Santa Monica, CA – December 15, 2015 − Cornerstone OnDemand announced that leading global manufacturer Hitachi, Ltd., has implemented Cornerstone’s cloud-based talent management software solution to deliver a best-in-class learning and development experience to more than 350,000 Hitachi employees across nearly 1,000 group companies.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Hitachi is at the forefront of innovation in many industries, including power and infrastructure systems, information and telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials and components, automotive systems, and healthcare, among others. With a belief that lifelong learning is critical to employee and organizational success, Hitachi is leveraging Cornerstone’s learning and enterprise collaboration applications, including Cornerstone Learning and Cornerstone Connect, to foster a culture of continuous learning, development and collaboration among its global employee base. Going beyond transactional learning experiences, Hitachi is equipping its workforce with crucial skills and knowledge at the point of need to help employees perform at their best and advance their careers within the organization.
“Cornerstone is the leading global learning and collaboration platform in the world, with a long history of transforming company cultures through superior learning experiences and continuous innovation in learning delivery,” said Levent Arabaci, general manager, global human capital, Hitachi Ltd. “We are thrilled to have a technology partner that understands our business deeply and that has the capability to deliver a global solution to support our complex business needs and varied business lines both in and outside of Japan.”
Modern Learning and Development at Hitachi
Hitachi is not only providing access to general training for its global employee population, but it is also designing leadership development programs for building a strong core of future global leaders – all delivered through Cornerstone’s software. In what will be a multi-phased rollout, the initial deployment made the solution accessible to more than 200,000 employees globally. Subsequent phases, already underway, will continue to extend learning, assessment, development planning, certification and collaboration capabilities to support the needs of Hitachi’s entire workforce.
“Hitachi’s program to develop global leaders is a core component of our talent strategy, which is focused on achieving global excellence and leading the Hitachi Group of Companies into the future,” said Hajime Kawamura, senior manager, global HR initiatives promotion department, human capital group, Hitachi Ltd. “We are proud to provide our employees with access to these programs through Cornerstone, and to provide the most modern and engaging learning experience available today.”
For Hitachi’s talent team, the Cornerstone platform enables new levels of global consistency for its learning programs, helping to streamline delivery and manage risk and compliance while creating tailored, prescriptive learning experiences for each employee.
“Hitachi is at the forefront of Japanese companies that are transforming learning and talent practices using cloud-based technology,” said Frank Ricciardi, vice president and general manager, Asia-Pacific and Japan, Cornerstone OnDemand. “Leveraging such technologies will allow companies to architect both local and global business practices and capitalize on growth opportunities more effectively.”
Japanese companies of all sizes and across a wide variety of industries, such as the Nissan Motor Company, LIXIL Corporation and Kate Spade Japan Co., use Cornerstone’s best-of-breed cloud solutions to source and recruit top talent, develop and engage employees throughout their careers, improve business execution, cultivate future leaders, and enable external networks of customers, vendors and distributors. The Cornerstone suite includes applications for recruiting, onboarding, learning and development, workforce collaboration, performance management, compensation management, succession planning, and reporting and analytics.
“We are seeing an incredible appetite among employees and leaders across the globe for technology that enables people to realize their potential,” said Adam Miller, founder and CEO, Cornerstone OnDemand. “Hitachi is at the frontlines of this movement, and by bringing learning to the center of the employee experience, the organization will be equipped to adapt to changing market and business needs. We look forward to supporting Hitachi’s success through continuous innovation and world-class service.”
About Cornerstone OnDemand
Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ:CSOD) is a global leader in cloud-based learning and talent management software. The company’s solutions help organizations realize the potential of a modern workforce. From recruitment, onboarding, training and collaboration, to performance management, compensation, succession planning and analytics, Cornerstone is designed to enable a lifetime of learning and development that is fundamental to the growth of employees and organizations.
Based in Santa Monica, California, the company’s solutions are used by more than 2,400 clients worldwide, spanning 22.2 million users across 191 countries and 42 languages.
About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others.
Hitachi Creates Culture of Lifetime Learning with Cornerstone OnDemand
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Bill Donoghue to Serve as Chief Executive Officer of Skillsoft
Dublin and Nashua, NH – December 15, 2015 − Skillsoft Corporation, a global leader in learning and talent management, announced that it has appointed Bill Donoghue as CEO, while Chuck Moran, Skillsoft CEO since its foundation in 1998, will continue to serve as the company’s chairman. In his capacity as chairman, Moran will continue to chair the company’s board and will work with Donoghue and the company’s owners, Charterhouse Capital Partners, on the strategic direction of the business.
Donoghue had been supporting Skillsoft in an advisory capacity for the last few months and prior to Skillsoft, was Chief Operating Officer of TES Global, a leader in education technology, the world’s largest network of teachers and publishers of TES and THE Magazines. TES Global is a former Charterhouse portfolio company.
“Bill has been working alongside me for the past two months and we have been hugely impressed by his vision for the future and his determination and drive to see us win both today, tomorrow and for the next 20 years,” said Moran, chairman of Skillsoft. “I believe Bill can help take Skillsoft forward, and I am proud and pleased that Charterhouse has supported me in this decision.”
“Skillsoft, along with our sister companies, SumTotal and Vodeclic, is a world leader in content, learning technologies and talent management with a huge and diverse portfolio of clients,” said Donoghue. “We have committed and dedicated people across the world – it is an enormous privilege for me to be appointed CEO. I am looking forward to working with Chuck and the team through the next phase of the company’s development.”
Donoghue has over 25 years of executive experience. He has served as a non-executive director and advisor to a number of companies in the technology, media & recruitment sectors in the UK, Ireland and the USA, and recently served as chief operating officer at TES Global from 2009 to 2014. At TES Global, Donoghue was instrumental in executing the company’s hugely successful digital transformation and building its global presence into the largest network of teachers in the world - leading to the sale of the company to TPG Capital in 2013. Prior to joining TES Global, Donoghue was CEO of Ramesys, where he spent six years and oversaw a transformation of the company into a leading player in the UK Schools and Retail markets.
Donoghue and Moran will continue working together on the details of the transition process, and Skillsoft is excited to be able to bring someone with Donoghue’s background and experience to the team.
About Skillsoft
Skillsoft is a pioneer in the fields of learning and talent management with a long history of innovation. Skillsoft provides cloud-based learning solutions for its customers worldwide, ranging from global enterprises, government, and education to mid-sized and small businesses. Skillsoft's customer support teams draw on a wealth of in-house experience, flexible delivery platforms and a comprehensive learning e-library to develop off-the-shelf and custom learning programs tailored to cost-effectively meet customer needs. Skillsoft's courses, books and videos have been developed by industry leading learning experts to ensure that they maximize business skills, performance, and talent development.
