NETg Expands Global Development and Innovation Center; Increased Capacity of Ireland-based Center Sets New Pace for Industry Innovation.

Business/Technology Editors

NAPERVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2002

NETg, a worldwide leader in corporate education and training and part of The Thomson Corporation (TSE:TOC), today announced it will expand its Global Product Development and Innovation Center in Limerick, Ireland as part of a long-term strategy to advance its industry leadership in learning innovations and to meet growing market demand for single-source learning products and services. The planned three-year expansion project, supported by the Industrial Development Authority of Ireland, also strengthens NETg's cooperative relationships with private and academic institutions worldwide by fostering a collaborative environment for innovations in technology and learning. Corporate and private tours of the NETg Ireland facility are offered, attracting hundreds of visitors annually, including academic luminaries, learning and technology industry professionals, and business professionals seeking guidance and insights into the creation and implementation of corporate learning programs.

"This announcement strongly reinforces our commitment to meeting the evolving and increasingly sophisticated requirements of our customers around the world," said Joe Dougherty, president of NETg. "From corporations and academic institutions to individuals, we are seeing an increased demand for innovative, integrated learning programs. By expanding our capacity, we will increase the industry pace for learning innovations and the volume of products developed - with the goal of meeting and exceeding our clients' growing needs to accelerate business performance through learning."

The NETg Global Product Development and Innovation Center now produces 80-percent of Thomson Learning's product development and innovation activities, as result of the integration of NETg into The Thomson Corporation in February 2001, and is chartered with development of product strategy and innovation, content development, content localization and best practices in instructional design and multimedia development for all of Thomson Learning's Information Technology (IT) and business and professional development training courses. The Global Product Development and Innovation Center is recognized for its commitment to quality processes and practices with Ireland's "Excellence Through People" certification, a national standard for quality and human resource development.

NETg's expanded commitment to product innovation and development is driven by projected market demand for high-quality, integrated corporate learning solutions. "Global organizations are increasing their commitment to learning strategies that link directly to business goals and create competitive advantage through enhanced performance, higher return-on-investment and greater customer loyalty," said Cushing Anderson, Program Manager for IDC Learning Services Research. "NETg's investment in the expansion of facilities that drive emerging learning industry innovations and deliver a broad line of integrated learning products is well-timed to meet this long-term market demand."

For visiting NETg clients, a customized tour of the facilities is organized to focus on the client's primary organizational needs and interests, and to review emerging innovations and discuss the impact the innovations will have on the company's learning program direction. The Limerick facilities also serve as a key location for visiting academic luminaries to conduct lectures and seminars as part of NETg's established cooperative relationships with universities such as University of Limerick, The Limerick Institute of Technology, The Institute of Technology Tralee, and the Tipperary Institute, as well as academic institutions worldwide.

About The Thomson Corporation & NETg

The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com), with 2001 revenues of $7.2 billion, is a leading provider of integrated information solutions to business and professional markets worldwide. The corporation's common shares are listed on the Toronto and London stock exchanges (TSE: TOC). Its learning businesses and brands serve the needs of individuals, institutions, and businesses with and blend of products and services tailored to any learning environment. As part of Thomson, NETg (www.netg.com) is a global leader in blended learning with a complete solution of content, technology and services. NETg's offering is comprised of its award-winning e-Learning courseware, Course Technology books, CourseCards and instructor-led training manuals and Wave accelerated IT Boot Camps and self-study kits. For over 30 years NETg has been an innovation leader incorporating Internet deployment and interactivity with over 85,000 learning objects in popular IT, desktop computing and professional development topics.