BSG announces new suite of client/server training tools; BSG SMARTS Suite to provide skills assessment, curriculum management.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 1994--BSG announced Monday its BSG SMARTS suite, the industry's first Windows-based client/server education and training toolkit.

The first component of the training suite is BSG SMARTS:Skills, a client/server skills assessment tool that is available immediately in conjunction with BSG's Client/Server U. education consulting services. With BSG SMARTS:Skills, users can accurately measure current skill sets, map the existing skills to those needed for client/server implementation, identify skills gaps, and design a training curriculum to close the gaps.

The BSG SMARTS suite is a part of BSG's Client/Server U., announced earlier this year, which offers services for planning, developing and measuring the client/server training process. Other tools in the suite planned for development include SMARTS:Plan, SMARTS:Track and SMARTS:Measure. Together, these tools will help solve the re-skilling problem of the Fortune 1000, which Forrester Research recently cited as still among the greatest limitations to new client/server applications development.

Rich Cunningham, Information Systems Manager at Phoenix Newspapers Inc., whose company is currently migrating from the mainframe to client/server, said: "Retraining our IT staff and end-users requires more than vendor-specific product training. We need a methodology that determines our training goals, develops a curriculum, and manages the entire process. Together, Client/Server U. and BSG SMART:Skills delivered a customized curriculum that enabled us to cost-efficiently meet our specific client/server training requirements."

"The major objective of BSG SMARTS:Skills, as well as other tools in the SMARTS suite, is to help customers maximize their investment in client/server training," said Steve Guengerich, president of BSG Education. "With companies facing a multi-million dollar investment to retool their development and support staffs, they must be able to move quickly, develop optimized training programs, and to measure the impact of the new skills on their business. BSG's ability to offer SMARTS:Skills as a tool with our Client/Server U. skills assessment service enables us to more accurately and rapidly design on-target curriculum to help companies address their client/server skills gaps."

BSG SMARTS:Skills is only available through BSG's Client/Server U. Pricing for Client/Server U. skills assessment, using BSG SMARTS:Skills, begins at $5,000, depending on the number of people surveyed and the amount of customization required.

SMARTS Skills Features

The features of SMARTS Skills include:

-- Pre-loaded Library of Client/Server Skills Data -- SMARTS:Skills comes with a library of over 200 skill definitions that may be used in the skill assessment surveys. With each skill come definitions and pre-established proficiency levels that users can reference to assist them in their assessments.

-- Standalone or LAN/WAN Capability -- SMARTS:Skills was developed using the latest commercial release of PowerBuilder 3.0 and can be configured to run standalone or on a local or wide area network. It also uses BSG's well-known BluePrint Object development Environment for PowerBuilder, which provides standard menuing, security, and conversation control.

-- Highly Customizable -- SMARTS:Skills can be modified to create customized skills definitions, proficiency levels, and reports and queries. It can accommodate a virtually unlimited number of users and surveys. The data model was developed in compliance with ANSI SQL. The tool is designed to allow batch loading of personnel data from sources such as human resources applications.

About Client/Server U.

BSG's Client/Server U. program, launched in March 1994, is a leader in client/server training and education services. The program is a part of BSG's long-term commitment to providing business transformation services to Fortune 1000 companies adopting client/server technology. Through its High Performance Process Model, Client/Server U. provides an interrelated set of services including skills assessment, program development, cost/benefit analysis, program management, measurement analysis and infrastructure planning.

About BSG

BSG is a leading provider of services or technology-enabled business transformation, including systems integration consulting, technology transfer, and education. Led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven G. Papermaster, BSG assists customers worldwide in applying client/server and emerging technologies to create and respond to changing business requirements. Founded in 1987, BSG has offices in seven cities across the United States.

CONTACT: BSG

              Steve Guengerich, 713/965-1305
              Blanc & Otus
              Craig Sutphin, 415/512-0500