Press Releases & News

Caja Madrid – established for some 300 years and currently Spain’s fourth largest financial group – has revolutionised its training systems through the use of a learning content management system (LCMS) augmented by a learning management system. The new system – supplied by Giunti Labs, the leading learning and mobile content management solution provider – is intended to improve both the efficiency and cost effectiveness of Caja Madrid’s staff training activities.

High levels of employee productivity and efficiency are crucial to Caja Madrid’s continued success and growth. This is the main reason why Giunti Labs’ learn eXact LCMS represents the most suitable solution for the organisation’s training contents production and management.

The project – known as ‘Aula Virtual de Caja Madrid’ – aims to exploit, and profit from, Caja Madrid’s as well as its partners’ and collaborators’ knowledge. All this is possible through a special system for learning materials development and delivery which is aligned to market rhythm and requirements.

This brand new ‘Aula Virtual’ supports a web-based content development method that can be used by internal and external subject matter experts as well as by learning object (LO) providers. Since LOs are then managed on the same LCMS and labelled with the same metadata schema, the whole process becomes more efficient from both content reuse and update points of view.

“The learn eXact LCMS solution allows Caja Madrid to organise – according to industry standards – all its learning content into one single content management system and digital repository,” explained Giunti Labs’ CEO, Fabrizio Cardinali.

“Most importantly, the legacy content of a huge number of instructor-led courses is being transferred into the system and tagged with a SCORM-based metadata and taxonomies framework. The same framework is also applied to all e-learning content.

“To ensure the efficient reuse and quality of the content, all third party content producers use learn eXact for their content production and management,” he said.

In February 2009, Caja Madrid adopted the SCORM 2004 standard for all its learning materials and recently began insisting that all those providing its learning materials did so with Giunti Labs’ SCORM 2004 conformant eXact Packager software.

In April 2009, Giunti Labs’ eXact Lobster Digital Repository was installed in Caja Madrid and content providers started generating content connected to Giunti Labs’ eXact Lobster at Caja Madrid. In the first months of 2010, Caja Madrid’s employees have begun using the resulting learning content.

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About Caja Madrid

Caja Madrid is Spain’s fourth largest financial group. It offers a complete range of banking products and services to meet its 7 million retail, business and private customers’ needs. Its customer base comprises families, small and medium sized companies, big corporations and private and public institutions.

With more than 15,000 employees and an extensive network of more than 2,000 offices all over Spain, Caja Madrid can also boast of an advanced subsidiary system comprising a series of external networks. One of the most important of these is the MAPFRE network system that, in addition to its brokers and delegates, also provides more than 600 Caja Madrid dealers inside MAPFRE offices.

Caja Madrid also benefits from its foreign branches in Lisbon, Miami and Vienna and has a strong presence in other countries including the US, Mexico, Cuba, China and Morocco.

Caja Madrid is also a leader in social action in terms of the amount of resources applied. For more than three centuries it has been working hard, from both a social and cultural point of view, to address social issues and provide assistance in cultural, educational and environmental sectors.

About Giunti Labs

Giunti Labs http://www.giuntilabs.com is a leading Online and Mobile Learning Content Management Solutions provider with offices around the world. Giunti Labs provides a wide range of solutions for content development, content management and content delivery, covering:

• Multi-language bespoke content production

• Content management and digital repository platforms

• ePortfolio and skills management solutions

• Mobile learning technologies

• Consulting and professional services

Giunti Labs provides solutions to many sectors including public sector, defence, manufacturing, finance, retail, ICT, education and healthcare.

Giunti Labs is part of Giunti Group, a leading educational and cultural heritage publisher with roots back to 1841. Over the years, Giunti has built a catalogue of over 12.000 titles and has acquired new brands worldwide.

Further information from:

Minna Leikas, Giunti Labs, +39 3474435167, m.leikas@giuntilabs.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405, bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Omniplex, a leading provider of e-learning solutions with bases in the UK and North America, is exhibiting at the eLearning Guild’s annual conference, being held on 24th and 25th March, in Orlando, Florida, USA. In addition, Matthew Lloyd, Omniplex’s managing director, is speaking at the conference – giving a ’guided tour of knowledge theory and its practical implications’.

