Vobix Launches First E-Learning Tool Using Microsoft .NET Technology; Boston University Implements Platform, Redefines Student Learning.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 2001

New Vobix Educational Platform Lets Schools Create Virtual Computer

Labs; Vobix Offers Free .NET Trials to Qualified Schools

Vobix, a managed application technology provider, has launched the Vobix Educational Platform (VEP), the first e-learning tool to utilize Microsoft's (Nasdaq:MSFT) .NET technology.

The first adopter of the platform is Boston University, which has integrated the Vobix platform with .NET technology into its curriculum with great results.

Mark Sapossnek works for Microsoft Consulting Services and currently teaches a course on .NET development at the Computer Science Department of the Metropolitan College at Boston University. "The Vobix solution features Hosted Training Environments, secure virtual labs that allow students to install, configure and test the latest operating systems and software applications from anywhere they have access to the Internet. They are not bound to the lab, and for more than half of my students, it's the only way they can take these courses at all. It really opens up a host of new opportunities for learning."

Primary and secondary school budgets for technology tripled from $2.1 billion in 1991 to $6.2 billion in 2000. And though International Data Corp., a technology research firm in Framingham, Mass., reports that spending on e-learning worldwide is expected to exceed $23 billion by 2004, there are still significant barriers to entry for most schools and corporate training departments to implement a comprehensive program. High infrastructure costs for servers, software and upgrades and maintenance costs to keep it running can be prohibitive.

Vobix, meanwhile, offers an e-learning portal for K-12 and higher education that is subscription based. There are no up-front costs, just a monthly per student fee, similar to a lab fee, for unlimited access to the portal. And Vobix is working with Microsoft to distribute Hosted Training Environment certificates that give qualified schools free 45-day trials of the .NET technology platform.

"More and more schools would like to implement an e-learning solution with the latest technology, but just don't have the resources to invest in servers and the latest applications," said Tim Landgrave, president and CEO of Vobix and a Microsoft MSDN Regional Director. "Now they get an opportunity to test drive the .NET technology for free and since there are no upfront costs with the Vobix Educational Platform, this is an entirely risk free way for schools to dip their toes in the e-learning waters."

Microsoft .NET technology solves several core problems underlying software development today. Its reliance on XML, an open standard that embraces all programming languages, removes barriers to data sharing and software integration. XML makes it easy to exchange data, and .NET software makes it easy to work with the data once it is received.

"One of the biggest hurdles we have to overcome to teach .NET technology to college students is the lab configuration," added Sapossnek. "Instead of having to reconfigure local lab resources using beta software, we can simply connect to the Vobix platform and start working right away. It's fast and it's simple."

To further enhance awareness of .NET technology within the academic community, Microsoft has turned to Vobix to write a series of white papers on the technology, coordinate the development of courseware, present workshops to colleges and universities nationwide and distribute the HTE certificates. Each of these will provide teachers, professors and instructors an introduction to .NET, a rationale for adopting .NET into the curriculum, and an un-biased mechanism to compare and contrast .NET technologies with other development tools and environments commonly taught in the academic environment, such as Java, Unix, Cobol and Perl. Vobix will host its first .NET Academic Learning Workshop at Georgetown (Ky.) College on Thursday, August 2, with all attendees receiving a certificate for a free 45-day trial from Microsoft. To register or learn more, visit www.vobix.com/georgetown.

"With this platform, developers, testers and students alike have an entire lab full of computers on which to work, but do it all with a single computer and a minimum of effort," said Sapossnek. "Valuable training and learning time isn't wasted on operating system crashes or hardware failures. It's the ultimate in low-cost redundancy, and it is an ideal way to introduce Microsoft's new technology to the academic community."

The Vobix Educational Platform is particularly valuable to Authorized Academic Training Providers and Certified Technical Education Centers that require students to practice learned technical skills but who may find it difficult to maintain state-of-the-art servers and applications.

About Vobix

Vobix is a managed application technology provider that develops, manages, supports and improves mission critical business applications to help organizations boost efficiency and focus on core competencies. Vobix delivers that technology in three ways. For small and medium-sized businesses, Vobix provides managed software services in a hosted or self-hosted environment. For ASPs and ISPs, Vobix delivers enabling technology to help them better serve their customers. And lastly, Vobix helps large corporations, educational institutions and government agencies realize the full potential of their technology investments by doing the heavy lifting of application and software management. Vobix is a subsidiary of ManTech International Corp. For more information, visit www.vobix.com.