Indianapolis, IN - April 25, 2017 - TCC Software Solutions, a leader in designing high-value, cost-effective IT application and cloud technology solutions for the private and public sectors, announced today it has acquired Vertex Solutions Group (VSG) and Triple Impact (3I). The acquisition will enable TCC to enter the learning and development marketplace, embedding interactive learning technology into existing and new software applications. The companies will benefit from shared infrastructure services, increasing efficiency.
“Vertex Solutions Group’s business consulting, learning and development curriculum and performance technologies complement TCC’s managed services, software and IT staffing service offerings,” stated Jim Pangallo, principal partner of TCC. “The decision to acquire VSG and 3I was strategic. It will allow our company to continue to grow into new markets like federal, agriculture and animal health.”
VSG has been a recognized specialist in learning management systems and solutions used by commercial and federal clientele for more than 25 years. Their online, in-person and instructor-led programs help clients like Jiffy Lube standardize technical certification across the nation. The addition of 3I to the TCC portfolio of companies will add high-end business consulting capabilities in the agriculture, information technology, animal health and pharmaceutical industries. The acquisition increases TCC’s employee base to 250.
“The purchase of our two companies by TCC will allow us to enhance the company’s offerings and greatly expand services, which will benefit our customers and employees,” said Mikell Parsch, chief executive officer of VSG and 3I. “VSG and 3I both have large and loyal client bases with solid, innovative products and service offerings. We have been searching for the right strategic partner to expand our solutions and provide the necessary resources our companies have needed to fuel expansion. After a long search, it was clear to everyone that TCC was that company.”
Combined, TCC, VSG and 3I solutions will serve thousands of users nationwide and together, increase value to the customers they serve with the strength, size and scale to deliver rapid innovation in learning management, IT software development and infrastructure managed services. The three companies will have the opportunity to scale faster and expand their impact in all markets.
“We are pleased that we found partners who share the TCC philosophy of commitment to customer service and employee culture in VSG and 3I. With the support of VSG and 3I, TCC will continue to make progress toward achieving dominance in the technical business consulting marketplace,” stated Pangallo.
Harborside Advisors of Fort Lauderdale, Florida arranged the transaction and served as the advisor to TCC.
For more information, please visit www.e-tcc.com.
About TCC Software Solutions:
Founded in 1996, TCC is committed to designing and delivering high-value, cost-effective IT consulting services and application technology solutions for both the private and public sectors. With a team of more than 200 professionals, we serve clients nationwide and in US territories. Our innovative solutions deliver real-world results and have made us a leading services and solutions provider.
About Vertex Solutions Group:
Vertex Solutions Group partners with leading global organizations to enhance human capital and business performance through delivery of four core services: Performance assessment; business consulting; learning & development; and performance technologies. Our dedicated team of business consultants, learning specialists and technologists provide end-to-end, strategic solutions for over 1000 organizations in the automotive, pharmaceutical, healthcare, home improvement, retail and manufacturing industries. Known for exceptional customer service, product innovations and superior performance, the Vertex Solutions Group has partnered with more than 65 federal agencies to solve their most pressing learning challenges with end-to-end custom solutions in learning strategy, learning solution design and development, and performance technologies.
TCC Software Solutions Acquires Vertex Solutions Group and Triple Impact
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Future First Partners with UpsideLMS to bring the Best Value SaaS LMS to Sweden and EU
Pune, India - April 26, 2017 - Future First, a leading Consulting, eLearning and Training company in Sweden, has extended its services and solutions portfolio with UpsideLMS, the Best Value SaaS Learning Management System. This comes as a part of the partnership between the two eLearning leaders, Future First and Upside Learning, which brings a world-class learning platform, UpsideLMS, to Sweden and EU.
UpsideLMS, a winner of over 20 awards and recognitions that is trusted by hundreds and thousands of learners, has always enjoyed a global presence. With a view to strengthening this presence further and giving wings to its on-ground representation, the company was on the lookout for capable partners worldwide.
Future First, with its extensive experience in developing various types of educational solutions and several packaged solutions to help companies in Sweden and EU to make cost-effective investments in learning, and Upside Learning, with its Best Value Learning Management Platform, were a perfect marriage as both leverage each other’s strengths and brand equities leading to a mutually beneficial relationship.
“We are very pleased to form a strategic partnership with Future First. By combining UpsideLMS’ expertise in managing L&D activities easily and cost-effectively, with Future First’s vision of providing best-in-class training programs, we can define exciting new opportunities for the Learning Management System in Sweden and EU.” said Amit Gautam, Director – UpsideLMS and Co-founder – Upside Learning.
Seconding this thought is Future First’s CEO, Malin Hydén. She says, “UpsideLMS is a perfect example of a Learning Management System that’s not only feature-rich but has an attractive price point which ensures best value for organizations. I see UpsideLMS as a great addition to Future First’s solutions basket and I am confident that it will be a great fit for organizations in Sweden (and EU), which need a robust, innovative, comprehensive and cost-effective learning platform.”
About Future First
With over 20 years of experience in developing digital strategy for learning organizations and more than 150 completed eLearning projects, Future First is a Sweden-based leader in Learning Consultant services and e-learning solutions that enhance the learning in organizations. It offers both tailor-made and packaged solutions to help companies make the most cost-effective decision on how to secure knowledge or implement change.
https://futurefirst.se
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EVERFI Lands Historic 190 Million Investment from The Rise Fund TPG Growth and Existing Investors
Washington, D.C. - April 26, 2017 - Today, EVERFI, Inc., the leading provider of subscription-based digital learning to K-12 schools, universities, corporations, sports leagues, and non-profits announced they have raised $190 million to advance EVERFI’s vision for education innovation. The Rise Fund and TPG Growth invested $150 million, with Main Street Advisors and Advance Publications also joining the round. They join existing investors Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter Co-Founder Evan Williams, and Allen and Company as part of the growing EVERFI investor network. EVERFI is the first investment by The Rise Fund.
“EVERFI was founded on the idea that we could harness innovative, digital education to engage learners on some of the country’s most intractable issues – financial education, sexual assault prevention, workplace health, diversity and inclusion and more,” said EVERFI Co-Founder and CEO Tom Davidson. “Through this investment from The Rise Fund, we gain a partner that is not only interested in our ability to grow as a company, but also our ability to bring true education impact to all learners, regardless of zip code.”
TPG Growth Managing Partner Bill McGlashan, U2 lead singer Bono, a well-known activist and a special partner with TPG Growth, and Jeff Skoll, a global entrepreneur, film producer, and impact investor, co-founded The Rise Fund. They were joined by a group of influential thought leaders with a deep personal and professional commitment to driving social and environmental progress, who came together to form the Founders Board.
Arne Duncan, the former U.S. Secretary of Education who recently joined The Rise Fund as a Senior Advisor, commented, “Improving education involves finding ways to make curricula more accessible, as well as developing new courses that address today’s social challenges. Through its innovative digital platform, diverse content, and network of private-sector partnerships, EVERFI is benefiting students, teachers, and school staff, making it a natural fit for The Rise Fund.”
EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model, allowing learners of all ages to learn through innovative and scalable digital education. EVERFI’s courses, which have already reach more than 16 million students and adult learners across the United States and Canada to date, include evidence-based interventions, validated through third party research, to address topics including financial education, sexual assault and harassment prevention, alcohol responsibility, social and emotional learning, and Science Technology Engineering & Math (STEM) and career readiness. EVERFI’s digital learning course work can be white-labeled for customer organizations.
“Education technology is a growing sector that presents a compelling opportunity to create meaningful positive outcomes,” said Bill McGlashan, Founder and Managing Partner of TPG Growth and Co-Founder and CEO of The Rise Fund. “EVERFi’s innovative programs are creating measurable positive results—both financially and socially. We are confident that EVERFI is working to change the future of education, which makes this an exciting investment for Rise and TPG Growth.”
Nehal Raj, Partner leading Technology Investments for TPG Capital and TPG Growth; Brian Dunlap, the Rise Fund Sector Lead for TMT; and Steve Ellis, Senior Partner of Business Building at The Rise Fund will join EVERFI’s Board of Directors.