Based in the USA, the eLearning Guild is the oldest source of information, networking and community for e-learning professionals. As a member-driven organization, the Guild produces conferences, online events, e-books, research reports and Learning Solutions Magazine and aims to enable e-learning professionals to share knowledge, expertise and ideas to build a better industry — and better learning experiences — for everyone.

According to the event’s organizers, to ensure your organization’s e-learning success, you need to make connections with the right people, ideas, strategies, tools, technologies, and resources. They claim that those attending the eLearning Guild’s Learning Solutions Conference & Expo will find all the connections they need ‘under one roof’.

“Since 2002 the eLearning Guild’s Annual Gathering has been the go-to resource for e-learning professionals, attracting the best minds in the industry,” commented Susan Morin, Omniplex’s Vice President of North American Operations. “Now this community’s annual gathering has become the Learning Solutions Conference & Expo – and we’re delighted to be exhibiting there.

“Blatant Media will be joining us on our stand in Florida – and a number of our partners are also exhibiting, including Yukon, Articulate and Raptivity,” she added.

Omniplex offers a number of delivery and tracking solutions, including the Flash-based LMS, Absorb Learning Management System produced by the Alberta, Canada, based Blatant Media Corporation.

Blatant Media’s software and online training solutions help users:

• Monitor employee training, experience, development and critical performance requirements
• Share an employee personal success plan to help progress towards reaching corporate performance goals and employee career advancement
• Convert critical training into engaging adult learning opportunities, including soft skills, policy, compliance and simulation training

Omniplex’s learning solutions encompass the corporate training process, from course development solutions, through delivery and tracking to, crucially, retention measurement and learning reinforcement.

Omniplex provides the leading authoring tools Articulate, Captivate and Raptivity, along with user training and support to help clients develop their in-house course development capabilities. Alternatively, Omniplex can develop specific courses for clients through its design company, Cursim.

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About the eLearning Guild

Based in the USA, the eLearning Guild is the oldest source of information, networking and community for e-learning professionals. As a member-driven organization, the Guild produces conferences, online events, e-books, research reports and Learning Solutions Magazine — all devoted to the idea that the people who know the most about making e-learning successful are the people who produce e-learning every day in corporate, government, and academic settings. The Guild’s goal is to create a place where e-learning professionals can share their knowledge, expertise and ideas to build a better industry — and better learning experiences — for everyone.

About Omniplex

Omniplex is a leading provider of e-learning authoring, delivery, tracking and reinforcement products and services. Based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in the UK, and in Montreal, Canada, Omniplex supports clients across Europe and North America.

Further information on Omniplex can be found at www.omniplex.co.uk and www.omniplex.biz

Further information from:

Matthew Lloyd, Omniplex Ltd, +44 (0)1442 275304 / 08444 120550; matthew.lloyd@omniplex.co.uk

Susan Morin, Omniplex (North America), +1 (514) 448-2239; susan.morin@omniplex.biz

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Migrating to easier-to-use learning management systems, along with mobile learning are the two ‘hottest topics’ in the learning technologies world at present, according to research by Omniplex.

A poll of visitors to the stand of e-learning solutions provider Omniplex, at this year’s Learning Technologies exhibition, held in London’s Olympia, revealed that they were primarily preoccupied with two ‘hot topics’.

“One priority was people looking to migrate from an existing learning management system (LMS) to a system that is easier to use,” revealed Matthew Lloyd, managing director of Omniplex.

“This reflects the trend towards organisations taking control of their LMS in-house – along with the trend to develop their own e-learning materials in-house, which has boosted demand for such things as rapid authoring tools which can be used by in-house subject matter experts rather than by professional e-learning designers and developers.

“Providing systems and opportunities for mobile learning was the other hot topic,” he added. “In particular, the announcement of the iPad by Apple was seen to be of great importance to the mobile learning space.

