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eLearning dynamics looks to leverage ADL Co-Lab to expand into corporate training market

Lifelong Learning Market Report - April 16, 2004

eLearning Dynamics (Washington, D.C.), a provider of mobile learning software tools for the academic market, is looking to leverage its participation in a government-sponsored distance learning technology research facility to expand into corporate training.

In March, eLearning Dynamics was involved in the launch of the Advanced Distributed Learning Workforce Co-Lab in Memphis, Tenn., located at the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis. ADL, sponsored by the Department of Defense, is the creator of the Shared Courseware Object Reusable Model (SCORM), a reference model that has become the de facto standard for e-learning content and platform interoperability.

Another partner in the co-lab is the nonprofit Institute for Intelligent Systems, a research group at the University of Memphis focused on artificial intelligence, computer science and cognitive psychology, among other disciplines. Three of eLearningDynamics' hardware partners, personal digital assistant manufacturer PalmOne (Miltpitas, Calif.), mobile computing device maker Symbol Technologies (Holtsville, N.Y.) and academic handheld vendor AlphaSmart (Los Gatos, Calif.) will provide devices as testing and research platforms. ELD has created plug-andplay applications for all three.

ELD chairman and founder Chase Weir said his firm's participation in the co-lab will help it develop workforce-based applications for its two primary products, which provide dynamic information capture, learning assessment and administration via Palm and Pocket PC-based handheld devices. The latter technology is licensed to ELD from Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, N.C.).

Weir said participation in the co-lab would have a multiplier effect on his R&D investment. "The FedEx Institute is a meeting place for the private sector, academia, government and research vehicles to pursue third-party funding, attend to prevailing standards of industry and government, and accelerate our R&D and theirs," he said. "It's a test bed that not only allows us to validate our solution on new platforms and develop it for new device types, but allows us to focus more specifically on the training environment."

The latest ADL co-lab, one of a network of four such centers, is the only one focused specifically on mobile learning products for workforce training applications. While it is sponsored by ADL, it is chartered as a nonprofit organization that will leverage leading research on intelligent tutoring systems and remote learning delivery for commercial use. Plans also call for using the co-lab as a showcase where corporations can test out the fruits of this research.

ELD's primary corporate client has been Symbol, where 6,000 associates use its Pocket PC-based software as part of Symbol University. Weir said hardware partners which bundle its software on devices will be its primary channel as part of an indirect sales strategy. Founded in 2001, ELD has 15 employees, with two in direct sales. Estimated revenues are about $2 million, but Weir said he is projecting a user growth multiple of 20 this year through channel sales.

Eric Mathews, assistant director of R&D for the ADL Workforce Co-Lab, said the organization is looking for other e-learning and technology vendors to take part in the research and testing there. Memphis-based Challenger Corp., a provider of test preparation courseware for physicians, plans to sign on, Mathews said.

"The whole aim of ADL is to be a network that brings these wonderful pieces together and is a resource [for businesses and government]," Mathews said. "We're not here to profit from it, but to try to make the right connections and provide information so [vendors] can make informed decisions, and [create] solutions that are going to really effect and change the way we deliver training."

eLearningDynamics: (202) 248-0296; www.elearningdynamics.com FedEx Institute of Technology: (901) 678-5105; www.fedex.memphis.edu PalmOne: www.palmone.com Symbol Technologies: www.symbol.com AlphaSmart: (408) 355-1000; www.alphasmart.com

eLearning Dynamics (Washington, D.C.), a provider of mobile learning software tools for the academic market, is looking to leverage its participation in a government-sponsored distance learning technology research facility to expand into corporate training.

In March, eLearning Dynamics was involved in the launch of the Advanced Distributed Learning Workforce Co-Lab in Memphis, Tenn., located at the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis. ADL, sponsored by the Department of Defense, is the creator of the Shared Courseware Object Reusable Model (SCORM), a reference model that has become the de facto standard for e-learning content and platform interoperability.

Another partner in the co-lab is the nonprofit Institute for Intelligent Systems, a research group at the University of Memphis focused on artificial intelligence, computer science and cognitive psychology, among other disciplines. Three of eLearningDynamics' hardware partners, personal digital assistant manufacturer PalmOne (Miltpitas, Calif.), mobile computing device maker Symbol Technologies (Holtsville, N.Y.) and academic handheld vendor AlphaSmart (Los Gatos, Calif.) will provide devices as testing and research platforms. ELD has created plug-andplay applications for all three.

ELD chairman and founder Chase Weir said his firm's participation in the co-lab will help it develop workforce-based applications for its two primary products, which provide dynamic information capture, learning assessment and administration via Palm and Pocket PC-based handheld devices. The latter technology is licensed to ELD from Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, N.C.).

Weir said participation in the co-lab would have a multiplier effect on his R&D investment. "The FedEx Institute is a meeting place for the private sector, academia, government and research vehicles to pursue third-party funding, attend to prevailing standards of industry and government, and accelerate our R&D and theirs," he said. "It's a test bed that not only allows us to validate our solution on new platforms and develop it for new device types, but allows us to focus more specifically on the training environment."

The latest ADL co-lab, one of a network of four such centers, is the only one focused specifically on mobile learning products for workforce training applications. While it is sponsored by ADL, it is chartered as a nonprofit organization that will leverage leading research on intelligent tutoring systems and remote learning delivery for commercial use. Plans also call for using the co-lab as a showcase where corporations can test out the fruits of this research.

ELD's primary corporate client has been Symbol, where 6,000 associates use its Pocket PC-based software as part of Symbol University. Weir said hardware partners which bundle its software on devices will be its primary channel as part of an indirect sales strategy. Founded in 2001, ELD has 15 employees, with two in direct sales. Estimated revenues are about $2 million, but Weir said he is projecting a user growth multiple of 20 this year through channel sales.

Eric Mathews, assistant director of R&D for the ADL Workforce Co-Lab, said the organization is looking for other e-learning and technology vendors to take part in the research and testing there. Memphis-based Challenger Corp., a provider of test preparation courseware for physicians, plans to sign on, Mathews said.

"The whole aim of ADL is to be a network that brings these wonderful pieces together and is a resource [for businesses and government]," Mathews said. "We're not here to profit from it, but to try to make the right connections and provide information so [vendors] can make informed decisions, and [create] solutions that are going to really effect and change the way we deliver training."

eLearningDynamics: (202) 248-0296; www.elearningdynamics.com FedEx Institute of Technology: (901) 678-5105; www.fedex.memphis.edu PalmOne: www.palmone.com Symbol Technologies: www.symbol.com AlphaSmart: (408) 355-1000; www.alphasmart.com

COPYRIGHT 2004 RR Bowker
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

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