EVERFIEVERFI is the leading education technology company that provides learners of all ages education for the real world, through innovative and scalable digital learning. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model and has certified over 16 million learners in critical skill areas. Some of America’s leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, TPG Growth, The Rise Fund, Advance Publications, and Rethink Education, and Rethink Impact. The EVERFI Education Network powers more than 4,200 partners in their education initiatives across all 50 states and Canada. Learn more at EVERFI.com
The Rise FundThe Rise Fund is a global fund committed to achieving positive, measurable social and environmental outcomes alongside financial returns—what we call “complete returns.” The Rise Fund is managed by TPG Growth, the global growth equity and middle market buyout platform of alternative asset firm TPG. TPG Growth Managing Partner Bill McGlashan, U2 lead singer Bono, a well-known activist and a special partner with TPG Growth, and Jeff Skoll, a global entrepreneur, film producer, and impact.
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LearnLaunch Accelerator Announces Seventh Edtech Cohort
Boston, MA - April 26, 2017 - LearnLaunch Accelerator today announced its seventh accelerator cohort of nine early-stage education technology companies. These nine companies will take part in LearnLaunch’s Boost program for early stage edtech startups. Each startup can receive up to $70k in funding to continue to expand their footprint and impact in the broader learning environment.
“When we start a new program, we are always amazed by the diversity of innovative approaches in edtech,” said Jean Hammond, Partner, LearnLaunch. “Each entrepreneur spots an area where change is needed and many find innovative ways to enter the market, with the result being better educational outcomes.”
The nine companies service a wide array of markets including: K-12, higher education, early education, and continuing education markets, and were selected following a highly competitive application process. They’ll be taking up residence in Boston for the next four months as part of the LearnLaunch accelerator.
The participating edtech startups are:
BlocksCAD (Boston, MA) – A blocks-based, programmatic, computer aided design tool that enables K-12 students to create their own objects that can be easily 3D printed.
Choosito! (Philadelphia, PA) – An NSF funded student search engine tool with enhanced filters for safety, reading level and subject area, providing schools with the ability to personalize and monitor student access to high quality free OER resources.
Creatr. (New York City, NY) – A knowledge and mentorship platform for the creative industries with a unique bi-modal system that pairs interactive live-streaming with on-demand 1:1 consultations.
Entri (Cochin, India) – A plug-and-play test prep platform for competitive exams in India. 400+ teachers and 35k+ students have used Entri with more than 8 million attempted questions by students to date.
LearnBolt (Boston, MA) – A new breed of mobile training that changes the way business knowledge is collected, organized, and shared to meet the needs of today's “Now” information age.
Schola (Phoenix, AZ) – An edtech company focused on streamlining the recruitment and enrollment process for all public and private preK-12 schools.
SchoolHack (Bristol, VT) – The first student-driven innovative personalized learning platform, LiFT™ that works across whole districts to transform mindsets, break down silos, and empower students to take charge of their learning.
The Wealth Factory (Washington, DC) – Designs financial literacy edtech games. Its first game, Credit Stacker, the only credit game in the world, teaches people how to manage and interpret credit reports.
Unruly Studios (Boston, MA) – Unruly Studios (formerly known as JumpSmart) challenges kids ages 6-12 to make their own rules for creative play by learning to code physical objects that interact with the world.
LearnLaunch Accelerator’s intensive program will provide these edtech startups with seed funding, six months of workspace at its unique and collaborative LearnLaunch Campus located in Boston, strategic guidance on bringing their products to market, and access to a diverse team of over 175 industry-savvy mentors providing continual support. The companies will emerge from the program ready for next stages of funding, deployment, scale and growth. The LearnLaunch Accelerator program will culminate at its annual Demo Day on September 19 where each company will pitch their to an audience of investors and community members.
About LearnLaunch Accelerator LearnLaunch Accelerator is the leading early stage edtech startup accelerator. LearnLaunch Accelerator provides the most promising education technology startups worldwide with up to $120,000 in seed funding, a personalized development plan, sector specific curriculum, and a network of industry focused mentors, intensive coaching and all the tools necessary to grow a successful edtech startup. It offers investors a diversified platform of early stage companies in the rapidly growing edtech sector. For more Information, visit www.learnlaunch.com/accelerator or follow us @LearnLaunchX.
About LearnLaunchLearnLaunch is dedicated to connecting, supporting, and investing in the education technology ecosystem to drive innovation and transform learning. It offers a vibrant community, educational events, a collaborative co-working space, and a selective accelerator program to promote the growth of the edtech sector. LearnLaunch is based in Boston, a global education hub. Learn more about LearnLaunch Accelerator, Campus, and Institute at www.learnlaunch.com and follow LearnLaunch on Twitter at @learnlaunch.
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Purdue to Acquire Kaplan University Increase Access for Millions
West Lafayette, IN - April 27, 2017 - Purdue University announced Thursday (April 27) the creation of a new public university that will further expand access to higher education. The initiative is meant to address two striking new realities: the need for postsecondary education for working adults and others unsuited to traditional campus study, and the explosive growth of online technologies as a means of delivering education to students of all types.
“Nearly 150 years ago, Purdue proudly accepted the land-grant mission to expand higher education beyond the wealthy and the elites of society,” President Mitch Daniels said. “We cannot honor our land-grant mission in the 21st century without reaching out to the 36 million working adults, 750,000 of them in our state, who started but did not complete a college degree, and to the 56 million Americans with no college credit at all.
“None of us knows how fast or in what direction online higher education will evolve, but we know its role will grow, and we intend that Purdue be positioned to be a leader as that happens. A careful analysis made it clear that we are very ill-equipped to build the necessary capabilities ourselves, and that the smart course would be to acquire them if we could. We were able to find exactly what we were looking for. Today’s agreement moves us from a standing start to a leading position.”
To launch the new university, Purdue will acquire Kaplan University and its institutional operations and assets, including its 15 campuses and learning centers, 32,000 students, 3,000 employees, and decades of experience in distance education. All existing Kaplan University students and faculty will transition to the new university, which will use the Purdue name in some fashion not yet identified.
“Kaplan and Purdue share the critical mission of expanding access to education,” said Donald E. Graham, chairman of Graham Holdings Co. (NYSE: GHC), the parent company of Kaplan Inc. and Kaplan University. “Purdue takes its land-grant mission very seriously, and I’m deeply impressed by this great university’s commitment to meeting the needs of non-traditional students.”
The new university will be distinct from others in the Purdue system, relying only on tuition and fundraising to cover operating expenses. No state appropriations will be utilized. It will operate primarily online, but has 15 locations across the United States, including an existing facility in Indianapolis, with potential for growth throughout the state. Indiana resident students will receive a yet-to-be-determined tuition discount.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, “I’ve always had great respect for Gov. Daniels, and I’m excited by this opportunity for a world-class university to expand its reach and help educate adult learners by acquiring a strong for-profit college. This is a first, and if successful, could help create a new model for what it means to be a land-grant institution.”
Purdue currently serves students on two levels: Through its flagship campus in West Lafayette and at two regional campuses. The new entity will become a third level in the Purdue system, and will operate almost exclusively online. Betty Vandenbosch, Kaplan University’s current president, will become chancellor of the new university. A subsidiary of Kaplan Inc. will provide various non-academic services through a long-term transition and operations support agreement covering areas such as technological support, human resources, facilities management and other administrative functions.
“Purdue and Kaplan share the ambition of enabling individuals of all backgrounds to benefit from a high-quality education,” said Andy Rosen, Kaplan’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Purdue’s tradition of excellence makes it an ideal party to build upon the progress and innovation that Kaplan University has achieved over the past two decades. We’re proud to pass the baton to this esteemed university.”
The new university will formally begin operations upon approval from the U.S. Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission. Purdue plans to take immediate steps to commence those approval processes. Both Purdue and Kaplan universities are accredited by the HLC.