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Digital Readiness: How Companies are Preparing Their Workforce for Tomorrow
Cary, NC – December 15, 2015 – Training Industry, Inc. and CrossKnowledge have released a new research report investigating how companies are meeting the needs of digital skill gaps when it comes to preparing their employees for successful business operations.
The study, which included 168 companies, reveals several key findings, including:
66% of companies were found to be effective at providing digital skills training to their employees
77% of companies agreed that their workforce benefits from digital skills training
The expected impacts of digital readiness training most frequently included higher employee productivity (68%), greater company performance (67%), and better innovation capabilities (64%)
The full report, “Digital Readiness: How Companies are Preparing Their Workforce for Tomorrow,” can be downloaded here.
“This particular study provides a better understanding of how organizations are meeting the constant challenges of digital literacy, as a workforce with suitable digital skills has not always been the critical strategic asset that it is for the majority of today’s organizations,” said Tom Whelan, director of corporate research at Training Industry. “While it can be argued that finding employees with such skillsets is a recruitment and selection issue, the pace of change affecting workplace technologies means that training will play an increasingly integral role in maintaining digital competence.”
Ken Taylor, president of Training Industry, emphasized the grasp that companies have on their training needs.
“For the organizations we surveyed, a clear majority are aware of the priority to maintain a skilled workforce when it comes to technology,” said Taylor. “Although there is clear room for improvement in digital readiness, its strategic importance is not being overlooked by learning leaders.”
About CrossKnowledge:
CrossKnowledge, part of the Wiley group, is a leader in cloud-based distance learning solutions. Its full SaaS solutions are based on exclusive learning technologies, delivering the most sought-after content in the world and a range of accompanying services. CrossKnowledge solutions enable fast workforce empowerment and global strategic alignment, guaranteeing a unique learning experience for the individual and a real return on investment for the organization. CrossKnowledge operates worldwide and serves companies including global enterprises, mid-sized companies and the education sector spanning more than five million users.
For more information, go to www.crossknowledge.com.
About Training Industry, Inc.
Training Industry, Inc. spotlights the latest news, articles, case studies, and best practices within the training industry. Training Industry, Inc. research captures the collective wisdom of learning professionals, revealing fresh data on trends and practices in the evolving training market.
For additional information on Training Industry, Inc. research, email info@trainingindustry.com or visit www.trainingindustry.com.
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Ravello and NetExam Modernize Virtual Training with Automated Hands On Labs in the Cloud
Palo Alto, CA – December 16, 2015 − Ravello Systems, the leading nested virtualization company, today announced that NetExam, the leading channel learning management system (LMS) provider specializing in partner and customer training, has extended its training and education services using Ravello’s award-winning on-demand virtual labs. Integrated with Ravello technology, the NetExam LMS solution provides a total learning environment for the sales channels and customers, including virtual training courses with fully configured hands-on labs auto-deployed in the cloud.
“We are always looking for innovative new ways to extend the capabilities of our learning management service for training and certification,” said Brett Strauss, president of NetExam. “We have existing integrations with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics and Oracle Fusion applications. Partnering with Ravello was an easy decision as their unique nested virtualization technology gives us the flexibility, automation and scalability required to tap into the public cloud and enable students across the globe with virtual labs. Now, we are able to extend the reach of NetExam’s LMS with new efficiency using the power of the cloud.”
The challenge with virtual training and technical education services is that they traditionally require expensive hardware and complex manual configurations. In addition, most organizations have only a select number of training seats, which can be easily maxed out during peak usage, such as a new product release.
Ravello breaks down these barriers for NetExam as an unlimited number of users can quickly spin up isolated copies of multi-node VMware- or KVM-based application environments with complex networking in self-contained cloud capsules. Ravello offers a “blueprint” capability allowing entire multi-node labs to be saved as snapshots and rapidly re-deployed. The blueprints can be shared across teams and with communities. Running on AWS and Google Cloud ensures easy scalability, negating the hardware capacity issues that plague traditional virtual training services.
“NetExam offers the most specialized LMS technology for software vendors to train their channel and user base,” said Benny Schnaider, chairman and president of Ravello Systems. “By partnering with Ravello, NetExam’s training services are being extended to provide the courses with extremely valuable hands-on labs that are delivered securely and efficiently on the world’s leading public clouds -- effectively offering global presence with local user experience.”
Ravello’s Smart Labs technology are powered by a virtual overlay cloud with software defined networking (SDN). The technology runs unmodified VMware or KVM virtual machines and virtual appliances, in fully fenced and self-contained capsules, with layer 2 access in public clouds. Ravello is delivered as a service, with pricing starting at $0.14 per hour.
About Ravello Systems
Ravello Systems is the industry’s leading nested virtualization software company. The company was founded by the same team that created the KVM hypervisor, with the vision of enabling enterprises to use leading public clouds as a true extension of their data center. Ravello is enabling hundreds of enterprises to spin up complex application environments in any cloud on demand.
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CGS Expands Footprint Becomes Largest Business Process Outsourcing Company in Chile With Acquisition of Mas Cerca
New York, NY and Santiago, Chile – December 16, 2015 − CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, announced the acquisition of Mas Cerca Contact Center, the Chile-based business process outsourcing (BPO) provider. The acquisition extends CGS's capabilities in Chile to new industries, including telecommunications, retail and transportation, while meeting the growing demand for Spanish-speaking services for the global market. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Computer Generated Solutions Chile S.A. (CGS Chile), which is based in Santiago, has been providing BPO services for 15 years. With the acquisition of Mas Cerca, CGS Chile established its sixth office and doubled its employee base in the region to 3,000, establishing itself as the largest technical and BPO company in Chile. The acquisition will also secure its dominant position supporting the healthcare, financial services and utilities industries, while furthering its presence into new verticals.
"We're excited to join CGS and strengthen the company's presence in Chile while enhancing customers' evolving expectations," said Pablo Rossel Estay, general manager, Mas Cerca. "Joining with CGS, we are on the way to becoming the largest BPO provider in Latin America. CGS has always had a strong reputation of providing superior technical and BPO support, as well as excellent customer service. We're proud to enhance the existing capabilities and look forward to working closely with the global team."
Established in 2004, Mas Cerca has offices located in Santiago as well as in the southern region, in Valdivia. Its entrepreneurial culture, driving-charge for excellent service and BPO expertise has built a valued client delivery offering.
