THINQ Selected to Power Navy E-Learning For Over 1.2 Million Learners

The Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET) selected THINQ Learning Solutions Inc., a leading provider of enterprise-wide corporate learning solutions, to power Navy E-Learning for more than 1.2 million members of the Department of the Navy, including: Sailors, Marines, retirees, reservists, family members enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), and the civilian workforce. The first phase of the new learning initiative is a revamp of CNET’s Navy Learning Network. After only five weeks of development and implementation, Navy E-Learning, the new CNET learning portal powered by the THINQ TrainingServer; Learning Management System (LMS), went live at www.navylearning.com and www.navylearning.navy.mil.

The CNET project covers the launching and tracking of e-learning courses in: Navy and other military disciplines; computers and information technology; and business and professional development. The THINQ TrainingServer LMS is capable of delivering learning through personal learning plans, online catalogs, records of learner progress, skills profiling and collaboration tools. Virtual classroom and streaming video training will soon be introduced into the THINQ LMS environments. THINQ is now Navy E-Learning’s learning management system supplier and will manage learning at the portal as an application service provider (ASP).

“Choosing the right e-learning solutions provider is a daunting task, but when an organization needs to implement a large-scale complex learning solution for users around the world on land and at sea, the process to select the right provider is that much more difficult,” said Elliott Masie, e-learning industry analyst and president of the MASIE Center. “The Navy’s requirements, including security and scalability, add additional complexity to the selection task. Congratulations to the Navy on moving forward with e-learning and to THINQ on their selection as a key provider.”

THINQ’s people, products and services are supporting the Navy’s e-learning process in this initiative. In addition to the Navy E-Learning site, simultaneous prototypes are under way to deliver THINQ’s LMS solution throughout the Navy. Plans are being considered to utilize THINQ TrainingServer LMS deployments in secure environments, as well as more than 160 schoolhouses and commands, more than 350 shipboard environments, and academic facilities such as the Naval Postgraduate School and the Naval War College. Upon successful testing and evaluation of the prototypes, appropriate implementation schedules will be developed. As planned, all systems will synchronize back to a central THINQ TrainingServer LMS with subsequent integration to a Navy enterprise database to create portable, lifetime transcripts called “electronic training jackets.”

“CNET’s learning solution requirements are more complex than most global learning initiatives,” said Cushing Anderson, program manager of IDC’s Learning Services Research practice. “To be considered and selected for such a vast and comprehensive learning initiative is a testament to THINQ and the e-learning industry as a whole.”

Navy learns lessons on LMS technology

Based on evaluation of a number of LMS products at the Defense Department’s Joint Advanced Distance Learning (ADL) Co-Laboratory, CNET selected THINQ from a multitude of vendor options. THINQ demonstrated the ability to:

• seamlessly launch all Navy-developed courses and select commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) courses;

• adhere to the military’s Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORMLI) specification for LMS/courseware interoperability;

  deliver a powerful learning portal user interface;

• enable easy database customization;

• scale to handle millions of users; and

  provide responsive customer service throughout the evaluation process.

“Navy training is an immense challenge in terms of the size and distribution of the global audience, the mission critical nature of the subject matter and the importance of security,” said THINQ CEO Hemang Dave. “CNET chose THINQ from 120 companies because of our proven technology, processes and readiness. We are proud to help the Navy accomplish the top objectives that are most crucial to its sustained success. With this launch, we will provide the Navy with the tools they need to train, develop and grow, proving the true value of end-to-end learning management.”

About CNET

CNET seeks to transfer more knowledge to more Sailors faster and at less cost. CNET oversees a network of training and education programs throughout the world. One of the largest shore commands in the Navy, CNET is comprised of approximately 26,000 military and civilian staff members at more than 1,165 subordinate commands and detachments coast to coast and in Hawaii. CNET has a daily average of more than 43,000 officer and enlisted students training in more than 4,000 different courses at 30 bases.

CNET supervises 57 Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) units at colleges and universities throughout the United States, and 490 Naval Junior ROTC units at civilian high schools. The headquarters of CNET is located at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla.

About THINQ

THINQ helps corporations and government agencies attain key business objectives with an enterprise-wide learning solution designed to improve human capital management and employee and organizational achievement. THINQ combines strategic guidance, a scalable Web-based learning management infrastructure, the world’s largest aggregation of professional learning content, proven professional services and ongoing onsite success services that help drive learners to improved performance. THINQ combines technology and content by integrating its proven learning management system (LMS), the THINQ TrainingServer LMS, with hundreds of thousands of learning events from the THINQ Learning Center, to offer customers a one-stop source for corporate learning requirements. THINQ is a private company headquartered in Billerica, Mass., with operations in the US, Canada and the U.K. For more information, contact THINQ at (888) 931-3311, or visit www.THINQ.com.

Contact Information

Heather Nance

THINQ
(978) 671-7514
heather.nance@THINQ.com

Deb Dargie
Beaupre & Co. Public Relations Inc.
(603) 559-5826
ddargie@beaupre.com