“As ‘virtual working’ becomes increasingly popular, so more organisations’ workforces not only tend to be more widely distributed but also need to access learning and performance support materials remotely, on a just-in-time and just-enough basis. We’re finding that this is encouraging more organisations to investigate – and develop – mobile learning options.

“While ‘desktop PC-delivered e-learning’ is far from outdated, increasingly we are seeing it being augmented by mobile learning applications which make these learning materials available – via a range of delivery devices – to users wherever they are.”

According to the Learning Technologies event’s organisers, this year’s event – held at the end of January - attracted more exhibitors and visitors than ever before, highlighting growing confidence within the e-learning industry.

“We certainly had our busiest show ever this year,” commented Lloyd, who added that Omniplex received 20 per cent more ‘serious’ enquiries on its stand at this year’s Learning Technologies exhibition than it did at last year’s event. In both years, the number of enquiries Omniplex received was ‘over 100’.

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About Omniplex

Omniplex is a leading provider of e-learning authoring, delivery, tracking and reinforcement products and services. Based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in the UK, and in Montreal, Canada, Omniplex supports clients across Europe and North America.

Further information on Omniplex can be found at www.omniplex.co.uk and www.omniplex.biz

Further information from:

Matthew Lloyd, Omniplex Ltd, +44 (0)1442 275304 / 08444 120550; matthew.lloyd@omniplex.co.uk

Susan Morin, Omniplex (North America), +1 (514) 448-2239; susan.morin@omniplex.biz

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com

A recent report by the publishing and information industries research and advisory firm Outsell, Inc., has named Giunti Labs as one of just 30 companies in the world to ‘watch’ because of its potential impact on the publishing and information provider community. Other companies named include Apple, Blackboard, Bloomberg, E Ink, Kaplan, National Public Radio and TechCrunch.

According to this report – ‘Information Industry Outlook 2010: A New Dawn, New Day, New Decade’, available from http://www.outsellinc.com/store/products/897?refid=pr897 – success for information and publishing companies no longer hinges on just content or technology. In particular, Outsell cites three key factors driving the need to create ‘incredible experiences’ which, in turn, will drive industry growth: tight budgets; unique, new technologies, and the information consumer’s own selectivity (driven by her/his available time and attention).

Anthea Stratigos, Outsell’s CEO, commented: “Companies meeting the criteria for our ‘30 To Watch’ each year are doing particularly innovative things or things that are on-trend with market dynamics, shaking up their respective marketplaces and challenging all publishers and providers to re-evaluate their activities and learn.”

The report names Giunti Labs as ‘the creator of some of the most dynamic, interactive, 3D, multi-11 device-integrated learning solutions in the market that exemplify how it all comes together in work and learning apps of the future.’

Fabrizio Cardinali, Giunti Labs’ CEO, said: “Naturally, we’re delighted to have been named in Outsell’s ’30 to Watch’. It is always a pleasure to receive recognition for being at the leading edge of your profession and making some impressive advances – but, of course, the real benefits from what we’re doing are being felt by our clients.”

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About the Outsell report

Each year Outsell analyses the market size and share of 12 information industry sectors: B2B Trade Publishing; Company Information; Credit & Financial Information; Education & Training; HR Information; IT & Telecom Research, Reports & Services; Legal, Tax & Regulatory; Market Research, Reports & Services; News Providers & Publishers; Scientific, Technical & Medical Information; Search, Aggregation & Syndication, and Yellow Pages & Directories.

Outsell tracks and analyses over 7,000 firms within these segments and provides coverage of major announcements, revenue and business model mix, and growth of the top 1,000. It then provides in-depth coverage of the top 300. These 300 consist of market share leaders and the disruptors that are most interesting to the space. From 300, it distils ‘30 To Watch’. It couples this supply-side analysis with a demand-side perspective, conducting original research among advertisers, enterprise information buyers, and end-users in order to follow the money and track and forecast spending trends. It takes this fact-based underpinning and combines it with a daily dialogue with decision makers in the industry and Outsell’s experience of tracking the industry for more than ten years. Finally, its analytic team discusses and debates the forecasts, trends as well as the leading firms to watch.