"We're excited to have Mas Cerca join CGS, continuing our BPO growth in Latin America,” said Phil Friedman, president and CEO, CGS. “The addition of Mas Cerca's skilled staff will enable us to answer the global demand for Spanish-speaking agents and support our growth in a wide range of industries. CGS prides itself on building strong client relationships and providing high-quality outsourcing services by harnessing over 30 years of experience delivering customizable solutions and dedicated support teams. This acquisition demonstrates our continued goal of client-centric focus and best-of-breed services to meet market demands."
With a base of thousands of multilingual, dedicated call center agents located throughout North America, Europe, South America and the Middle East, CGS currently supports many of the world's industry-leading brands. CGS's innovative, scalable and flexible outsourcing solutions include help desk solutions, technical support, customer care, sales and channel management, and finance and accounting.
About CGS For over 30 years, CGS has enabled global enterprises, regional companies and government agencies to drive breakthrough performance through business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services. CGS is wholly focused on creating comprehensive solutions that meet clients' complex, multi-dimensional needs and support clients' most fundamental business activities. Headquartered in New York City, CGS has offices across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Asia.
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No Common People and Learning Tree in New Partnership to Create More Modern IT and Management Training
Stockholm, Sweden – December 18, 2015 – From January 1st, 2016 No Common People will arrange all scheduled courses together with Learning Tree. The partnership will also include public procurement offers.
“As part of us wanting to grow and change into a more modern company I think it is natural for us to find a new partner for our training programs,” said Carl-Christian Wallin, COO and business area manager at No Common People. “Learning Tree is to us the obvious choice because they are modern, interesting and perceptive to our needs.”
All of No Common Peoples' current courses will be available via Learning Tree and the new partners will launch new courses throughout the year. First to come is a new course for Certified Maintenance Manager which will be launched during spring.
“We welcome No Common People as a new partner,” said Staffan Windrup, CEO at Learning Tree. “We know they will add value and complete our course portfolio in the best way possible.”
About NCP No Common People AB
NCP No Common People AB is an IT-consultant company since 1986 and supplies services within IT Management in the business area Life Cycle Management. The business area COBOL Development has unique and well-renowned competencies and also offers training courses. About Learning Tree
Learning Tree International is a leading worldwide provider to business and government organizations for the training and education of their IT professionals and managers. Established in 1974 the company has over the years had over 2,4 million course participants from 66 000 organizations in their training programs. Learning Tree also provides a suit of skill enhancement services such as coaching, IT Skills Assessments and Workforce Optimisation Solutions.
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NIIT Expands Europe Presence with Norway Office
Atlanta, GA − December 18, 2015 − Strengthening its operations in key international markets including Europe and North America, NIIT Limited, a leading provider of managed training services announced the establishment of a new facility in Bergen, Norway to expand near-shore multi-lingual delivery capability and further invest in the rapid growth of its business in Europe.
NIIT's Norway office was inaugurated recently in Bergen, Norway. With the establishment of this office, NIIT will be able to work more closely with its Scandinavian customers with onsite administrative support and real-time delivery.
“Norway is an important location for us since it enables us to co-locate and be in closer proximity to our customers in the Nordic region,”said Devenderjit Chadha, senior VP of learning delivery at NIIT Ltd. “As a national center for higher education and finance, Bergen is a city of choice for us. With the establishment of this office in Bergen, we are reaffirming our commitment to not just our customers headquartered in Scandinavian countries but also across Europe."
NIIT's Corporate Learning Group (CLG) offers Managed Training Services (MTS) to market-leading companies in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. It now has three established centers in Europe – Dublin, Bergen, and London with a diverse mix of pan-European staff from the UK, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Romania, and Germany. NIIT provides localization and multi-lingual delivery capability in 25 languages including major European languages like French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian and Russian. NIIT's European workforce is comprised of experienced and expert instructional design professionals, instructors with specialized and domain-specific skillsets, learning administrators, learning technology professionals, consultants, and strategic sourcing experts.
In Europe, NIIT services over 30 clients, with 13 of them being part of the Fortune Global 500 list. NIIT's new European facilities have been jumpstarted with an order book from these existing clients in the oil and gas, energy, financial services, pharmaceutical, technology, telecom, logistics, and life sciences sectors.
"NIIT understands the criticality of being 'glocal', by leveraging local capability and blending it with offshore capability in the right mix to ensure superior services are delivered to our discerning European clients who demand very high quality and reliability of services, and insist on enhanced cultural and language skills in their global strategic managed training services partner," said Rahul Patwardhan, CEO, NIIT Ltd.
About NIIT
Established in 1981, NIIT Limited, a global leader in Skills and Talent Development, offers multi-disciplinary learning management and training delivery solutions to corporations, institutions, and individuals in over 40 countries.
NIIT has three main lines of business across the globe- Corporate Learning Group, Skills and Careers Group, and School Learning Group.
NIIT's Corporate Learning Group (CLG) offers Managed Training Services (MTS) to market-leading companies in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Our comprehensive suite of Managed Training Services includes custom Curriculum Design and Content Development, Learning Administration, Learning Delivery, Strategic Sourcing, Learning Technology, and Advisory Services. With a team of some of the world's finest learning professionals, NIIT is dedicated to helping customers increase the business value of learning and development (L&D). Built on the sound principles of 'Running Training like a Business', NIIT's Managed Training Services and best-in-class training processes enable customers to align business goals with L&D, reduce costs, realize measurable value, benefit from rock-solid operations, and increase business impact.
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BizLibrary Revolutionizes Learning Technology with Latest LMS Release
Chesterfield, MO – December 18, 2015 − The newest release of BizLibrary’s industry-leading and award-winning learning management system is now available to all of BizLibrary’s existing and new clients.
The BizLibrary LMS represents a major step forward in learning technology, with the introduction of an innovative and dynamic recommendation engine that helps create personalized learning environments for each end user.
The system is also fully responsive to help maximize the effectiveness, convenience and reach of the BizLibrary Collection of thousands of online training videos, so employees have unlimited access to content on any device at any time.
Other important innovations include enhanced catalog browsing and search capabilities, a new and improved in-line course player, and a wholly redesigned learner and team administration section and learning activity progress activity dashboard.
BizLibrary will showcase the new platform during a webinar on Thursday, January 21st at 1:00 p.m. CT.
Included in the new release are several innovations in learning technology:
Personalized User Interface
Introduces a new recommendation engine that personalizes the learning experience based on the employee’s job role, learning preferences, learning activity and ratings, as well as the experiences of other, similar learners.
The new platform also includes enhanced search functionality, allowing learners to search topics and courses quickly and easily. Finally, it allows learners to further filter results by sub-topics, target audience, course duration, course ratings, and skill level.
Inline Video Course Player
Similar to YouTube and other familiar consumer sites, we’ve integrated our new inline video course player into the new platform, which means there are no more popup windows or technical challenges associated with popup blockers, or plug-ins in web browsers.