More information, including an FAQ, is available at www.PurdueNewU.org.Purdue University, a top public research institution, offers higher education at its highest proven value. Committed to affordability, the university has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels. Committed to student success, Purdue is changing the student experience with greater focus on faculty-student interaction and creative use of technology. Committed to pursuing scientific discoveries and engineered solutions, Purdue has streamlined pathways for faculty and student innovators who have a vision for moving the world forward.
Kaplan University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, and serves approximately 32,000 online and campus-based students. The University has 15 campuses and learning centers in Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, Maryland, Maine, Missouri and Wisconsin. The university strives to help adult students by providing practical, student-centered education that prepares them for careers in some of the fastest growing industries. KU has been a leading innovator in higher education for many years, including its pioneering role in delivering online degree programs, its long-time commitment to competency based education linking mastery of discipline specific and professional competencies, and through its Research Pipeline designed to improve student learning and persistence by testing experimental interventions against empirical evidence. KU’s Concord Law School offered the first fully online law degree.
Kaplan, Inc. serves over 1 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 nearly 80-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 15,000 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 is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) and its largest division. For more information, please visit www.kaplan.com.
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Saba Completes Acquisition of Halogen Software
Redwood Shores, CA - May 1, 2017 - Saba Software Inc., today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Halogen Software, Inc. (TSX:HGN). Saba, Vector Capital and its affiliates, and Michael Slaunwhite, Halogen’s co-founder, executive chairman and largest shareholder, have acquired Halogen for CAD$12.50 in cash per share.
The new, combined organization is now one of the largest independent talent management companies in the world, with 1,000 employees serving more than 4,000 customers in 195 countries around the globe.
“No matter what size the company, all organizations are ultimately trying to solve the same challenge, which is how to better their business performance by engaging, developing, and investing in their employees,” said Pervez Qureshi, CEO of Saba. “The combination of Saba and Halogen brings them something very powerful – the expertise of the best and brightest minds in talent management, a deep commitment to helping our customers solve new challenges in new ways, and a true passion to deliver value and innovation, better and faster. This is a unique combination, and something no one else in the market can provide.”
The dynamics of the workplace are changing, and organizations that are evolving their approach to employee development and engagement are realizing more productivity and performance. Together, Saba and Halogen plan to deliver a new vision for talent management – one that combines people-centric learning, engagement, and performance in new ways, enabling organizations to meet their employees on new terms, and transform the employee experience.
“Organizations around the world, in every industry, have come to realize that they must place their talent strategy ahead of their business strategy. They cannot be industry leaders without a highly engaged and well-trained workforce,” said Michael Rochelle, chief strategy officer and principal human capital management (HCM) analyst at Brandon Hall Group. “Saba and Halogen both have longstanding proven track records in helping their customers achieve their full talent potential and achieve breakthrough business performance. Saba and Halogen now have the opportunity to work together to create market-shaping approaches to learning and talent management for organizations of any size. Their combined strategy to deliver a user-centric employee learning and career development experience, while at the same time, directly linking that experience to organizational performance, is a powerful message that will resonate with learning and talent leaders alike.”
As pioneers in their respective areas, and with over 40 years of combined experience in talent management, Saba and Halogen share common vision, values and culture, as well as a commitment to the growth and success of their customers.
“Halogen customers selected the best performance solution in the marketplace today, and Saba acquired Halogen for the same reasons their customers use the software; the people, the products, the culture, and the innovation,” said John Hiraoka, Chief Strategy Officer at Saba. “This is something that we not only intend to continue, but to accelerate in the market. As a combined organization, we intend to rapidly deliver best-in-market innovations to both Saba and Halogen customers, with the same commitment to their growth and success they’ve come to expect.”
Please reference the transaction release for further details.
About Saba
Saba delivers a cloud-based intelligent talent management and engagement solution used by leading organizations worldwide to hire, develop, engage, and inspire their people. With machine learning at its core, Saba Cloud offers proactive, personalized recommendations on candidates, connections and content to help employees and businesses lead and succeed. It is purpose-built on a highly scalable platform that exceeds industry security and reliability standards. Following the acquisition of Halogen Software, Saba has more than 4,000 customers and 33 million users across 195 countries.
About Vector Capital
Vector Capital is a leading global private equity firm specializing in transformational investments in established technology businesses. With $3.3 billion of capital under management, Vector identifies and pursues these investments in both the private and public markets. Vector actively partners with management teams to devise and execute new financial and business strategies that materially improve the competitive standing of these businesses and enhance their value for employees, customers, and shareholders. For more information, visit http://www.vectorcapital.com.
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Experts Exchange Partners with Stormwind Studios to Offer World-Class Training to Technology Professionals
San Luis Obispo, CA - May 1, 2017 - Experts Exchange, a leading community for technology professionals dedicated to skill development and knowledge sharing, has partnered with Stormwind Studios in order to bring additional education opportunities to its members. Stormwind Studios is an industry-leading e-learning platform that produces cinema-quality courses for technology professionals. With the addition of this course learning, education comes full circle when coupled with the mentorship provided by Experts Exchange's vast network of technology experts.
The partnership offers Experts Exchange members an extensive library of online courses at exclusive discounted prices in technologies such as Cisco, VMware, Linux, and cybersecurity, as well as benefits in certification exam preparation. Stormwind Studios uses real-world tips and techniques to provide a well-rounded understanding of the subject matter with high-definition quality.
For more than twenty years, Experts Exchange has been a leader in the online question and answer industry and has evolved to offer a wide range of tools and services for technology professionals. This announcement comes in response to a survey of Experts Exchange's 500,000 members, which highlighted an appetite for more online learning.
"Experts Exchange strives to continually provide value for our half a million members," said Gene Richardson, COO of Experts Exchange. "Just under 90% of our members requested access to more training courses in a recent survey and this partnership with Stormwind Studios, with which we can offer members access to top-notch education, is an answer to that request."
Stormwind Studios echoes this sentiment and desire to provide unmatched educational value.
"It's our mission to provide the highest quality, on-demand learning to our customers," said Rob Stephan, Senior VP, Enterprise Sales of Stormwind Studios, "so a partnership with Experts Exchange was a no-brainer. Bringing our courses to a community dedicated to learning and mentorship will widen our reach and benefit the technology community as a whole."
Members can gain access to Stormwind Studios' courses by registering for a membership at Experts Exchange. For the month of May, the CompTIA A+ course will be made available to all premium members and team accounts free of charge.
About Experts ExchangeExperts Exchange is a comprehensive network for technology professionals. The company connects experts with technology users at all levels, solving problems and inspiring learning. Focusing on maintaining a supportive online community, Experts Exchanges ensures a high-quality, reliable experience by vetting performance and rewarding positive feedback. Experts Exchange prides itself on over twenty years in the field, a testament to its credibility and its reliable user base.
About Stormwind StudiosStormwind Studios provides live, HD quality e-learning courses in technologies such as Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, CompTIA and ITIL. Stormwind Studios uses proprietary technologies in order to create and deliver interactive online training that is truly professional and engaging.
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Teamatics Launches Platform to Fundamentally Change the Way Teams Form and Perform
Las Vegas, NV - May 2, 2017 - Teamatics LLC, a human capital software company, announced today the launch of their new platform for developing human capital and improving team performance. Teamatics is the only solution that offers the ability to align individual personalities, talents, values, and interests to the needs and culture of an organization's teams.
Of the launch, Teamatics CEO Jamison West said, "In my 20-plus years of managing teams and leaders of teams I've struggled to find a simple, accurate way to ensure talents are aligned to objectives and that the team is aligned with each other and to the culture of my company. I am thrilled to be part of a new team that has done incredible work to solve that problem."
The founders of Teamatics include:
Jamison West – Jamison is an entrepreneur who has founded, acquired, and sold several businesses over a span that exceeds two decades. His background is primarily in the technology space, with a more recent focus on all aspects of the business model change for technology services providers who focus on cloud. He has won numerous awards in the IT Services business and fulfills his passion for connecting with others and sharing his learnings by regularly speaking on leadership and his vision for cloud computing.
