management systems. Express Guides will automatically be added to the learning resources available to those customers who have licensed a SkillSoft IT multi-modal learning solution. The guides can also be licensed independently with pricing comparable to other SkillSoft courseware.
“Historically, there has been a time lapse of several months between the emergence of new technology and the availability of e-learning courseware or books,” said Lee Ritze, senior vice president of marketing and corporate development for SkillSoft. “The simulations, interactivity, and assessment features of high-quality e-learning courseware take about four to eight months to develop. Up to now, if clients needed information sooner, they had to send professionals to instructor-led training. Express Guides give our customers another cost-effective learning alternative.”
Among the 24 Cisco Express Guides now available are:
• Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, v2.1 (Exam 640-811)
• Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks, v2.1 (Exam 642-801)
• IP Telephony Troubleshooting, v2.0 (Exam 9EO-421)
• Cisco IP Telephony, v3.3 (Exam 9E)-441)
• Cisco Secure Virtual Private Networks, v3.1 (Exam 642-511)
Those interested in seeing a demo of Express Guides or obtaining more detailed information should contact a SkillSoft representative at isr@skillsoft.com or 877 545 5763, ext. 1.
About SkillSoft
SkillSoft is a leading provider of comprehensive e-learning content and technology products for business and IT professionals within the Global 2000. SkillSoft’s multi-modal learning solutions support and enhance the speed and effectiveness of both formal and informal learning processes and integrate SkillSoft’s in-depth courseware, learning management platform technology and support services.
Content offerings include SkillSoft’s Business Skills Library and IT Skills and Certification Library; ITPro, BusinessPro, FinancePro, and OfficeEssential Referenceware collections by Books24x7; and health and safety compliance courseware by GoTrain. 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 PLC. Books24x7 and Referenceware are servicemarks of Books24x7, Inc. All other 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 “Future Operating Results” in SkillSoft’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2003, 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 February 18, 2004. 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 LLC
203 790 1591
lgalloway@apolloassociates.com
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding SkillSoft Corporation’s business which are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.
