Apogee Launches On-Line Store as Travel Concerns Boost Interest in E-Learning.

Business Editors & Energy Writers

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2001

With increasing concerns about travel fueling interest in "e-learning," Apogee Interactive Inc. now offers critical skills courses direct to employees on the Web at Study-Center.com.

Employees can purchase and take individual courses to meet their immediate training needs using Apogee's new secure Website, Study-Center.com, which accepts credit card payments. Or, companies can purchase blocks of e-learning seats at a discount. Either way, this new system bypasses the need to travel, avoids the slow downs of purchasing department procedures, and transcends time zones with 24/7 access.

E-learning is proving to be one of the fastest routes to shorter learning curves. The industry is projected to quadruple to $18 billion by 2005, according to an International Data Corporation survey conducted in July.

"E-learning is most often used by companies seeking to retain employees and maintain their company's competitive edge," said Susan Gilbert, president of Apogee Interactive, a pioneer of Internet-based services and training for the energy industry. "This year we began to see companies adopt e-learning as a means to provide equal access to training for all employees and, most recently, we've seen an increase in interest due to concerns about corporate travel," Gilbert added.

Apogee's Study-Center courses feature pre-tests, post-tests, and pop quizzes -- all with instantaneous scoring for the individual who is purchasing the course. For corporate purchases, Study-Center's learning management system provides a full array of metrics and tracking information for supervisors to evaluate course activity and employee progress. The online "storefront" works well for employees who want to access courses directly, for supervisors who want to hand-select courses to help with employees' performance objectives, and for departments that want to pilot a course or an e-learning format with a test group before making a larger-scale training investment.

Along with a comprehensive line-up of energy-related technical and business skills Study-Center courses, Apogee also provides custom course development and the conversion of traditional instructor-led courses. "We believe a blended approach is best," explained Gilbert. "Today's technology allows us to instruct on a broader spectrum of topics by utilizing streaming media, animations and interactive graphics. But we also recognize some subject areas are best served with a combination of on-line work, live classroom sessions, instructor-led Webcasts and on-line communities."

As a member of the Energy Industry CBT Alliance (www.eicaonline.org), Apogee is currently working alongside power utilities that are leading the development of standardized, relevant e-learning courseware for the energy industry. Apogee (www.Apogee) also offers a host of other Internet and software solutions including The Demand Exchange(R), the largest demand response aggregation system and Internet trading platform in the US. A full listing of courses, descriptions and other details about Apogee's Study-Center is available at www.study-center.com.