Duane Edwards – A serial entrepreneur, Teamatics is the sixth start-up for Duane. His previous companies include Amplero, Globys, and CallVision, which were backed by JP Morgan Capital, Trilogy Equity Partners, Duff Ackerman & Goodrich, and Cedar Grove Investments. Duane is passionate about innovation and product development. In founding Teamatics, he is thrilled to apply these passions to the challenges faced by leaders in creating synergistic, high-performing workforces.
Maria Terekhina – Teamatics is the first start-up for Maria, who previously worked for fast-growing companies in the engineering and financial sectors. Her passion for self-development and research resulted in the incorporation of elements from the fields of sociology, psychology, business management, mathematics, and statistics into the Teamatics platform.
About Teamatics, LLC: Teamatics is software company specializing in Human Capital. Its vision is to fundamentally change the way teams form and perform.
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2U Inc to Acquire GetSmarter
Lanham, MD and Cape Town, South Africa - May 2, 2017 - 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU), a leader in partnering with colleges and universities to deliver the world's best digital education, announced today, that it has entered into an agreement to acquire GetSmarter (incorporated as Get Educated International Proprietary Limited), a leader in collaborating with universities to offer premium online short courses to working professionals. Both 2U and GetSmarter focus on delivering high-quality, high-touch digital higher education from world class colleges and universities to unlock a student's full potential.
GetSmarter powers engaging online short courses in partnership with some of the world's most renowned higher education institutions, including the University of Cambridge, Harvard University's strategic online learning initiative, HarvardX, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Africa's top three universities, University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand and University of Stellenbosch Business School. It is a high growth business that has served more than 50,000 students since inception with course completion rates that average 88%. GetSmarter's portfolio includes over 70 short courses offered with its university partners, including Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge's Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Global Health Delivery from HarvardX, and Healthcare Informatics from the University of Chicago. GetSmarter operates under a revenue share model with its university clients.
2U will acquire GetSmarter in all-cash transaction for approximately $103 million, subject to certain purchase price adjustments, and an earn-out payment of up to $20 million in cash, subject to achievement of certain financial milestones in calendar years 2017 and 2018. Subject to various closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close during the third quarter of 2017. The acquisition is expected to strengthen 2U's position in the approximately $1.9 trillion global higher education market which is expected to grow approximately 8% in 2017, while accelerating two of the company's key strategic growth initiatives – expanding internationally and into non-degree alternatives.
"GetSmarter's pursuit of quality in online education, demonstrated by a uniquely high student course completion rate that averages 88% is truly remarkable and mirrors 2U's mission to offer the world's best digital education as defined by our partner students' outcomes and satisfaction." said Christopher "Chip" Paucek, CEO and co-founder of 2U. "With GetSmarter, 2U expects to strengthen its position as a leader in digital education. We also expect to accelerate our growth, extend our global footprint and provide a broader suite of services by matching up more students to the right programs at the right time as they further their professional and personal development."
"In 2U we have found a partner who makes us stronger. They bring deep experience and access to capital that allows us to pursue stellar growth and stand out student outcomes at scale." said Sam Paddock, CEO and co-founder of GetSmarter. "We look forward to better serving our University partners and their students across the globe."
2U intends to continue to grow its core business of powering online domestic graduate degree programs, a market that continues to provide strong and attractive growth opportunities. Following the closing of the acquisition, GetSmarter will be an independently operating, wholly-owned subsidiary of 2U, based in Cape Town, South Africa. GetSmarter will continue to be operated by its current management team, including its founders, Sam Paddock and Rob Paddock, with GetSmarter co-Founder & CEO, Sam Paddock, remaining as its CEO and reporting to Chip Paucek.
Expected Strategic Benefits of the Transaction
Builds on 2U's mission to deliver high-quality, high-touch, digital education focused on student outcomes. With student course completion rates averaging 88%, GetSmarter mirrors 2U's high standards for student outcomes and retention.
Accelerates 2U's growth through increased new client acquisition activities during 2016 and early 2017, leading us to expect a substantial increase in the number of courses offered, the number of students taking courses and therefore an acceleration in the business.
Ensures sustainability for GetSmarter's partners through the strength, stability and resources associated with 2U's overall business. We expect this to ensure even more sustainability and growth for their university partners in the future.
Expands 2U's total addressable market opportunity
Short Courses: With this acquisition, 2U can now provide high quality short courses to students not currently seeking a full graduate degree.
International: With GetSmarter, 2U immediately adds world class universities from three continents, a global base of students, and provides a better product-market fit for international audiences.
Creates marketing leverage as 2U brings world class marketing analytics and optimization to GetSmarter, creating even greater access to high-quality digital education for students and working professionals.
Additional Transaction Details
Under the terms of the transaction, 2U will pay approximately $103 million in cash upon closing for all outstanding equity interests in GetSmarter, with up to an additional $20 million in cash payable to the equity holders of GetSmarter upon the achievement of certain financial milestones in calendar year 2017 and 2018.
In addition, 2U will provide certain members of GetSmarter's senior management team with approximately $9.4 million of restricted stock units in the aggregate, subject to the continued service of such individual to GetSmarter following the closing. Subject to various closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close during the third quarter of 2017.
GetSmarter's revenue was approximately $17 million for 2016, primarily generated by students enrolled in the company's existing programs with its legacy South African universities and one university in the United States. In late 2016 and early 2017, GetSmarter significantly increased new client acquisition, leading us to expect a substantial increase in the number of courses offered, the number of students taking courses and therefore an acceleration in their business and the business of the combined company.
After excluding $2.2 million of cash compensation-related items and other costs that 2U expects to expense in lieu of purchase price, and including the estimated impact of potential future capital markets activities to replenish cash, 2U expects the transaction to be neutral to adjusted net income per share for 2017. However, because of these expense items and transaction-related stock compensation expense, 2U expects the transaction to be dilutive to net income per share in 2017.
2U anticipates providing more detail upon closing the transaction.
Transaction Conference Call
The company plans to discuss further details of the transaction on May 4, 2017 as part of its call to discuss its 2017 first quarter financial results.
The audio webcast and conference call is at 5 p.m. ET on May 4, 2017. To access the live webcast, please visit http://investor.2u.com. To participate in the conference call by telephone in the U.S., dial 1-877-359-9508, or outside of the U.S., dial 1-224-357-2393.
As soon as it is available, a recording of the webcast will be posted to the Investor Relations section of the 2U website at http://investor.2u.com.
About 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) 2U partners with great colleges and universities to build what we believe is the world's best digital education. Our platform provides a comprehensive fusion of technology, services and data architecture to transform high-quality and rigorous campus-based universities into the best digital versions of themselves. 2U's No Back Row® approach allows qualified students and working professionals around the world to experience a first-rate university education and successful outcomes. To learn more, visit 2U.com.
About GetSmarter GetSmarter is an online education company based in Cape Town and London. We collaborate with the world's legendary Universities to offer premium online short courses to working professionals around the world. To learn more, visit GetSmarter.com.
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ISC2 and Learning Tree to Embed Cybersecurity Certifications within Global Public Private Sector Training Programs
Alexandra, VA and London, U.K. - May 3, 2017 - (ISC)2 an international nonprofit membership association and Learning Tree today announced a global agreement to enhance development of the professional cybersecurity practice around the world. (ISC)2 certifications will be recognized within the Learning Tree's proprietary course library and provided within the commercial training frameworks it maintains for major organisations, including the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency). The collaboration broadens access to the best cybersecurity practices, knowledge and principles documented over 28 years by (ISC)2's global community of more than 120,000 practicing information security professionals.
Today's agreement follows Learning Tree's February announcement of a commercial training contract to be delivered across 40 sites serving 33,000 NCI Agency staff, which included cybersecurity, among other technical and program management disciplines. NCI Agency services are designed to support NATO consultation, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Through this agreement, Learning Tree will also include (ISC)² training and certifications within their programs that align to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework under the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).