100% Mobile Ready Platform
The new platform is a completely responsive design so it will automatically re-size to fit any device or screen size. It looks great on desktops, laptops, tablets and phones – making the learning experience 100 percent mobile.
Streamlined Learner and Team Administration
In addition to dramatic improvements to the learner’s experience, the platform now includes a new, streamlined learner and team administration area, making it easy to create and import learners and teams, make individual and group assignments and to view learner activity and progress.
Fresh Data Displays and Reporting Analytics
The new platform includes several new dashboards for viewing individual and team learning activity and status. These new visual reports allow managers and administrators to quickly and easily filter learning history and results to get exactly the information they need.
“We are extremely excited to introduce our newest platform version, which has been a long time coming. We are dedicated to fundamentally changing the way people learn at work, and this version of our solution delivers on that commitment,” said Dean Pichee, founder and president of BizLibrary. “Rather than just band-aid existing functionality, we made the decision to take the time and effort needed to completely re-think and rebuild our platform to truly transform the experience for both learners and administrators. We’re very happy with the result and we are confident our clients will be too.”
“The clients that have been using the new platform for the last several months have been amazing and helpful in their feedback,” remarked Shannon Kluczny, vice president of client success at BizLibrary. “For starters, their employees love it! As usual, without the support, ideas and energy our loyal clients provide, innovative steps forward like this are much harder to deliver. That’s why we are so thrilled to deliver this outstanding solution to our entire client base effective immediately.”
About BizLibrary
BizLibrary is a leading provider of online employee training and eLearning solutions. The BizLibrary Collection is our award-winning content collection, and contains thousands of online videos and eLearning courses covering every business training topic, including: business skills (including soft skills), leadership and management, sales and customer service, HR compliance training, IT, software, industry specific content, workplace safety and more.
The BizLibrary Collection can be accessed online through BizLibrary's Learning Management System (LMS) or through any third-party LMS. Technology solutions include: BizLibrary’s Learning Portal, Content Management System, LMS, and BizLibrary Mobile App to help clients improve and manage employee learning across the entire organization. Learn more at www.bizlibrary.com.
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Corporate Visions Survey Reveals Top Challenges in B2B Sales Negotiations Inability to Articulate Value and Lack of Faith in Solution Value
Pleasonton, CA − December 21, 2015 − Corporate Visions, Inc., the leading marketing and sales messaging, content and skills training company, announced results from a new survey polling more than 300 B2B marketers and salespeople about price negotiations. The data revealed the number one factor impacting margins is the inability of salespeople to articulate value. The second biggest problem respondents ranked was salespeople negotiating against themselves by not believing in their company's price. Interestingly, despite these struggles and increasing pricing pressures, nearly half (45 percent) of companies polled admitted to not having a formal negotiation skills program to address this critical problem area.
"The newsflash here is that margin erosion isn't just coming from customers putting pressure on price concessions," said Tim Riesterer, chief strategy and marketing officer for Corporate Visions. "The survey indicates the primary problem is actually salespeople's inability to create a perception of value and a lack of confidence to claim that value. It's clear there's also still a need for companies to provide formal negotiation skills training that's not focused on the buyer's tactics but rather, on the salesperson's skills at capturing value."
Additional noteworthy results from the survey include:
Of those companies that do formal negotiations training, 48 percent of respondents said their company focuses on late-stage dealings to avoid excessive discounting and save profit margins during the purchasing and pricing step near the end of the buying cycle. The other 52 percent said they are focused on identifying and plugging potential value or margin leaks that take place throughout the entire complex, multi-buyer sales cycle.
After the top two challenges: inability to articulate value (28 percent) and negotiating against themselves (21 percent) of respondents ranked the following additional negotiations problem areas:
Twenty percent of respondents believe giving away things of value without asking for anything of value in return is the biggest sales negotiation problem.
Fourteen percent said their reps are too quickly discounting to their lowest level of authority without regard for the psychology of concessions or a consistent company policy.
Nine percent believed the problem is waiting for the client to share budget and price instead of anchoring clients with a higher number.
"In today's negotiations, buyers are in the high-power position because they have all the alternatives. Salespeople are in a low-power position because their alternatives are no deal or no margin, and those aren't good alternatives," said Riesterer. "As a result, companies need to make sure they help salespeople take more creative, counter-intuitive approaches to negotiations where they can actually use the low-power position to their advantage, as opposed to many skills training courses that recommend ways to regain power or retake control. Research shows efforts to raise power equality actually produce worse outcomes."
About Corporate Visions, Inc.Corporate Visions is a leading marketing and sales messaging, tools, and skills company that helps global B2B companies create more sales opportunities, win more deals and increase sales profitability by improving the conversations salespeople have with customers. Companies engage Corporate Visions to help in three key areas:
Developing compelling messages to break the status quo, differentiating their solution, justifying a purchase decision and protecting margins;
Deploying that message through tools and visual stories to enable salespeople to engage multiple decision-makers across the buying cycle; and
Delivering sales skills training that helps salespeople confidently use these messages and tools to create, elevate and capture more value in their customer conversations.
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Oasis Outsourcing Announces Acquisition of Doherty Employer Services
West Palm Beach, FL – December 22, 2015 − Oasis Outsourcing, the nation's largest privately held Professional Employer Organization (PEO), has acquired Doherty Employer Services (DES), a Minneapolis-based PEO. Doherty has provided comprehensive human resources and employment-related services to its diverse client base for more than 20 years. Oasis now serves almost 6,000 clients and 200,000 worksite employees nationwide. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"As Oasis continues to build our business, strategic acquisitions are a critical component of our overall growth strategy," said Mark Perlberg, president and CEO of Oasis Outsourcing. "Our acquisition of Doherty Employer Services provides us with the opportunity to significantly expand our Midwest presence, allowing Oasis to continue our mission of providing innovative products and services to our client base. We are excited to welcome an experienced and talented team of Doherty professionals to the Oasis organization. Effective immediately, Rebecca (Becky) Woods has been named Vice President and General Manager of our Midwest Region. Becky has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in helping to build the DES business and we are delighted to have her join the Oasis management team."
"We are thrilled to enter into this relationship with Oasis," said Valerie Doherty, Owner and CEO of Doherty Employer Services. "As a leading PEO focused on innovation and service, we've found that Oasis shares the same strategic vision and values as DES. I'm confident that our clients will benefit from this affiliation in a number of ways, while enjoying the same high level of service that DES employees have always provided."
DES's sales and service team will continue to work out of the Minneapolis location, providing clients with uninterrupted service. While retaining its current offerings, DES will now have access to Oasis' expanded array of products and services.