About Giunti Labs

Giunti Labs http://www.giuntilabs.com is a leading Online and Mobile Learning Content Management Solutions provider with offices around the world.
Giunti Labs provides a wide range of solutions for content development, content management and content delivery; covering:
• Multi-language bespoke content production
• Content management and digital repository platforms
• ePortfolio and skills management solutions
• Mobile learning technologies
• Consulting and professional services

Giunti Labs provides solutions to many sectors including public sector, defence, manufacturing, finance, retail, ICT, education and healthcare.
Giunti Labs is part of Giunti Group, a leading educational and cultural heritage publisher with roots back to 1841. Over the years, Giunti has built a catalogue of over 12.000 titles and has acquired new brands worldwide.

Further information from:

Minna Leikas, Giunti Labs, +39 3474435167, m.leikas@giuntilabs.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405, bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Omniplex, a leading provider of e-learning solutions, will be exhibiting on stand 110 at Europe’s leading showcase of technology supported learning: the Learning Technologies exhibition in London’s Olympia 2. The exhibition takes place on 27^th and 28^th January.

Omniplex, which was recently appointed as the UK’s sole certified Articulate training provider, will be demonstrating its comprehensive range of integrated learning solutions.

Matthew Lloyd, managing director of Omniplex, explained: “Omniplex’s learning solutions encompass the corporate training process, from course development solutions, through delivery and tracking to, crucially, retention measurement and learning reinforcement.”

Omniplex provides the leading authoring tools Articulate, Captivate and Raptivity, along with user training and support to help clients develop their in-house course development capabilities. Alternatively, Omniplex can develop specific courses for clients through its design company, Cursim.

Omniplex offers a number of delivery and tracking solutions, including the Flash-based LMS, Absorb.

“Crucially, making learning stick – and knowing what’s working and what isn’t – is the sine qua non of learning and development,” Lloyd added. “Here, Cameo can help because it provides automated, scheduled, learning re-enforcement – straight to your learner’s inbox.

“Whatever learning solution you’re looking for at the Learning Technologies event, Omniplex should be a good place to start,” he said. “Drop by and meet us on stand 110 – and we’ll be delighted to show you our course authoring, delivery, tracking and learning reinforcement solutions.”

With over 130 companies exhibiting, and over 4,000 visitors, Learning Technologies – now in its 11^th year – has firmly established itself as the premier event for learning professionals to meet the leading suppliers of learning-related technologies.

Ends

About Learning Technologies

Now in its 11th year, Learning Technologies claims to be Europe’s leading showcase of organisational learning and the technology used to support learning at work. The Learning Technologies 2010 conference and exhibition takes place on 27th and 28th January 2010 at Olympia 2, in London. For further details, visit: http://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/

About Omniplex

Omniplex is a leading provider of e-learning authoring, delivery, tracking and reinforcement products and services. Based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in the UK, Omniplex supports clients across Europe and North America.

Further information on Omniplex can be found at www.omniplex.co.uk and www.omniplex.biz

Further information from:

Matthew Lloyd, Omniplex Ltd, +44 (0)1442 275304 / 08444 120550; matthew.lloyd@omniplex.co.uk

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Giunti Labs launches new personalisation features to its blended learning content management and digital repository solutions at the Learning Technologies 2010 event in London.

Giunti Labs – the global vendor of learning content management solutions (learn eXact LCMS) and digital repository platforms (HarvestRoad Hive) – will present recent developments which are adding state-of-the-art competency and skills based content personalisation features to instructor-led, online and mobile learning materials at the Learning Technologies exhibition and Learning and Skills Forum in London’s Olympia 2, on 27^th and 28^th January.