Sean Craig, managing director, Learning Tree International EMEA, notes that cybersecurity is a growing priority: "Our clients are beginning to truly understand the scope of the threat being felt around the world today, and they are looking to both develop and demonstrate that they have the skills to face it. For this reason, we are finding that formal certification and professional recognition for cybersecurity roles are becoming a key priority for many."
"Learning Tree lends a significant boost to our commitment to supporting organizations around the world in their battle against cyberthreats. As a global membership body, (ISC)2 has a unique opportunity to maintain the breadth of practice knowledge and verify it by people working on the frontlines. Partnerships such as this one ensure we can reach the people that need it and add the credibility of professional recognition to the challenging work that they do, says Faisal Malik, head of business and market development EMEA, (ISC)2.
This year, forecasts for a global cybersecurity skills shortage grew by 20 percent to reach 1.8 million in 2022, according to the Center for Cyber Safety and Education's 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study, which has been benchmarking workforce development for (ISC)2 and the world since 2004. The study also reports that governments and companies are already feeling the impact of the shortage; with 66 percent of the more than 19,000 respondents stating they have too few professionals working for them today and 46 percent of the more than 1,000 UK participants in particular struggling to find the talent they were actively recruiting.
(ISC)2 certifications confirm comprehensive professional knowledge in the critical areas needed to develop and protect systems and data in current business and working environments. Our commitment to continuing education is helping professionals and their employers keep pace with ever-changing requirements.
About Learning Tree International
Established in 1974, Learning Tree is a leading provider of IT training to business and government organisations worldwide. Learning Tree provides Managed Learning Services, as well as Workforce Optimisation Solutions – a modern approach to delivering learning and development services that improve IT service delivery. These services include: needs assessments, skill gaps analyses, blended learning solutions, and Project Acceleration Workshops.
Over 2.4 million professionals have enhanced their skills through Learning Tree's extensive library of proprietary and partner content on topics including: web development, cyber security, project management, Agile, operating systems, networking, cloud computing, leadership, PRINCE2, and more.
About (ISC)²®
(ISC)² is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) certification, (ISC)² offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, programmatic approach to security. Our membership, over 120,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the public through our charitable foundation –The Center for Cyber Safety and Education. Visit www.isc2.org.
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SalesHood Announces Arjun Gupta As Chairman of The Board and Closes Series A Funding
San Francisco, CA - May 5, 2017 - SalesHood, the leading sales productivity platform, announces the closing of its Series A funding to scale its go-to-market and accelerate its product vision. The round is lead by TeleSoft Partners and private investors.
Elay Cohen, former Senior Vice President, Sales Productivity from Salesforce and Arthur Do, Fortify Founder and Chief Architect (acquired by HP) and Vice President, Engineering at Echosign (acquired by Adobe), founded SalesHood to help companies boost sales productivity by improving knowledge and tracking effectiveness with modern technology. “We bootstrapped SalesHood in May 2013 because we wanted to create a real business solving real productivity problems,” said Elay Cohen CEO, SalesHood. The company is cash-flow positive and growing revenue 90% year over year.
Arjun Gupta, Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Believer of TeleSoft, is appointed Chairman of the Board at SalesHood joining Lindsey Armstrong, COO InsideSales, Arthur Do, CTO and Elay Cohen, CEO. “The moment I learned about the SalesHood vision for next generation sales productivity, I knew we had a game-changing company with a highly differentiated technology and a winning team,” says Arjun Gupta.
“Raising sales productivity is the holy grail for sales leaders. SalesHood helps companies grow pipeline faster, improve close rates, accelerate ramp times and increase attainment,” shares Lindsey Armstrong. With over 20,000 paying subscribers and 100 customers, companies are doubling win rates, increasing deal sizes by 110%, improving time to ramp by 70%, improving time to close by 30% and reducing rep churn by 20%. “I worked closely with Elay at Salesforce and InsideSales and I’ve seen first hand how SalesHood quickly creates value for companies and the industry,” says Jim Steele, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Yext.
About TeleSoft PartnersTeleSoft Partners is a special situations venture capital firm founded by Arjun Gupta in 1996. It focuses on multi-stage venture investments in information technology, communications and energy value chain companies. TeleSoft has raised capital commitments of $625 million in multiple funds. TeleSoft is typically a contrarian investor taking a lead or co-lead role as an operational value-added partner. Over the last two decades, Telesoft has funded and helped build 61 companies, resulting in 41 mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs to date. TeleSoft’s strategic partnerships include AllTel/Verizon, AON, Deutsche Telekom’s T-Ventures and Intel Capital. In 1995, Arjun and Marc Benioff traveled to India together, and Arjun was a private investor in Salesforce. Visit http://telesoftvc.com/ to learn more.
About SalesHoodSalesHood helps companies accelerate sales productivity by improving knowledge, sharing content, tracking effectiveness and reinforcing best practices. SalesHood has deep expertise in sales enablement proven to deliver productivity results by figuring out how to engage reps in peer-to-peer sharing and front-line managers in real-time coaching. The proven SalesHood mobile platform uses video, bite-sized content and social learning to increase attainment and time to revenue. SalesHood has more than one hundred customers, thousands of teams and over twenty thousand paying subscribers from Alteryx, Apttus, Bloom Energy, Docusign, Domo, Host Analytics, FinancialForce, InsideSales, Intacct, NewRelic, Ring Central, ServiceMax, Sonatype, Telogis, Zuora and many more. Join SalesHood today. For more information about SalesHood and to sign up please visit https://saleshood.com
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Digital Marketing Institute Joins Forces with PEOPLECERT and its Network of over 1300 Training Providers
Dublin, Ireland - May 8, 2017 - The Digital Marketing Institute has signed a significant global partnership with PEOPLECERT who have committed to delivering its professional certifications through its network of 1,300 accredited training organisations and licensed affiliates across 165 countries.
A leading player in the assessment and certification of professional skills worldwide, PEOPLECERT currently manages exams and certification programs on behalf of a wide range of organisations including ECDL Foundation, City and Guilds, AXELOS and others.
The Digital Marketing Institute’s industry-validated digital marketing and selling certifications are the default global standard for the profession and are currently available through education partners in 100 countries worldwide. To date over 18,000 professionals have been certified.
Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Digital Marketing Institute, Michael Goeden, said: “Our focus is to work with industry and educators to provide standardised, high-calibre digital marketing and sales certification programs on a global scale. Through certification, we will help meet the massive demand for certified digital marketing professionals across all industries. PEOPLECERT’s reputation and expertise puts us in a very strong position to continue doing that, affording us access to its extensive and expanding global partner network, exceptional professional certification expertise and outstanding exam technology.”
Speaking of the partnership Dimitris Nicolaides, Business & IT Qualifications Director of PEOPLECERT said: “We are delighted to be adding Digital Marketing Institute certifications to our portfolio of professional qualifications. The partnership will see us manage the entire certification process, from accrediting training organisations to offering the Digital Marketing Institute certification program, to managing the exam process worldwide via our accredited exam centres and online proctoring service. With 4 million exams delivered to date in 25 languages across 165 countries, we can provide the necessary geographical reach, know-how and resources to ensure international coverage of Digital Marketing Institute certifications.”
About the Digital Marketing Institute
Founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2008, the Digital Marketing Institute is a digital marketing and selling professional certification body. Through its growing network of education partners in 100 countries, it offers an industry validated professional certification from Associate to Masters level.
About PEOPLECERT
PEOPLECERT is a global leader in the assessment and certification of professional skills, partnering with multi-national organisations and government bodies to develop and deliver market leading exams. PEOPLECERT delivers exams across 165 countries, in 25 languages, through its state-of-the-art assessment technology, enabling professionals to reach their full potential and realise their life ambitions through learning.
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E-learning Experts MindMuze and CommLab India Partner for Success in Canada
Burlington, ON - May 8, 2017 - MindMuze, a Canadian learning innovations company, and CommLab India, a global technology-enabled learning solutions provider, have now joined forces. This collaboration will prove greatly beneficial for corporate learning in Canada – offering industry-leading learning design and rapid course development services.