Doherty Staffing Solutions (DSS), owned by the Doherty family, will continue as a standalone business and is not part of the acquisition.
About Oasis Outsourcing Holdings, Inc. Oasis Outsourcing is a Florida-based Professional Employer Organization (PEO) serving almost 200,000 employees and 6,000 clients nationwide. Founded in 1996, it specializes in providing human resources services, employee benefits administration, healthcare reform support, payroll and tax administration, risk management services and staffing solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States. Oasis is accredited by the Employer Services Assurance Corporation (ESAC), ensuring the highest level of ethical, financial and operational standards in the PEO industry and has received SOC 1 Type II (formerly SAS 70) certification for its high level of accuracy and performance.
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Partners of the Americas to Develop Leadership Training Curriculum to Empower Community Leaders Across the Americas
Washington, DC − December 22, 2015 − Partners of the Americas is developing an integrated leadership training curriculum that will expand the leadership capacity and technical skills of emerging leaders and prepare them to tackle the most serious challenges faced by communities across the Americas. The project is funded by a $50,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich., which in the 1980s and 1990s supported an earlier leadership program with Partners of the Americas. That program brought together 400 emerging leaders from across the hemisphere in groups of 40 leaders - 20 from the United States and 20 from Latin America and the Caribbean - in seminars, community based development projects and other learning experiences over a two and a half year period per class, producing an effective network of multi-talented leaders dedicated to changing lives wherever they live and work. “Partners hopes to replicate and expand the success of the earlier program, combining key lessons learned with modern leadership-building techniques and activities,” said Steve Vetter, president and CEO of Partners. “The communities of the Western Hemisphere are hungry for real leadership to solve real problems and Partners is committed to empowering emerging leaders to create lasting change, whether they are grassroots volunteers or trained development professionals.” The training curriculum will focus on imparting practical skills and on developing adaptive, open and action-based leadership for social good. As part of this grant, Partners will complete the first stage of producing the training curriculum, which involves working with consultants and an international working group to draft the curriculum’s content. In future stages, Partners will use the content from stage one to create professional training handbooks for participants, facilitators and training-of-trainers, as well as begin making the training widely available through partnerships with existing leadership training centers and Partners international events. “Our goal is to inspire the kind of transformational, adaptive and action-based leadership that will mobilize community leaders and activists, empowering them to move from being victims of their circumstances to becoming empowered leaders who create lasting change," said Vetter.
About Partners of the Americas Inspired by President Kennedy and founded in 1964 under the Alliance for Progress, Partners of the Americas is a 501(c) 3 non-profit, non-partisan organization with international offices in Washington, DC. By connecting local organizations to broader funding opportunities and empowering citizens to become agents of change, Partners develops lasting solutions to our hemisphere’s toughest challenges. For more information, visit www.partners.net. About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life. The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations
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NIIT University and PwC India Enter into a Strategic Partnership to Develop Talent for the Cyber Security Industry
New Delhi, India − January 4, 2016 − PwC India and NIIT University (NU) have entered into a strategic partnership towards creating a trained talent pool of cybersecurity professionals in India. To this end, academic experts from NU and senior professionals from PwC India have co-created a two-year work-integrated specialized master’s program in cybersecurity.
The master’s program in cybersecurity is amongst the first programs that blend academic and professional education, with the industry player PwC India being an equal partner in developing and delivering the program. The key driver in this program is industry-led research in the cybersecurity space. Cybersecurity market currently at $1 billion, is expected to grow to $35 billion by 2025. The demand for skilled professionals in the space is very high. This demand is coming from domestic companies spending in the country; multinational companies investing in India; increasing government activity in the cyber and cybersecurity space; and information technology firms bringing in work from clients. The apex body for the IT industry NASSCOM launched cybersecurity task force earlier this year to build India as a global hub for providing cybersecurity solutions, prepare the cyber security R&D plan and develop a skilled workforce of cyber security experts. The task force aims to build the cybersecurity industry in India from the 1 percent market share to 10 percent by 2025; create a trained base of one million certified and skilled cybersecurity professionals and build 1000+ start-ups in cybersecurity from India. “Technology has changed the way businesses are run and has brought along with it unique challenges and threats. In today’s digitized environment securing our cyberspace has become a priority for businesses and citizens across the world,” said Rajendra S Pawar, chairman NIIT Group and founder of NU. “This calls for a team of trained professionals who are equipped to combat the challenges that are posed by hackers every day. Our partnership with PwC India is a step in that direction.”
“Cybersecurity is a major focus area and the growth driver for PwC India. We currently have around 300 people in this practice and will need to increase it tenfold to about 3,000 people over the next 4-5 years,” Deepak Kapoor, chairman, PwC India. “With this program with NU, PwC India is collaborating with academia to bring industry-ready talent into the market, readily employable with required customized skills set.
First year of the master’s program in cybersecurity will be held at the Neemrana Campus of NU, followed by an internship at PwC India under the supervision of NU faculty. The program will emphasize on security analytics, threat intelligence, industrial control system and vulnerability analysis and also draw on practitioner-experts from PwC India to ensure the right blend of academic concepts and industry application. PwC has worked with NU to devise the curriculum for the program. In addition, PwC India and NU will co-create specialized laboratories at the University, with advanced hardware and software required for the program.
“The master’s program in cybersecurity in partnership with PwC India is yet another initiative by NU to offer industry-aligned, research focused program that will enable our students to explore exciting career opportunities in today’s knowledge economy,” said Dr Rajendra Pandey, president, NU. PwC India will jointly select the candidates along with NU and also provide expert faculty from within the firm and other industry practitioners for delivery of the program. It will help NU select the right persons from industry, with relevant work experience, to join the program. PwC and NU will jointly pick some of the bright students from other Universities as well. PwC will invest in training and development of the candidates who will be employed with PwC India after the program. In the second year of the program, PwC India will provide six months’ on-site training to the candidates at its offices, where they will get the first-hand experience of real-life work situation. Also, the firm will jointly select the research topics with NU for the industry research for the last six months of the program. PwC India will pay the students a scholarship throughout the two years of the program towards maintenance costs. “India is at the cusp of a big shift towards cybersecurity, both in terms of the risks, as well as in terms of the opportunities for the country,” Deepankar Sanwalka, leader advisory, PwC India. “Cyberspace changes the dynamics due to the ability of perpetrators to operate from any part of the world. Navigating the complexity and vastness of cyber risks requires building a trained base of 1 million certified and skilled cyber security professionals. PwC has been working and will continue to work for the betterment of the cybersecurity posture in the country along with government departments and corporates through its innovative methods and solutions. This tie-up is a step in that direction.” The first batch of the master’s program in cybersecurity will commence from July 2016. The selection process will be stringent inviting applications from candidates having technical bend of mind. Applicants should have four years bachelor’s degree in engineering/technology in computer science or IT (those who are completing their degree in the current academic year are also eligible) or master’s degree holders in computer science or IT or mathematics and statistics (those completing their degree in the current academic year are also eligible). It is mandatory for applicants to have secured at least 60 percent or above in their 10th and 12th standard boards and in bachelor’s and master’s degree. About PwC
At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 208,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. About NU NU provides BTech program (4 years) & the BTech - MTech Integrated dual degree program (5 years) in Computer Science, Electronics and Communication Engineering and Biotechnology. The University imparts knowledge in technologies of the future through a cutting-edge curriculum using the core principles of providing industry-linked, technology-based, research-driven and seamless education. The students from the University engage in internships at prestigious organizations.