Fabrizio Cardinali, Giunti Labs’ CEO and chair of the European Learning Industry Group (ELIG) will present ‘Learning content management solutions: this time it’s personal!’ The presentations will be held on:

• 27 January, from 3pm to 3.30pm in ‘theatre 6’ at the Learning and Skills Forum

• 28 January, from 1.15pm to 1.45pm in ‘theatre 3’ at the Learning Technologies exhibition

Visitors to the Learning Technologies 2010 event can discover more about Giunti Labs’ advances in this field by visiting stand number 21 in the Learning Technologies’ exhibition hall.

“At Learning Technologies this year, Giunti Labs will outline how it meets the learning individualisation needs of contemporary organisations with the media and skills-based personalisation features of its new eXact Portfolio and the location-based and multi-device channel capability of its eXact Mobile modules for its enterprise learning content management solution, learn eXact LCMS,” commented Fabrizio Cardinali.

“In a world of rapidly developing competition, organisations need to identify their workers’ skills, knowledge and competencies, as well as deliver the right learning content just in time, where and when the user needs it,” he continued.

Increasingly, the learning experience must take into account the learner’s learning background, study track, likes and dislikes, abilities and disabilities, location and device used to access the learning materials. Among other things, this means providing learning contents in which are embedded a high degree of adaptive personalisation when these contents are accessed.

“New qualitative learning content personalisation capabilities are now coming to market, thanks to advancements in new media and HR technologies,” he added.

JJ van Delsen, Sales Director of Giunti Labs UK, said: “We are moving to a far richer mobile learning environment offering a large set of collaborative, constructive and location based learning experiences. These should make the content experience more complete, customised and, hence, enjoyable.”

End

About Learning Technologies

Now in its 11th year, Learning Technologies claims to be Europe’s leading showcase of organisational learning and the technology used to support learning at work. The Learning Technologies 2010 conference and exhibition takes place on 27th and 28th January 2010 at Olympia 2, in London. For further details, visit: http://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/

About Giunti Labs Giunti Labs – http://www.giuntilabs.com – is a leading Online and Mobile Learning Content Management Solutions provider with offices around the world. Giunti Labs provides a wide range of solutions for content development, content management and content delivery; covering:

• Multi-language bespoke content production

• Content management and digital repository platforms

• ePortfolio and skills management solutions

• Mobile learning technologies

• Consulting and professional services

Giunti Labs provides solutions to many sectors including public sector, defence, manufacturing, finance, retail, ICT, education and healthcare.

Giunti Labs is part of Giunti Group, a leading educational and cultural heritage publisher with roots back to 1841. Over the years, Giunti has built a catalogue of over 12.000 titles and has acquired new brands worldwide.

Further information from:

Minna Leikas, Giunti Labs, +39 3474435167, m.leikas@giuntilabs.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405, bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Omniplex, a leading provider of e-learning solutions, has been appointed as the UK’s sole certified Articulate training provider.

Omniplex is offering both open-enrolment and custom, onsite training in the market-leading e-learning authoring tool, Articulate Studio Pro. Articulate Studio comprises:

• Presenter: software which allows users to add interactivity and narration to PowerPoint slides.
• Engage: templates that allow users to create rich-media interactivity including process, timeline, pyramid diagram, labelled graphic and interactive FAQ.
• Quizmaker: provides question types that go beyond the basics of multiple-choice, true/false and Likert questions to include 20 question types such as drag-and-drop questions and hot spots.
• Video Encoder: allows users to add full-motion video – including video recorded from webcam – to content in any Articulate product.

Upcoming dates and venues of Omniplex’s training courses for those who want to develop their expertise relating to the Articulate suite of products are listed on Omniplex’s websites (www.omniplex.co.uk). Visitors to these sites can also book courses online.

Commenting on Omniplex’s appointment, Matthew Lloyd, managing director of Omniplex, said: “We are delighted that Articulate has recognised the quality of the training we provide by further strengthening our relationship in this way.

“By selecting Articulate, organisations have chosen a powerful and flexible tool that allows them to produce interactive and engaging courses of the highest quality. We aim to help those organisations maximise the benefits they derive from their investment.”