Established in 2006, MindMuze is a pioneer in developing electronic performance support systems (EPSS), to improve the time to productivity of employees. The company works with some of the largest corporate organizations in Canada such as Loblaw, Harry Rosen, Cara, and Service Inspired Restaurants.
CommLab India has been delivering custom e-learning solutions to 100+ delighted organizations in 30+ countries, since 2000. With customer delight as its main focus, CommLab leverages its large, talented design and production workforce to offer rapid development solutions, as well as translation and localization services, at a very attractive price point.
Working in tandem, CommLab's highly skilled and experienced development team and MindMuze's global project management expertise will offer Canadian corporations and organizations premiere digital learning content development and mobile-conversion solutions.
“We are extremely proud to be associated with CommLab India and hope our individual strengths will drive the partnership to great results in enhancing the quality of training in Canada”, said John Towsley, CEO of MindMuze.
About CommLab India
CommLab India is a global e-learning company that has been providing custom learning solutions to more than 100 organizations in 30+ countries for the last 17 years. Its learning solutions include e-learning course development, m-learning solutions, translation of online courses and hosting and managing of training materials on an LMS.
CommLab India helps organizations achieve their business goals through just-in-time product knowledge training, ERP implementation trainings, compliance training programs and much more.
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New Partnership Enables the Global Growth of Digital Credentials Connecting Learning to Opportunity in the Modern Labor Market
London, U.K. - May 9, 2017 - Digital credential pioneer Credly announced today a partnership with Digitalme, a City & Guilds Group business, to expand the use of digital credentials to recognize skills and talents in the EU. The partnership reflects an evolution in the way achievement is recorded online, empowering individuals to advocate and differentiate themselves with verified, digital evidence – while enabling organizations to find individuals with the right skills to meet their business needs.
The collaboration further expands Credly’s international operations and enhances the technology underpinning the Digitalme platform. As part of this international expansion, Credly has built a dedicated European-based data center which extends its infrastructure to support Digitalme operations and help organizations based in Europe to comply with EU data privacy requirements.
The ability to digitally frame, capture and verify skills and competencies has become critical as employers seek more trusted, granular insights to inform hiring and talent development strategies. Digital credentials provide an agile, responsive, trackable and cost-effective way to do this. They also give individuals, employers, educators and professional associations a common, standards-based approach to verify skills and achievements through data-rich, evidence-based digital badges. Using the globally recognized open badge standard allows individuals to build a single profile of their credentials, no matter where they are issued from and when.
“Working with hundreds of organisations, ranging from schools to universities and major employers and professional associations, we’ve seen first-hand how digital credentials are fast becoming the global learning currency for recognizing and sharing achievements online,” said Chris Kirk, Managing Director of Digitalme. “This new partnership will enable us to scale the impact of digital credentials globally, and provide more relevant and meaningful data points to connect talent with opportunity.”
Under the new partnership, Digitalme will work directly with organisations who enable skills development to help design and implement achievement and recognition systems. This will range from internal workforce development solutions to transnational standards for specific job roles and industry associations.
“Contemporary hiring and talent management requires portable, data-rich tools for communicating industry-aligned skills and competencies,” said Jonathan Finkelstein, Chief Executive Officer of Credly. “Our partnership with Digitalme extends Credly’s international reach through one of Europe’s largest and most respected certification organisations and further demonstrates the viability of digital credentials as the universal currency of competencies. We’ve helped thousands of organizations to issue millions of trusted credentials and we can now work directly with Digitalme to do the same in Europe.”
The Credly and Digitalme collaboration follows last year’s acquisition by the City & Guilds Group of Digitalme, as well as an investment in Credly as part of its New Venture Fund. This places the City & Guilds Group at the forefront of the international digital credentialing movement.
One of the first to deploy digital credentials as a result of this collaboration in Europe is City & Guilds Group business, ILM. ILM is the largest leadership and management awarding organisation in the UK. It assesses and awards employer-recognised qualifications and accreditations to thousands of leaders and apprentices each year. Its new credentialing program includes the retroactive issuing of digital credentials to individuals holding up-to-date paper-based certificates. It is also introducing the live issuing of badging across several new apprenticeship programs.
Speaking about the program, John Yates, Group Director, ILM said: “Digital credentials empower our learners with portable, verified and transparent evidence of achievement, and give employers and training providers much greater flexibility over the delivery and benefits of our programs. The success of our initial launch to qualified leaders, managers, coaches and mentors demonstrates clearly the demand for a technologically-enabled credential. We are excited to be extending digital credentials for all of our qualifications and accredited courses.”
About Digitalme
Digitalme, a City & Guilds Group Business, offers digital credentialing services to help organisations & individuals realise their potential by making all skills visible - http://www.digitalme.co.uk/
Working directly with educators, professional associations, employers and the 3rd sector, Digitalme help these skills enablers to build, design and issue relevant and objective digital credentials and badges
Digitalme then supports individuals to better communicate these objective records of achievement and career progression across the web so organisations can see every skill and connect them with career opportunities
Digitalme and Makewaves – European pioneers of the use of the Mozilla Open Badge standard – were acquired by the City & Guilds Group in June 2016 to create a new dedicated digital credentialing services business
Organisations already working with Digitalme in issuing digital credentials, include: hundreds of Schools and Colleges; World Chefs; O2; Siemens; Coventry University; the BBC; ILM; JISC and the NHS.
Open Badges is a global, open digital credentialing (certification) standard for the recognition of formal, informal and non-formal development - https://openbadges.org/
About the City & Guilds Group
The City & Guilds Group’s purpose is to help people, organisations and economies develop their skills for growth.
Backed by a Royal Charter, the City & Guilds Group has more than 135 years’ experience in making sure that people are prepared to contribute to successful businesses and thriving economies.
The City & Guilds Group partners with more than 200 companies to develop the skilled workforces that they need, and invests in learning technologies to help people learn whenever and wherever they can.
The City & Guilds Group is made up of City & Guilds, ILM, Kineo, The Oxford Group, Digitalme and e3Learning:
City & Guilds develops programmes of vocational learning, learning technology, certification and assessment, to support colleges, training providers and governments.
ILM helps individuals, education providers and businesses improve the standards of leadership and management through qualifications and accredited training. ILM awards qualifications to over 95,000 managers across the world every year.
Kineo is a global workplace learning company. It offers a fresh approach to elearning management systems and managed learning services.
The Oxford Group provides bespoke management training, leadership development and executive coaching to the world's leading companies.
Digitalme designs credentials, using open badges, to recognise individuals’ skills and talent. It works with employers, training providers and over 2,000 schools across the UK.
e3Learning specialises in online workforce management and elearning.
Combined, the City & Guilds Group operates in over 100 countries, through 10,000 training centres, delivering qualifications in 26 different industries.
For more information about the City & Guilds Group visit: http://www.cityandguildsgroup.com
About Credly
Credly is a leading digital credential service provider, helping the world recognise lifelong achievement with the most popular platforms for verifying, sharing and managing digital credentials and badges. The enterprise-class system allows organisations to officially verify skills and competencies; distribute portable and secure digital credentials and open badges; and gain actionable data and insights. Thousands of education institutions, industry associations, employers and workforce development programs use Credly to make achievements visible. For more information about Credly, please visit http://www.Credly.com.
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Larry Neal Appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Skillsoft
Dublin, Ireland and Boston, MA - May 9, 2017 - Skillsoft, the global leader in eLearning and Talent Management, today announced it has appointed Larry Neal as Chief Executive Officer of the group. Bill Donoghue, current CEO, becomes Executive Chairman.
Most recently, Larry has led businesses for S&P Global, formerly McGraw-Hill Financial. As President of S&P Platts, he drove outstanding growth, nearly tripling revenues in seven years. Platts has customers in 170 countries, 60% of revenues outside of North America, and over 1,000 staff across 15 global locations. Prior to Platts, he led significant performance improvements at both the S&P Equity Research and S&P Index Services businesses.