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Kaplan Completes SmartPros Acquisition Expanding Its Continuing Education Offering in Accountancy and Financial Services
Fort Lauderdale, FL – January 4, 2016 − Kaplan, Inc., the global education services company and largest subsidiary of Graham Holdings completed its previously announced acquisition of SmartPros, Ltd., a leading provider of accredited professional education and training, primarily in accountancy.
“We are extremely pleased to complete the acquisition and bring the SmartPros team into the fold,” said Dr. Andrew Temte, CFA and president of Kaplan Professional Education. “This provides a domestic complement to our existing global accountancy training programs, enabling Kaplan Professional Education to deliver enhanced value to current and future customers while better meeting the evolving needs in the professional development marketplace.”
SmartPros offers a broad suite of services and content in accountancy continuing education. These include its well-known Financial Management Network (FMN), CPA Report (CPAR) and SmartPros Advantage (SPA) accounting subscription products. Its Financial Campus product and Banking library delivers continuing education to the financial services industry. SmartPros also offers accountancy training to accounting professionals and corporations through its Loscalzo Associates unit that qualifies practitioners for CPE credits in accounting, auditing and assurance topics. Its library of over 2,800 hours of primarily online education programming is delivered via a modern, proprietary learning management system (LMS) that enables clients to tailor their training requirements.
The planned transaction was announced on October 21, 2015 and subsequently approved by SmartPros’ shareholders.
About Kaplan
Kaplan, Inc. serves over 1.2 million students globally each year through its array of higher education, test preparation, professional education, English-language training, and university preparation, and offerings to individuals, institutions, and businesses. Across its 75-plus year history, first as small test-prep pioneer and then an early online education leader and now a global education provider, Kaplan has been recognized for expanding educational access and using technology and learning science innovations to continually improve outcomes for its students and partners. Kaplan has operations in over 30 countries, employs more than 19,000 full and part-time professionals, and maintains relationships and partnerships with more than 1,000 school districts, colleges, and universities, and over 2,600 corporations and businesses.
Kaplan Professional Education helps professionals obtain in-demand certifications, licensing and designations that enable them to advance and succeed in their careers. Through live and online instruction, Kaplan Professional Education provides test preparation, licensing, continuing education, and professional development programs to businesses and individuals in the accounting, insurance, securities, real estate, financial planning, and information technology, industries.
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Lumosity to Pay 2 Million to Settle FTC Deceptive Advertising Charges for Its Brain Training Program
January 5, 2016 − The creators and marketers of the Lumosity “brain training” program have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges alleging that they deceived consumers with unfounded claims that Lumosity games can help users perform better at work and in school, and reduce or delay cognitive impairment associated with age and other serious health conditions.
As part of the settlement, Lumos Labs, the company behind Lumosity, will pay $2 million in redress and will notify subscribers of the FTC action and provide them with an easy way to cancel their auto-renewal to avoid future billing.
“Lumosity preyed on consumers’ fears about age-related cognitive decline, suggesting their games could stave off memory loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “But Lumosity simply did not have the science to back up its ads.”
According to the FTC’s complaint, the Lumosity program consists of 40 games purportedly designed to target and train specific areas of the brain. The company advertised that training on these games for 10 to 15 minutes three or four times a week could help users achieve their “full potential in every aspect of life.” The company sold both online and mobile app subscriptions, with options ranging from monthly ($14.95) to lifetime ($299.95) memberships.
Lumosity has been widely promoted though TV and radio advertisements on networks including CNN, Fox News, the History Channel, National Public Radio, Pandora, Sirius XM, and Spotify. The defendants also marketed through emails, blog posts, social media, and on their website, Lumosity.com, and used Google AdWords to drive traffic to their website, purchasing hundreds of keywords related to memory, cognition, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, according to the complaint.
The FTC alleges that the defendants claimed training with Lumosity would 1) improve performance on everyday tasks, in school, at work, and in athletics; 2) delay age-related cognitive decline and protect against mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease; and 3) reduce cognitive impairment associated with health conditions, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, ADHD, the side effects of chemotherapy, and Turner syndrome, and that scientific studies proved these benefits.
The complaint also charges the defendants with failing to disclose that some consumer testimonials featured on the website had been solicited through contests that promised significant prizes, including a free iPad, a lifetime Lumosity subscription, and a round-trip to San Francisco.
The proposed stipulated federal court order requires the company and the individual defendants, co-founder and former CEO Kunal Sarkar and co-founder and former Chief Scientific Officer Michael Scanlon, to have competent and reliable scientific evidence before making future claims about any benefits for real-world performance, age-related decline, or other health conditions.
The order also imposes a $50 million judgment against Lumos Labs, which will be suspended due to its financial condition after the company pays $2 million to the Commission. The order requires the company to notify subscribers who signed up for an auto-renewal plan between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014 about the FTC action and to provide a means to cancel their subscription.
The Commission vote authorizing the filing of the complaint and proposed stipulated order was 4-0, with Commissioner Julie Brill issuing a separate concurring statement. The FTC filed the complaint and proposed order in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.
The FTC is a member of the National Prevention Council, which provides coordination and leadership at the federal level regarding prevention, wellness, and health promotion practices. This case advances the National Prevention Council’s goal of increasing the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life. This case is part of the FTC’s ongoing efforts to protect consumers from misleading health advertising.
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MHI Global Expands Consulting Capabilities
Denver, CO – January 7, 2016 − MHI Global, Inc., a TwentyEighty, Inc. company, and one of the largest dedicated performance improvement companies in the world, announced that it expanded its consultancy offering to help companies ensure their sales strategy and customer experience solutions consistently and effectively attain results in order to grow their business.
