Marratech and Reseller Partners Work with Alberta Online Consortium to Provide Affordable Web-Based Collaboration Options for Online Programs.

MORRISTOWN, NJ -- Socrates Learning and Intellinet to Support the Organization with Training and Support to Compliment the Use of Innovative Virtual Office Solution

Marratech(R), a leading global developer of Web collaboration solutions, has announced that it will be working through two of its leading resellers, Socrates Learning Systems and Intellinet Technologies, to bring special configurations to the Alberta Online Consortium (AOC), a group of Canadian educational organizations that provides online programs.

"Marratech is excited to be engaged with the Alberta Online Consortium, not only to provide flexible and low cost desktop video conferencing, but to offer interoperability with existing video conferencing facilities as well," said Lars Persson, CEO of Marratech. "We are confident that our local resellers, Intellinet and Socrates Learning, will provide AOC members with top notch customer support and training."

The two resellers, in conjunction with the AOC, will be providing local support and training for IT staff, as well as professional development for teaching staff, in order to help get schools online and using the virtual office technology. As part of the agreement, special kits will be available to facilitate users getting up and running quickly on the Marratech solution.

"Marratech has created true benefits of working in a virtual office or virtual classroom environment," said Ahmad Jawad, President of Intellinet. "We are excited at the prospect of introducing the members of the AOC, which include a broad range of government and educational environments, to the significant benefits of working in a virtual office environment."

Marratech provides a rich collaboration environment that includes data collaboration, text chat and application sharing. The solution delivers crystal clear audio and multi-party video over a high-speed Internet connection for Macintosh, Windows, and Linux users. The solution also supports the H.323 audio and video standards allowing users to interoperate with existing video conferencing hardware and software while taking advantage of the benefits and ease of use offered by Marratech. While other Web-based products require extensive set up and bridges, H.323 is integrated tightly into Marratech Manager's server application to allow for both a painless and seamless connection to other applications.

"Marratech, with its solid integration of the H.323 video conferencing standard, clearly meets the very high standards that we have for our SuperNet network, which connects all of the schools in the province," said Trevor Doerksen, Director of Learning at Alberta Online Consortium." The AOC's SuperNet combines over 12,000 kilometers of fiber and wireless technology to make broadband service available in 429 communities across Alberta connecting 4200 schools, health facilities and government offices and to over 86 percent of Alberta's population.

"Marratech is opening a whole new world to the participants in the Alberta Online Consortium and we are excited about our part in putting this technology in the hands of people who will really benefit from it," said Paul Aiello, Sales Manager of Socrates Learning.

The Alberta Online Consortium has already successfully used Marratech in a number of its efforts. For example, the AOC and others have offered "Bird Trek," a series of virtual field trips to the bird sanctuary at Lesser Slave Lake in Northern Alberta. "My sixth grade students loved visiting the bird observatory virtually, said Gord Smith, AISI Tech Coordinator of G.S. Lakie Middle School. "Marratech gives us the opportunity to expose our students to things that they would never have the opportunity to see otherwise."

"It was great to see the pictures and ask the bird experts from northern Alberta questions right from our classroom," said one sixth grade student who participated in Bird Trek. "The focus was on learning. I want to go to Africa and try scuba diving next."

For more information on Marratech and any of its products and services, visit the company's Web site at www.marratech.com.

About Marratech

Marratech AB is a global company based in Sweden that develops and markets software solutions which enable remote groups and individuals to collaborate and interact over the Internet. The company's distance learning products are based on research that began in 1995 at the Centre for Distance-Spanning Technology (CDT) at Lulea university of Technology, Sweden. Marratech is being used by companies across the world and has won several industry awards and accolades including the 2001 European IST Prize. The company is owned by Swedish mutual funds as well as its employees and founders. It has operations in the United Kingdom, throughout Europe, the USA and Canada, Australia and the Far East, as well as an extensive and rapidly expanding network of resellers and agents. For more information, visit www.marratech.com.

About Alberta Online Consortium

AOC is the leader in enabling the growth of technology enhanced learning environments, providing its members and others with programs and services aimed at building their capacity and increasing the level of success experienced by their learners. Driving AOC's core functions are its collaborative, enterprising, innovative, and accessible nature. AOC's target audiences include: provincial government, federal government, first nations, school districts, post-secondary institutions, corporations, foundations, informal learning organizations research organizations and municipalities. Its Board of Directors comprises the chairs and co-chairs of the working committees of the organization. Currently, there are 13 members on the Executive Committee. For more information, visit the consortium's Web site at http://www.ataoc.ca

About Intellinet Technologies Inc.

Intellinet Technologies Inc. is an Edmonton based information technology consulting firm located in the Edmonton Research Park. Its organizational objective is to help companies improve their operational capability by equipping them with the appropriate information technology tools. In addition to consulting, Intellinet is committed to maintaining and supporting the technology investments of its clients by providing technical support and training. Intellinet is involved in promoting and supporting Marratech e-meeting solutions, a web-based video conferencing and platform independent software that Integrates with H.323 video conference equipments. For more information about Intellinet, visit the company's Web site at ww.intellinet.ca.

About Socrates Learning Systems Ltd.

Socrates Learning Systems is a learning systems company with offices in Alberta, BC, and Ontario focused providing solutions in healthcare and education. Socrates has helped WalMart train its staff with its leading standards-based open source Learning Content Management System solution and is focused on learning - then technology. For more information about the company or its services, visit the company's Web site at www.socrateslearning.com.