Earlier in his career, Larry led several product, sales and marketing organizations and has extensive sales leadership experience. He started his career at General Electric and IBM, then moving in to sales and business leadership positions at technology-enabled content companies Advent Software, ADP and McGraw-Hill.
“Larry is an outstanding and experienced executive, having repeatedly delivered exceptional P&L performance for five companies. He has a reputation for bringing a unique blend of strategic insight with operational excellence and a relentless customer focus,” said Bill Donoghue, Executive Chairman of the Skillsoft Group. “I am thrilled Larry is joining us and confident he will make an excellent long-term CEO.”
Mr. Neal said: “I am delighted to be joining Skillsoft following the transformation of the group to a digital technology company. It is a world leader in online learning and talent management, with a huge and diverse portfolio of great clients, and committed, dedicated teams across the world. I am looking forward to working with the team through the next phase of the company’s development.”
Frank van den Bosch, Partner at Charterhouse Capital Partners, owners of Skillsoft, said: “Bill Donoghue stepped into the CEO role to lead the company through a huge transformation over the past 15 months, which has now been successfully completed. That transformation of Skillsoft into a digital technology company prepared the ground for a new long-term CEO and we are excited Larry is joining us. Larry brings a track record of growth experience, and is an exceptional operator and leader, whilst Bill will provide continuity and strategic guidance to the team as Executive Chairman.”
About SkillsoftSkillsoft is the global leader in eLearning, providing the most engaging learner experience and high-quality content. We are trusted by the world's leading organizations, including 65 percent of the Fortune 500. Our mission is to build beautiful technology and engaging content that drives business impact for today’s modern enterprise. Our 150,000+ multi-modal courses, videos, books and micro-learning modules are accessed more than 130 million times every month, in 160 countries and 29 languages. With 100% secure cloud access, from any device, whenever, wherever. www.skillsoft.com
About SumTotal SystemsSumTotal Systems, LLC, a Skillsoft Company, is the world’s only unified Human Capital Management Solution. SumTotal’s award-winning Talent Management Suite enables companies to attract, know, mobilize, develop, progress and reward their workforce. SumTotal is continuously innovating to best meet the market challenges of attracting, retaining, developing and engaging the multi-generational workforce. The Talent Expansion Suite includes three key components –Talent, Learn and Work. www.sumtotalsystems.com
About Charterhouse Capital PartnersCharterhouse is one of the longest established private equity firms operating in Europe. The firm invests in companies headquartered in Western Europe and works closely with incumbent management teams, backing them and providing active support to drive growth. Charterhouse pursues a highly selective investment approach, partnering with a small number of high-quality companies. Transaction values range from €250mn to €2bn. Charterhouse is based in London and has a deep bench of experienced investment professionals. Since inception Charterhouse has completed over 140 transactions worth an aggregate value of over €50bn. www.charterhouse.co.uk
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Brainshark Launches Brainshark Labs at Microsoft Build 2017
Waltham, MA - March 10, 2017 - Brainshark, Inc., delivering SaaS-based sales enablement and readiness solutions, today announced the launch of Brainshark Labs, its incubator for research and innovation, at Microsoft Build 2017, held May 10-12 in Seattle. Brainshark technology leaders will share how they are integrating Microsoft’s Cognitive Services and HoloLens mixed-reality simulation technology to transform how salespeople are onboarded, trained and coached to engage in more successful buyer communications.
The mission of Brainshark Labs is to find innovative ways to help sales organizations get better at what they do, by exploring how the latest, cutting-edge technologies can be used to solve sales readiness challenges and improve productivity.
Build 2017, Microsoft’s annual developer conference, explores how software continues to transform the world in remarkable ways. Brainshark’s presentation there will focus on how Brainshark Labs is pioneering the next generation of sales enablement solutions, including wearable technology, virtual reality and artificial intelligence, to help salespeople better prepare for buyer interactions in a simulated, low-risk environment. The company is also developing solutions that leverage automated machine scoring to help salespeople elevate their performance through a better understanding of tone of voice, energy levels, body language and more.
Brainshark’s session is as follows:
What: Making Salespeople Better Through Artificial Intelligence and HoloLens
When: Wednesday, May 10, from 12:30-12:50 p.m. PT, and Friday, May 12, from 11:30-11:50 a.m. PT
Additional Details: Learn how Brainshark is integrating next-generation Microsoft technologies to improve the impact of interpersonal sales communications. Brainshark is building a platform that combines Microsoft’s HoloLens, Azure Cognitive Services and Azure Machine Learning to simulate meetings and objectively score the performance of salespeople.
“We believe that every sales team, no matter how effective, can be even better: more knowledgeable, more productive and more motivated,” said Chris Caruso, chief technology officer at Brainshark. “We are excited to launch Brainshark Labs at Microsoft Build since so much of what we’re exploring harnesses the incredible power and technical advances now available from Microsoft. As a result of these innovations, we can better equip the sales teams of tomorrow by providing salespeople with the opportunity to practice their presentations in an environment that’s as realistic as possible – with unpredictable interactions that get reps ready for difficult real-world questions and selling situations.”
To learn more about Brainshark’s latest innovations in sales enablement and readiness, visit www.brainshark.com/company/labs and follow @BNSKLabs on Twitter. To learn more about Brainshark sales readiness solutions, visit www.brainshark.com and follow @Brainshark on Twitter.
About Brainshark
Brainshark sales readiness software equips businesses with the training, coaching and content creation capabilities to achieve sales mastery and outsell the competition. With Brainshark, companies can: prepare sales teams with on-demand training that accelerates onboarding and keeps reps up-to-speed; validate readiness with sales coaching that ensures reps master your message; and empower sales organizations with rich, dynamic content that can be created quickly and accessed anywhere. Thousands of companies – including more than half of the Fortune 100 – rely on Brainshark to identify and close performance gaps, and get better results from their sales enablement initiatives. Learn more at www.brainshark.com.
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Training Industry Announces the 2017 Top 20 Content Development Companies List
Raleigh, NC - May 11, 2017 - Training Industry has announced its Top 20 Content Development Companies List, as part of its mission to continually monitor the training marketplace for the best providers of training services and technologies.
View the 2017 Top 20 Content Development Companies
Selection to the 2017 Top 20 Content Development Companies List was based on the following criteria:
Industry visibility, innovation and impact
Capability to develop and deliver multiple types of content
Company size and growth potential
Depth and breadth of subject matter expertise
Quality of clients
Geographic reach
“The organizations selected for this year’s list continue to make great strides in game-based learning and training re-enforcement and sustainment mechanisms,” said Ken Taylor, president of Training Industry, Inc. “The 2017 Top Content Development Companies List is a collection of the most innovative and advanced providers with the capability to offer learning content and solutions matched to the needs of the modern training program.”
“The content development segment of the corporate training market is one of the most active and sought-after,” said Doug Harward, CEO of Training Industry, Inc. “This list highlights the strongest providers of content development, who are able to transform the learning experience based on their proficiency in learning technologies and the depth of their subject matter expertise.”
Please provide any thoughts or feedback on this list by emailing info@trainingindustry.com.
View the 2017 Top 20 Content Development Companies
About Training Industry, Inc.
Training Industry spotlights the latest news, articles, case studies and best practices within the training industry, and publishes annual Top 20 and Watch List reports covering many sectors of interest to the corporate training function. Our focus is on helping dedicated businesses and training professionals get the information, insight and tools needed to more effectively manage the business of learning.
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Startup Institute Launches Its First Part Time Program
New York, NY - May 11, 2017 - Startup Institute, the leading career accelerator for the innovation economy in New York City and Boston, today announced the launch of its first part-time program. The 12-week part-time program is in response to demand from students who want to combine study with full-time employment, while receiving the same intensive training in the most in-demand skills in the startup industry, and demand from companies who are eager to accelerate the skills of their employees and introduce the startup mindset to their teams.
The part-time program will cover four tracks which correlate with the most in-demand positions in the innovation economy including: UX & Web Design, Digital Marketing, Sales & Account Management and Web Development, alongside training in the core skills needed to succeed in high-growth environments or be an effective "intrapreneur." The part-time program also allows corporations and startups to enroll current employees in the program to upskill their workforce and stay ahead of the disruption curve.