More than ever, companies need executives who can clearly communicate an effective sales strategy so everyone on their team understands it and can execute against it. According to a 2015 study by CSO Insights on Sales Performance Optimization, sales organizations that optimize processes for engaging and working with clients outsell their competitors by 17 percent in overall sales revenue plan attainment. CSO Insights also found that only 46 percent of sales managers are "highly confident in [their] sales force's ability to communicate value messages to customers and prospects." Proactively aligning the sales and marketing operations to execute the strategy can translate into millions in extra revenue for organizations.
MHI Global's expanded consulting team works closely with executives on every phase of its sales and service functions – such as talent management, process alignment, compensation and workforce enablement – in order to help their companies achieve lasting results that have a positive impact on their overall business plans.
"We understand that every business has its own set of unique challenges it must face in order to create an effective customer strategy," said Byron Matthews, president and general manager of MHI Global. "Our expanded consultancy practice allows us to tailor our approach in order to take advantage of the strengths and address the crucial issues for each company we work with."
Consultants from MHI Global understand the pressure top-line executives face to produce consistent results because they bring both operational expertise, from having led sales and marketing organizations, and proven industry leadership experience. Each member of the MHI Global consultant team has held an executive or senior role at a successful organization, and they apply this expertise to help businesses solve their most pressing challenges and enhance performance when it comes to execution.
MHI Global's consulting practice now includes ways to help clients figure out ways to optimize their sales process, develop their employees, effectively enable sales channels with value messaging, and come up with a compensation structure for its staff.
"Our teams are trained to help clients find a strategy execution that solves specific needs and fits their current business model," said Harry Dunklin, consulting practice leader at MHI Global. "We take the time to diagnose the processes, roles, technology and every other aspect of the sales and service functions to help clients achieve their goals."
About MHI Global
MHI Global is one of the largest dedicated performance improvement companies in the world, bringing game-changing insight to sales performance, customer experience and leadership and management. MHI Global is comprised of legacy brands Miller Heiman, Huthwaite, AchieveGlobal and others, and products such as Spin Selling and Strategic Selling. MHI Global helps build and sustain successful, customer-focused organizations that drive profitable revenue and predictable top-line growth on a global scale.
About TwentyEighty, Inc.
TwentyEighty is a one of the largest workforce development companies in the world and is powered by some of the premier brands in the industry, such as Miller Heiman, VitalSmarts, Forum, Strategy Execution and Omega Performance. Our solutions are designed to help companies improve business results through the areas of leadership performance, sales performance, credit performance and strategic execution.
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After 25 years Team Builders Plus Changes Focus Name Branding to Take Flight Learning
Marlton, NJ − January 7, 2016 − Reflecting on the fact that over 10 million people annually take personality profiles, with that number increasing yearly, Team Builders Plus is changing its name and core focus to be less about team building activities and more focused on behavioral style assessments and learning.
“Adding to this decision to restructure is the entrance of millennials into the workforce who have never experienced training based on behavioral styles," said CEO Merrick Rosenberg.
Team Builders Plus, headquartered in Marlton, NJ, with locations in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Diego, is now a division of Take Flight Learning, the new parent company name. All signage and branding materials will display the new identity.
The moniker Take Flight Learning originated in 2012 when Merrick Rosenberg, cofounder of Team Builders Plus coauthored "Taking Flight," a fable that links the four major personality styles of the DISC personality assessment tool to Eagles, Parrots, Doves and Owls.
According to Jeff Backal, cofounder and president of Team Builders Plus, “we have actually been offering DISC styles training to clients since 1994, three years after starting our business, to help businesses improve work productivity, teamwork and communication. After training more than 20,000 people in the DISC styles, over more than two decades, Merrick breathed new life into this model by linking the styles to memorable birds.”
The behavioral styles theory came out in the 1920’s, with the first assessment introduced in the 1950’s. Rosenberg’s new twist correlated the Dominant style with Eagles who are daring, decisive, direct and driven; the Interactive style with Parrots who are imaginative, influential, intuitive and inspirational. The Supportive style is associated with Doves who are sincere, steadfast, sympathetic and satisfied and the Conscientious trait corresponds with Owls who are cautious, critical, compliant and consistent. “Everyone is a combination of styles, but each predominant type is motivated by very different things and there are more effective and less effective ways to communicate and work with people exhibiting each style,” explained Rosenberg. The fable Taking Flight shows how the four types work best together.
Historically, one of the first team building companies in the United States in 1991, Team Builders Plus offered innovative team building activities to organizations. In fact, the firm acquired Teambuilding, Inc. in 2007 to become the largest team building company in the country. While team building activities will still be provided, the firm’s cornerstone program has become Taking Flight with DISC.
“Times have changed,” said Rosenberg. “With the massive increase in non-face-to-face texting, YouTube and all other forms of social media, when employees do come together in the workplace and are required to share more than a few words, they are automatically challenged, but are even less equipped to communicate effectively when they have conflicting personality styles. A highly visual program like Taking Flight with DISC, is easier to remember and work with.”
“The most successful people in organizations are those who are most adaptable. Imagine having the skills of a chameleon that instantly adjusts to people and situations. That’s what individuals learn in a Taking Flight with DISC session,” he added.
In describing the company’s restructuring, Backal said that “Take Flight Learning offers a variety of DISC training programs, products, and keynote speaking.” The name change and restructuring coincides with the launch of Rosenberg’s second book, “The Chameleon: Life Changing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has a Personality or Knows Someone Who Does.”
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BAFTA-Winning Applied Games Studio Set to Revolutionize the Training Space
January 7, 2016 − Preloaded is to bring award-winning gaming expertise to the training space in 2016. As a global provider of Games with Purpose, the studio’s unique games-based learning model has attracted a wealth of clients including Disney, the BBC, the Science Museum and the UK Parliament. Using the power of gaming technology as both an alternative and a complement to traditional learning platforms, Preloaded’s expertise is set to transform the development of serious games for training. Preloaded became part of Learning Technologies Group plc (LTG) in 2014 and will join sister companies LEO, gomo and Eukleia at Learning Technologies 2016 to showcase group expertise as the leading supplier of learning solutions. Ben Courtney, Game Design Lead at Preloaded, will be presenting the seminar session "Games in Training: Playing Their Part." The presentation will explore some of the biggest issues facing businesses today and how games can play their part in a blended learning ecosystem. “Preloaded is committed to making games which go beyond entertainment," said Phil Stuart, creative director, Preloaded. "With unrivalled experience in gaming development and the expertise of our colleagues in LTG, we are well positioned to raise the bar on the quality of training games, and show that great games really do mean better learning.” About Preloaded Preloaded is a BAFTA-winning applied games studio, dedicated to making games with purpose. Founded in 2000, Preloaded has gained an international reputation, working with a mix of broadcasters, museums, well-known brands, government organisations, charities and NGOs. Preloaded uses games to deliver transformational goals, such as learning new skills, changing behaviour, diagnosing conditions and improving kinaesthetic and cognitive function. The studio’s approach places the user at the centre of their design process, developing products that meet the needs of the audience whilst delivering on specific objectives. They are platform-agnostic with a passion for touch-screens, motion controllers and Virtual Reality. Preloaded is part of Learning Technologies Group plc, a steadily growing collection of specialist learning technology businesses.
