CBT Systems Offers Widest Selection of Interactive Courseware for Java and Internet Technology Training; Two New Titles Added to Java Curriculum.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 26, 1997--CBT Systems Ltd. today announced at the Java Internet Business Expo here that it offers the industry's widest selection of interactive courseware for Java and other Internet technologies. The company, a leading provider of interactive education software for Fortune 3000 companies, currently offers a comprehensive library of more than 430 titles that enable organizations to offer their employees advanced training in the latest Internet and enterprise information systems technologies.

The comprehensive curriculum designed by CBT Systems for Java and Internet technologies comprises courseware that covers core fundamentals for web end-users and publishers, web application developers, and web administrators, as well as courseware developed in conjunction with the industry's leading information technology vendors for Internet technology certification.

"The convergence of existing technologies and the rapid and broad adoption of Internet and intranet technologies has accelerated the demand for new skills in the workplace," said Bill Beamish, CBT Systems vice president of Product Strategy and Development. "Because of our attention to leading technology trends and our close partnerships with the industry's leading technology drivers, we are the only training provider today to offer a full Internet technologies curriculum for end users and technology professionals alike."

Java Curriculum

CBT Systems' 13-course Java curriculum was co-developed with IBM in conjunction with Sun Microsystems, Inc. and Netscape Communications Corp., and was the authorized interactive training curriculum for the highly successful Java Education World Tour '97, sponsored by IBM, Sun, Netscape and Novell. CBT Systems today is announcing the addition of two new titles to its Java curriculum. Those titles, IBM VisualAge for Java: Getting Started, and IBM Network Computing Framework: Overview, are scheduled for availability this year.

The Java curriculum is designed for programmers and application developers and covers information for both students who require an introduction to the fundamentals of object-oriented programming (OOP) as well as experienced OOP programmers who require a "fast-track" approach to Java. The curriculum features a number of courses from which students can select relevant titles for their areas of interest, including Java animation and images, Java database connectivity, Java security, networking, Internet technologies, and distributed objects. Students are provided with examples of Java applets, JavaBeans, and are shown how to use Java class libraries and write 100% Pure Java(TM) applications. Courses include useful programming techniques and instruction on porting existing applications to Java.

CBT Systems today also announced that it has recently completed development of a Java version of its kernel, the software that operates as a player for CBT Systems courses. CBT Systems announced that it is the first training company to receive 100% Pure Java certification from Sun Microsystems for its Java kernel. The company's Java kernel is a fully functional commercial application, and CBT's Java curriculum is available today on the Java kernel. (See today's press release, CBT Systems Launches Java Development Initiative.)

Vendor-Specific Training Courseware and Certification

CBT Systems currently offers a wide selection of courseware to support Internet-related products and technologies from major IT vendors, including Cisco, Lotus, Marimba, Microsoft, Netscape and Novell. The courseware is vendor-approved and supports the following certification programs: Microsoft Certified Product Specialist--Internet Specialist; Novell Certified Internet Professional; and Certified Lotus Professional. The company has partnered with Cisco Systems to develop a comprehensive curriculum that helps organizations to leverage Cisco technology in building today's complex intranet infrastructure. CBT Systems' courseware also supports certification offerings from Sun Microsystems, PowerSoft, Oracle and Informix.

New courseware from CBT Systems targeted at Java and Internet solutions include the following: Microsoft FrontPage and Outlook 97; Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0; Lotus Domino 4.5; PPP Configuration for Cisco Routers; Netscape LiveWire, JavaScript, Enterprise Server 3.0 and Communicator 4.0; and Marimba Castanet and Bongo.

In addition to vendor-specific courseware, CBT Systems offers an Internet and Intranet Skills curriculum, a series of non-vendor specific courses that teach Internet skills to students at a range of skill levels.

End-user training provides students with the skills and knowledge to use the Internet and intranet effectively. A wide range of subjects is addressed, including browser functionality, efficient searching, email and FTP usage.

Website developer training provides students with an understanding of how to build and integrate effective interactive web applications. HTML, JavaScript, and Java are a few of the subjects covered.

Website administrator training provides students with detailed instruction on how to develop and maintain websites. Web server functionality is covered along with Internet and intranet security.

"CBT Systems has developed considerable in-house expertise in Java and Internet technologies because we use them actively in the development of our own products," Beamish added. "We have always built our courseware on the fundamental architectures necessary for information technology such as networking and communications, operating systems, development tools, and applications. Our courseware adds significant value to a company's training efforts because we have a deep understanding of how these technologies work and how they relate to one another."

Web Deployment

CBT Systems has also taken a lead in web deployment of interactive courseware. CBTWeb(TM), which was released in December 1996, makes it easy for customers to deploy and access CBT Systems' full library via corporate intranets. The company's expertise in network deployment enabled it to deliver quickly to market a web deployment solution that provides the same rich graphics, engaging interactivity, and sophisticated simulations as offered with its network deployment.

"We believe that it's not enough to have great training content, training providers must also have a technologically advanced, yet easy-to-use methodology for managing, deploying, and accessing the content," Beamish said. "Our courseware and deployment systems are designed to work seamlessly together to optimize the quality of the overall learning experience. Training administrators can take advantage of high-quality interactive courseware that is easy to manage and distribute throughout an enterprise, and students benefit by having courseware available at all times, no matter where they may be located."

CBT Systems also plans for delivery this year CBTCampus(TM), its next-generation training management and deployment architecture. Coupled with CBT Systems' library, CBTCampus will for the first time provide customers with a modular, fully integrated, and extensible solution for delivering sophisticated interactive technology training wherever and however it's needed -- whether running over an intranet or across a LAN. CBTCampus is designed to provide powerful deployment flexibility regardless of an organization's mix of networked systems, and will enable students to access courses seamlessly over an intranet or the Internet, over a LAN, or on their standalone desktop or laptop computers. Because CBT Systems has always designed its courseware to be deployed over networks, students experience all of the same functionality of CBT Systems' standard courseware -- breadth and depth of content and richness of interactivity -- regardless of how it is delivered.

CBT Systems Ltd., a subsidiary of CBT Group PLC (NASDAQ:CBTSY), is a leading provider of interactive education software designed to meet the information technology training needs of businesses and organizations worldwide. The company develops, publishes and markets a comprehensive library of 433 software titles, covering a range of client-server, Internet, and corporate intranet technologies. CBT Systems' products are used by more than 1,350 of the world's leading corporations to train employees to develop and apply mission-critical technologies in the workplace.

The company works with leading software companies, including Cisco, Informix, Lotus, Marimba, Microsoft, Netscape, Novell, Oracle, Powersoft, and the IBM-Netscape-Sun Microsystems Java consortium to develop and market vendor-specific training.

For information on CBT Systems products, call 800/387-0932, fax [phone], or send an email to [e-mail] . CBT Systems is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.cbtsys.com . -0-

Note to Editors: All company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

CONTACT: CBT Systems Ltd.

Cindy McCaffrey, 415/614-5962

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