Articulate – the developers of the Articulate suite of products – is based in New York and its products are well established in the US e-learning tools market. Articulate’s appointment of Omniplex to provide training course support for its products in the UK makes this technology more readily available to those in the UK who want to develop their own high quality, interactive e-learning materials.

Ends

About Articulate

The Articulate suite of rapid development e-learning tools is based on the view that, in today’s fast-paced business environment, organisations need to empower people with expert knowledge. This means that organisations must be able to produce employee training/ learning materials quickly and effectively. In turn, this means that the tools that produce these materials must not only be able to create exceptional e-learning content but also be easy to use.

The Articulate Suite of products comprises:

• Presenter: software which allows users to add interactivity and narration to PowerPoint slides.
• Engage: templates that allow users to create rich-media interactivity including process, timeline, pyramid diagram, labelled graphic and interactive FAQ.
• Quizmaker: provides question types that go beyond the basics of multiple-choice, true/false and Likert questions to include 20 question types such as drag-and-drop questions and hot spots.
• Video Encoder: allows users to add full-motion video – including video recorded from webcam – to content in any Articulate product.

Articulate products are no strangers to awards. Among the more recent are:

• For the fifth year in succession, Articulate was named a winner in at least one category in the Best of Elearning! 2009 Awards. Articulate Presenter ‘09 was named Best Presentation Tool and Articulate Quizmaker ‘09 was named Best Assessment Tool. Studio ‘09 Pro earned an award of excellence in the Best Rapid Development Tool category.
• Training Media Review (TMR) gave Articulate Studio ‘09 Pro four out of four stars and acclaimed it as one of TMR’s Best Products of 2009.

About Omniplex

Omniplex is a leading provider of e-learning authoring, delivery, tracking and reinforcement products and services. Based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in the UK, Omniplex supports clients across Europe and North America.

Further information on Omniplex can be found at www.omniplex.co.uk and www.omniplex.biz

Further information from:

Matthew Lloyd, Omniplex Ltd, +44 (0)1442 275304 / 08444 120550; matthew.lloyd@omniplex.co.uk

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com

Pebble Learning, producer of the online Personal Learning System PebblePad, has appointed a new ePortfolio Consultant. Matthew Wheeler formerly worked at the internationally renowned research department, Beyond Distance Research Alliance, led by Professor Gilly Salmon at the University of Leicester.

Colin Dalziel, Director of Pebble Learning, comments, “We’re delighted that Matthew has chosen to join Pebble Learning. His experience will bring an additional perspective and understanding of the way that technologies can improve teaching and learning within organisations through his research and experience with tools such as podcasting, immersive virtual worlds such as Second Life, and learning design.”

In the latest release of the PebblePad online Personal Learning System, users can draw upon items they create using common online tools such as Twitter, Blogger, and any other RSS or ATOM enabled system. This means that a wide range of items from documents to webpages or video links can now be imported straight into PebblePad and then used as a personal resource to support development or for incorporation into a presentational portfolio. PebblePad is used for Personal Development Planning, Continuing Professional Development, Learning, Teaching and Assessment in schools, colleges, universities, professional organisations and local government.

During his three years as the ‘Keeper of the Media Zoo’, a Senior Learning Technologist role with responsibility for informing institutional policy, Matthew was involved in over 15 externally funded research projects with an income of over £1 million.

Working in various Higher Education institutions throughout the UK for the last decade, Matthew’s knowledge and skills have been put to good use on a consultancy basis across the world from large companies like Toshiba to the Royal Air Force.

Matthew’s interest in learning technologies started whilst studying Education at Sheffield Hallam University – here he was introduced to the early versions of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and web-conferencing technologies. The desire to better understand the pedagogic underpinnings of learning technologies led Matthew to his first position at Sheffield Hallam University. Subsequently he held positions at Nottingham Trent University where he was involved in developing an in-house customised VLE, and at the University of Derby where his team was responsible for marketing, recruiting and supporting distance eLearning students. He also held project management roles in the implementation of the institutional VLE and Student Records System.