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Capita Acquires ELearning Company Brightwave
January 8, 2016 − Capita has announced the acquisition of Brightwave, an e-learning company that specializes in designing learning solutions to improve performance in businesses.
75 employees in Brighton will transfer to Capita as part of the deal.
The company provides bespoke e-learning solutions and designs products and services that boost the performance and productivity of teams. Brightwave works with a number of blue chip companies, including major consumer brands and high profile third sector organisations.
"Brightwave's expertise in bespoke e-learning content creation will enhance Capita's capability in the digital learning market," said Sunna van Loo, managing director of Capita Learning Services. "E-learning is a tool that is being increasingly used in businesses to provide direct delivery of learning, and this is an area where Capita can build on Brightwave's innovative thinking to bring new solutions to the market."
Brightwave specializes in providing technologies such as mobile learning, bespoke learning solutions and online training. The acquisition will boost Capita's digital learning capability, allowing it to better meet the needs of customers who require a learning provider to increase their performance.
"We are looking forward to developing our capability and reach in digital learning under Capita's ownership," said Caroline Walmsley, managing director of Brightwave. "Being able to provide our clients with robust solutions has always been at the forefront of our business and Capita will enable us to further enhance this while offering our expertise to existing Capita customers."
About Brightwave
Brightwave Group is the leading global agency for next generation learning solutions, systems and services. We place our expertise, innovation and creativity at the centre of our work, designing award-winning learning solutions that deliver your business objectives and truly engage your learners.
Experts in Total Learning, we help the world's leading brands to improve performance, unlock potential and generate value. We can do this because we are the only learning provider in the world enabling clients to fully implement 70-20-10 by harnessing the power of both formal and informal learning experiences.
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Degreed Raises $21M Series B to Make All Professional and Lifelong Learning Matter
San Francisco, CA – January 8, 2016 − Degreed, the edtech company that has created a universal way to empower and recognize all forms of professional and lifelong learning, announced a $21 million Series B investment to fuel further expansion. Jump Capital led the round, along with Signal Peak, Rethink Education, Deborah Quazzo and other existing investors.
Degreed is free for individuals to use and its learner-first approach led to rapid corporate success following the launch of their consumer-friendly, enterprise learning solution in fall 2014. Degreed's award-winning platform enables people to discover, curate, share, track and value all kinds of learning–from internal portals, external training vendors and over 1,200 providers of free and low-cost informal learning resources–all in a single, unified system.
"We believe there are many pathways to expertise," says David Blake, co-founder & CEO of Degreed. "The future doesn't care how you became an expert. We have built the only universal way for everyone to measure all learning and pursue skills and knowledge from all avenues. It's changing the way companies think about learning and development."
This investment comes on the heels of a Series A funding, announced in April 2015. The capital enabled a more aggressive sales strategy, robust product innovations, and an expansion of marketing activities. The company accelerated from three to nearly 100 clients this last year, including Fortune 10, 20 and 50 clients from the financial services and technology industries.
"There are many companies innovating in the edtech space, but Degreed stands unique in its approach to the future of skills and recognition of learning," said Michael McMahon, managing partner of Jump Capital. "We're excited to partner with Degreed to accelerate their incredible growth, and to change the way learning is done and how it is recognized."
About Degreed Individuals and organizations use Degreed to discover, track and measure all learning. Degreed, which has offices in San Francisco, CA and Salt Lake City, UT, was founded in 2012 and first launched in January 2013. In summer 2013, Degreed participated in the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator powered by TechStars. Degreed's previous investments include a $7 million Series A funded by Signal Peak Ventures and Peak Ventures and a $1.8 million seed round from angels including Mark Cuban and Deborah Quazzo, among others.
About Jump Capital Jump Capital is a venture capital firm specializing in Series A & B expansion stage investments in technology and software, with offices in Chicago, New York and San Francisco. Through its team of seasoned operators, Jump Capital provides advocacy and support complemented with institutional-level resources for entrepreneurs.
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Avnet Inc Announces Acquisition of ExitCertified
Phoenix, AZ – January 8, 2016 − Avnet, Inc. announced that it has acquired ExitCertified®, a leading provider of certified IT training in North America. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, ExitCertified offers education through its training centers as well as on-site, self-paced and instructor-led online training with its market-leading MVP/iMVP virtual training platform. The company is authorized by vendors including Amazon Web Services, Brocade, Cloudera, ForgeRock, Oracle, Pivotal, Red Hat, SAP, Symantec and VERITAS, adding a highly complementary portfolio to the training already delivered by Avnet Education Solutions through Avnet Academy, which includes authorized training from HP, IBM, Linux Foundation, Nutanix, Veeam and VMware in more than forty countries worldwide.
"This acquisition is of strategic importance to Avnet Technology Solutions' global services as it provides our customers with agile training solutions through 9,500 authorized IT training courses from more than 20 leading technology vendors,” said Mike Hurst, senior vice president, Avnet Global Services. “In an IT environment where the pace of change continues to accelerate, our customers are looking for solutions to help them remain competitive in this evolving and complex technology landscape. With ExitCertified, we expand our offering of leading, award winning courses with connected and virtual classrooms in high growth areas including big data, cloud and security along with converged and hyper-converged solutions. In addition, this acquisition will enhance Avnet Education Solutions’ market position in North America and provide a solid foundation to continue to expand our education services portfolio in Latin America, APAC and EMEA."
ExitCertified® was founded in 2001 and offers strategic training paths for the skills required to support today’s technologies while offering a broad curriculum of application focused courses for clients looking to implement new/upgraded business applications. ExitCertified generated revenue of approximately US $24 million in the fiscal year ended June 2015, and will be integrated into the Education Solutions group within Avnet Technology Solutions’ Global Services business.
This acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings and achieve Avnet's corporate return on capital target of 12.5 percent.
About Avnet
From components to cloud and design to disposal, Avnet, Inc., accelerates the success of customers who build, sell and use technology globally by providing them with a comprehensive portfolio of innovative products, services and solutions. Avnet is a Fortune 500 company with revenues of $27.9 billion for the fiscal year 2015.
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