CBT Systems, one of the founders of the computer-based training industry, has changed its name to SmartForce in a move designed to redefine its position within the burgeoning professional learning industry.
In line with this move, SmartForce has also unveiled a groundbreaking Internet-based electronic learning solution, testimony to its commitment to prepare the global workforce for the next millennium.
"SmartForce e-Learning is geared to give companies a faster, more effective way to empower employees at all levels within the organisation to deal with the Internet economy," says SmartForce Africa MD Milton Goldschmidt.
"SmartForce e-Learning enables employees to learn the career skills they need to succeed in business today. It is a bold move to expand SmartForce`s leadership in the ever-expanding corporate education market, while also creating a very exciting business-to-consumer opportunity," he says.
Goldschmidt says SmartForce is uniquely positioned to accelerate the shift from traditional learning models to technology mediated learning.
"e-Learning is more than just a delivery mechanism. It is a powerful, Internet-based solution that leverages the Web to provide a fundamentally faster and better way to learn.
He says it allows students - or e-Learners - to immerse themselves in a dynamic, continuously updated learning environment that provides access to a variety of learning events and resources, including online seminars, mentoring, news, white papers and peer-to-peer collaboration.
It also gives e-Learners access to SmartForce`s industry-leading library of information technology titles, as well as SmartForce`s business and interpersonal skills offerings, which previously had been marketed under the Knowledge Well brand.
"As the former CBT Systems, SmartForce has been a leader in technology-based training for 15 years. This release is a powerful step forward for the company and, we believe, the industry.
"A major challenge over the next 10 years is to keep the global workforce continuously updated on cutting-edge technology and business issues in an economy that moves at Internet speed. e-Learning promises a superior learning experience to individuals and a critical e-business application for companies.
"Any company that does not initiate strategic learning programs today might as well hand over their business to the competition now," says Goldschmidt.
Paul Henry, international vice president at SmartForce and a recent visitor to South Africa says: "This is a great transition for us. CBT Systems has been a leader in its category for many years and this change opens up significant new markets while capitalising on the company`s core competencies.
"SmartForce, with its vision, resources, experience and reputation, is poised to continue to play a dominant role in this space, and quite feasibly to redefine many of the established principles in professional learning."
Two business opportunities
SmartForce will leverage the Internet to pursue two business opportunities.
The first is a business-to-business opportunity, in which SmartForce will provide e-Learning solutions to organisations seeking to remain competitive in an economy where knowledge and innovation is the source of competitive advantage.
With this move, SmartForce will provide enterprises with an advanced e-business application that "Webifies" the training business process.
SmartForce plans to open the site to corporate customers on 2 November 1999.
This initiative also enables SmartForce to pursue a business-to-consumer opportunity through the creation of "SmartForce.com", which the company will seek to establish as the leading destination site for professional advancement.
Goldschmidt confirms that SmartForce plans to go live to the public with this site on 2 November, concurrent with its business-to-business launch.
"SmartForce plans to create a major network of subscribers by leveraging its customer base and by bringing new individual and corporate subscribers to the site," he says.
"By deploying an easy-to-use, complete Internet service, SmartForce will instantly broaden its potential customer reach to the global community of Internet users - which by 2002 is expected to have a population of 320 million."
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