Outside work, Matthew competed internationally in athletics before injury put paid to his dream of representing his nation at the Olympics. He now enjoys mentoring and supporting some of the UK’s top junior athletes. Matthew has also been a volunteer at Study Support Centres, notably one at Sheffield United Football Club and has recently completed his term as an elected School Governor for a large inner-city primary school.
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Notes to editors:

Pebble Learning’s first annual conference will be held from 8-10 June 2010http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/conference

About PebblePad http://www.pebblepad.co.uk
PebblePad is an innovative personal learning system designed to support any learner, learning at any level. Its unique interface hints at the user friendly system which allows users to build and share a broad collection of items related to their studies, personal development, continuing professional development or any event of personal significance.

For more information contact Pebble Learning: info@pebblelearning.co.uk or phone 01952 288300

About Pebble Learning Ltd
Pebble Learning, with its blend of technological and pedagogic expertise, offers a wide range of services designed to help the UK educational community develop expertise in the use of innovative personal learning technologies to meet the challenges and realize the opportunities elearning offers.

For more information contact Pebble Learning: info@pebblelearning.co.uk or phone 01952 288300

After more than 20 years as an unincorporated association with around 150 members, the eLearning Network (eLN) – a non-profit organisation run by the e-learning community for the e-learning community – is beginning its first full year as a community interest company (CIC). In its last year as an unincorporated body and with a new membership structure including free associate membership, the eLN saw its membership rise tenfold and, now that it is a CIC, its membership stands at over 2,000.

“This rapid growth in our membership reflects not just the increase in interest in all things to do with e-learning but also illustrates how technology-delivered learning is touching more and more aspects of our economy – throughout the private and public sectors as well as in academia,” commented Clive Shepherd, Chair of the CIC and a widely respected e-learning consultant and commentator.

At the Learning Technologies event, in London’s Olympia – on 28^th January – Clive Shepherd will be leading a free-to-attend seminar exploring the elearning skills gap.

Shepherd commented: “Recent surveys have shown how e-learning is progressing in terms of usage in the UK, but they also demonstrate just how much organisations are being held back because of a lack of skills and knowledge relating to e-learning.

“I’ll be describing the areas in which skills are most needed, notably strategic management, curriculum development, content creation and facilitation. Most importantly, I’ll be discussing the various steps that organisations can take to bridge the skills gap.”

In addition to running this seminar for visitors to the Learning Technologies event, the eLN will have a stand at the accompanying exhibition where visitors can find out more about the organisation’s networking services, webinars and programme of one-day conferences throughout the year. Each conference focuses on a key issue for learning professionals and offers practical tips and guidance for delegates, as well as providing networking opportunities.

“In addition, eLN members have access to the company’s website,” said Pat Straughan, the eLN’s company secretary. “This provides up-to-the-minute news and views on e-learning as well as opportunities to network with other members.”

Shepherd added: “We’re delighted that more and more people are discovering the benefits of being part of the eLN. Shaping our programme of events as well as the services provided for the user, designer and vendor special interest groups, is the responsibility of our new Board of Directors, elected annually by members, according to our constitution.”

The resulting twelve-strong Board shows two changes from the committee that ran the ‘old’ eLN: Mike Alcock (of Atlantic Link) and Neil Lasher (of Trainer1) have retired and been replaced by Katherine Chapman of Capita – National Strategies, and Matt Brewer of Chubb Insurance Company of Europe.

Katherine said: “My interest is in bridging the gap between what technologists think people need and what people really need to help them perform differently.”

Matt commented: “I’ve been involved in training since 1995 and, while I still enjoy providing training via any medium, I am also responsible for our learning management system (LMS) and online learning development. I want this to be relevant and enjoyable for the learners, and to use new methods and collaboration where we can identify a need.”

