Element K Selects HiSoftware to Perform Web Site and Product Assessment for Accessibility Compliance.

Independent Review Addresses Accessibility Issues to Better Serve Federal Government Clients

NASHUA, N.H. -- HiSoftware (www.hisoftware.com), a leading provider of software, services and managed operation solutions that monitor and optimize Web content, quality and regulatory compliance, announced today that Element K (www.elementk.com/), a leading provider of learning solutions, services, and training content, has selected HiSoftware to perform an assessment of the company's Web site and online training courses for accessibility compliance. Element K chose HiSoftware to perform the independent review to ensure that the Web site and its e-Learning courses are compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

David Snider, Element K's senior director of marketing, said, "As our contracts for e-Learning solutions to the federal government grew larger and more complex, it became even more critical that our Web site be fully-compliant with Section 508 guidelines. Ensuring that our Web site is accessible literally means the difference between winning and losing business within the Federal government sector. HiSoftware's recognition in the federal space made them the perfect choice to perform an assessment of our site to show our commitment to Web accessibility."

Before procuring software or products, the federal government requires a voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT) to ensure Section 508 compliance. Element K had already produced a VPAT, but wanted a third-party validation to ensure that the Web site was up-to-date with current accessibility standards that can change very quickly. HiSoftware reviewed and tested 100 pages that comprise the entire Element K public Web site, and also tested a sample e-Learning course. To do this, Element K produced a Web-based Flash application that was representative of the core functionality used to produce multiple versions of the company's online courses.

"Another important factor in our selection of HiSoftware to perform the assessment of our e-Learning courses is the company's experience with Flash applications," said Snider. "Flash has a unique development environment, so the steps to make the programming accessible are fairly complex. We knew that HiSoftware had the experience to find any accessibility issues within our training courses and provide us with the steps we needed to address those issues."

Once the assessment was completed, HiSoftware created a Web site dedicated to the Element K project and posted a report detailing any accessibility issues found on the company's public site and in the product test. The assessment report, reviewed together with HiSoftware Professional Services, could be accessed by developers, project mangers, marketing managers and business-level managers to address any repairs necessary for full accessibility compliance.

"With nearly 50 million people with disabilities in the U.S., Element K is a company dedicated to creating solutions that are usable by everyone," said HiSoftware president and CEO, Kurt A. Mueffelmann. "We are pleased to be working with such a forward-thinking company and look forward to helping in their ongoing efforts to provide their customers with accessible solutions."

About Element K

Element K[R] delivers Learning Solutions - a tailored combination of products, technology and services that helps customers plan, provision, launch and manage their learning program. By leveraging a broad set of capabilities that span the entirety of a learning program, Element K provides customers with a level of assurance only possible through a single point of accountability. Element K's capabilities include 2,300 e-Learning courses, 1,300 print courseware titles, a learning platform, hands-on labs, professional certifications, managed services and integration services. Element K employs over 700 professionals.

About HiSoftware

Founded in 1998, HiSoftware is a leading provider of software, services, and On-Demand solutions that test, repair, monitor and enforce Web content, quality, and regulatory compliance. The company's solutions empower content developers, Web site architects, and executives to work collaboratively to create and manage corporate Web standards for accessibility, privacy, security, search engine optimization (SEO), site quality and performance, branding, competitive intelligence, and application transaction testing (AppTest). HiSoftware's customers boast many of the world's largest public and private sites including US and international government agencies and Global 2000 companies such as ChevronTexaco, Commerce One, Mercury Interactive, and Microsoft Government. For more information about HiSoftware visit www.hisoftware.com.

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