The other Board members of the eLN CIC for 2010 are: Clive Shepherd (Fastrak Consulting Ltd); Barry Sampson (Web Based Thinking); Carole Bower (Edvantage group); Claire Line (Lovells LLP); Fae Longman (CMS Cameron McKenna LLP); Joe Quilter (PSP Group); Rob Hubbard (Learning Age Solutions); Seb Schmoller (Association for Learning Technology); Viv Cole (REDTRAY); and Wendy Stubbs (British Airways). The management team is completed by Pat Straughan, the company secretary.

For further details of the eLN CIC visit www.elearningnetwork.org

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Notes for Editors:

About Community Interest Companies (CICs)

Community Interest Companies (CICS) are limited companies, with special additional features, created for the use of people who want to conduct a business or other activity for community benefit, and not purely for private advantage. This is achieved by a ‘community interest test’ and ‘asset lock’, which ensure that the CIC is established for community purposes and the assets and profits are dedicated to these purposes. Registration of a company as a CIC has to be approved by the Regulator, who also has a continuing monitoring and enforcement role.

A CIC is designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good. CICs have all the flexibility and certainty of the company form, but with some special features to ensure they are working for the benefit of the community. Social enterprises are diverse. They include local community enterprises, social firms, mutual organisations such as co-operatives, as well as large-scale organisations operating nationally or internationally. There is no single legal model for social enterprise. They include companies limited by guarantee, industrial and provident societies and companies limited by shares. Some organisations are unincorporated and others are registered charities.

About Learning Technologies

Now in its 11th year, Learning Technologies claims to be Europe’s leading showcase of organisational learning and the technology used to support learning at work. The Learning Technologies 2010 conference and exhibition takes place on 27^th and 28th January 2010 at Olympia 2, in London.

For further details, visit: http://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/

About the eLN CIC

The eLN CIC is a non-profit organisation run by the elearning community for the e-learning community. The eLN CIC is the number one source for guidance on best practice and future trends in technology-based learning and development at work, with more than 2,000 members in the UK and beyond.

For more information about the eLN CIC and eLN CIC events, call +44 (0)1273 561714 or visit www.elearningnetwork.org

Further information from:
Clive Shepherd, eLN CIC, +44 (0)1273 561714
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0) 1727 860405

Omniplex, a leading provider of e-Learning solutions, has expanded its operations by opening a North American office, in Montreal, Canada.

This expansion comes at a time of sustained growth for the company. Matthew Lloyd, managing director of Omniplex, said: “As well as growing our business across the Americas, we have enjoyed increased sales in both the UK and European markets. Importantly, this move in North America has also allowed us to offer greater support to our international clients.”

Omniplex will be offering the same comprehensive portfolio of e-learning solutions in North America that has proved so popular in Europe.

Omniplex’s Vice President of North American Operations, Susan Morin, commented: “There is a real need throughout North America for a true e-learning solutions provider: a supplier that can recommend, supply and support the full range of technologies that organisations need to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by online learning.

“At Omniplex, we strive to build long-term relationships with our clients. We become a trusted resource they can turn to, in the knowledge that, as we are not tied to any one particular technology, we will give unbiased advice on which they can rely.”

The e-learning solutions supplied by Omniplex address the full value-chain of technology-based learning, including authoring tools and services, learning management systems, as well as innovative solutions for learning re-enforcement.

Matthew Lloyd commented “We have excellent relationships with the leading technology providers in the industry, including established authors such as Articulate and OutStart, as well as ground-breaking solutions such as Absorb LMS from Blatant Media and Cameo from the Yukon Group. By being the single source for all the different components of an e-learning solution, we can provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ for implementation, training and technical support – ensuring our clients get a system ‘that just works’!”

Ends

About Omniplex

Omniplex is a leading provider of e-learning authoring, delivery, tracking and reinforcement products and services. Based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in the UK, Omniplex supports clients across Europe and North America.

Further information on Omniplex can be found at www.omniplex.co.uk and www.omniplex.biz

Further information from:

Matthew Lloyd, Omniplex Ltd, +44 (0)1442 275304 / 08444 120550; matthew.lloyd@omniplex.co.uk

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com