Startup Institute's programs help people build the technical skills, culture skills, and network that will launch them into the growing tech community and have a successful career in the digital space. Uniquely positioned at the center of tech ecosystems in Boston and New York, it offers personalized career mentorship and connections to the people and companies that will advance careers and help address the skills shortage often faced by high-growth companies.
"This is the first time that we have made our comprehensive startup programs available on a part-time basis, which allows our students to continue working while they immerse themselves in the program and gain the skills required to succeed in the innovation economy," said Rich DiTieri, Program Director at Startup Institute. "We're helping to close the massive talent gap in tech, in part by increasing accessibility. We have already helped to accelerate the careers of over 1,400 alumni and this part-time program makes the Startup Institute more accessible to those thinking of making a career change or looking to upskill, without the lengthy time commitment or extreme cost of an MBA."
The Startup Institute's part-time programs include:
Web Design – UX and UI design, user research, rapid ideation, and front-end development.Web Development – Key languages, frameworks and deployment techniques.Digital Marketing – Performance and content marketing, data analytics and customer segmentation.Sales and Account Management – Pipeline development, customer relationship management and lead generation.
The Startup Institute's part-time program begins on May 20 and is open for enrolment now at startupinstitute.com.
ABOUT STARTUP INSTITUTE:Startup Institute was created to bridge two worlds: the world of fast-growing companies that are desperate for talent and the world of people who are desperate to find careers they love. With locations in both New York and Boston, Startup Institute is not just another school. It's not an incubator, and it's not a one-off skills class. It is an incredibly ambitious learning experience that challenges it students to expand, both in character and skill set, in a relatively short amount of time. The program is about finding a career path that people can be truly passionate about. The Startup Institute community, comprised of students, alumni, instructors, hiring partners, and staff, is proven to be one of the most valuable career assets and plugs students into a powerful professional network in the innovation sector. Startup Institute's strategic partners include ShopperTrak, Openview, Krossover, Media Math, One Month, Fuze, Redstar, Mass Challenge, and John Hancock.
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Brainshark and Seismic Partner to Optimize Sales Readiness and Performance
Waltham, MA and San Diego, CA - May 15, 2017 - Brainshark, Inc. and Seismic today announced a strategic partnership to help organizations improve sales team effectiveness with a unique, end-to-end sales enablement solution. The forthcoming technology integration will bring together the best of Brainshark’s training, coaching and content authoring capabilities with Seismic’s advanced solution for sales content management and personalization. Together, the partnership will empower salespeople to work smarter and drive more effective sales conversations than ever before.
For many large organizations, ineffective training programs and sales content result in lost deals and demoralized work forces. The combination of Brainshark and Seismic solves these issues by equipping joint customers with the training, coaching and content resources reps need, when and where they need them. The integrated solution will provide an efficient and effective experience for customers in three key ways:
Creating dynamic and rich media sales content to help reps better prepare for conversations, progress deals and accelerate sales cycles.
Dramatically improving reps’ ability to achieve mastery of critical knowledge and skills with superior training and coaching capabilities.
Improving win rates by automatically recommending the right personalized, voice-enriched sales content to sales reps for distribution to the right person at the right time.
“SiriusDecisions research indicates that 74% of organizations with sales enablement functions intend to increase their investment in this area in the coming year. This finding is not a surprise as we see B2B companies placing top priority on driving rep productivity through improved management of sales talent, assets and communication,” said Heather Cole, service director for sales enablement strategies at research and advisory firm SiriusDecisions. “Rep effectiveness and efficiency is directly correlated to their ability to easily access knowledge and resources that drive deals forward. Simplifying this rep access through deep integrations of disparate systems is a must for a seamless experience.”
The benefits of the partnership will give sales enablement, sales operations and marketing professionals the ability to create and manage personalized, voice-enriched content for all sales enablement initiatives. The integration will also provide salespeople with easy access to a single source of truth for all their training, coaching and collateral. This holistic approach will allow for greater insight into the resources that keep reps prepared, resonate with buyers and drive sales.
“Sales readiness and sales content management continue to be among the biggest areas we see affecting sales productivity,” said Greg Flynn, Brainshark CEO. “As companies grow, these challenges only become more complex. That’s where a comprehensive approach to addressing these problems becomes more important than ever. This partnership with Seismic is about providing customers with a powerful solution to not only arm their salespeople with the right content, but to also ensure they’re always prepared with the knowledge and skills to use those resources effectively and consistently win more deals.”
Doug Winter, Seismic co-founder and CEO, said: “In the age of the informed buyer, each stage of the sales cycle is bolstered by timely, personalized content, delivered with confidence and proficiency by the seller. For large enterprises to deliver this experience to buyers at scale requires world-class readiness and enablement platforms, something this partnership will facilitate for joint customers across the globe.”
For more information on the Brainshark and Seismic partnership, read the blog post from Greg Flynn and Doug Winter, or visit www.brainshark.com or www.seismic.com.
About Brainshark
Brainshark sales readiness software equips businesses with the training, coaching and content authoring capabilities to achieve sales mastery and outsell the competition. With Brainshark, companies can: prepare sales teams with on-demand training that accelerates onboarding and keeps reps up-to-speed; validate readiness with sales coaching that ensures reps master your message; and empower sales organizations with rich, dynamic content that can be created quickly and accessed anywhere. Thousands of companies – including more than half of the Fortune 100 – rely on Brainshark to identify and close performance gaps, and get better results from their sales enablement initiatives. Learn more at www.brainshark.com.
About Seismic
Seismic’s leading sales enablement solution allows marketing teams to personalize content at scale and equips large sales teams with the right content for every interaction, dramatically improving time spent selling and win rates. Seismic is the only sales enablement platform powered by machine learning algorithms and the award-winning LiveDocs® technology, which automates the creation of personalized sales materials within seconds. Real-time analytics provide unprecedented insight for marketing teams looking to gauge which content helps close deals, further aligning marketing and sales efforts. Headquartered in San Diego and with more than 250 employees across the globe, Seismic is privately held by its executive team and investment firms General Atlantic, JMI Equity, and Jackson Square Ventures.
To see how Seismic is being used by firms in your industry, visit http://www.seismic.com.
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Announcing The Launch Of Empowership A Professional Development Program Designed To Help Women Thrive
Los Angeles, CA - May 16, 2017 - Creative + Talent + Partners, a leading employee-training company, in partnership with Verbal Courage, a coaching and training company for women, announced today the launch of Empowership, a comprehensive research-driven professional development program designed to help women across all industries thrive.
Empowership, now open for enrollment, provides companies and individuals with twelve months of development tools, personalized content, group coaching, as well as access to an exclusive "Women of Wisdom" mentorship community led by 25 top women executives from companies such as GTB, IPG, Innocean USA, MullenLowe U.S., RAPP, RPA, Wunderman, and Zambezi.
"I'm honored to support Empowership as a mentor. Helping women grow both personally and professionally is a priority of mine. Creating a culture of inclusion, learning and development is essential to the future of the advertising industry and beyond. When women feel supported, and are provided the resources and opportunity to grow in the workplace, everyone wins," said Jessica Kernan, RAPP's Global Chief Marketing Sciences Officer.
The curriculum for Empowership was developed from the results of a groundbreaking survey conducted by Verbal Courage between July 2016 and January 2017 of more than 250 women across all experience levels in the field of advertising, media and marketing. The goal of the survey was to learn how a woman thrives at work.
"We initiated the survey in a highly challenging industry, advertising, where the pace of business, volume of work and often male-dominated environment poses challenges to most women; however, what we discovered were themes that are universal to women in the workplace, no matter what their industry," said Chelsea Szabo, co-developer of Empowership and Founder of Verbal Courage.
98% of women surveyed stated they want more than a paycheck from their job
1 out of 3 women surveyed do not identify as thriving
80% of non-thrivers said women in leadership roles at their company do not serve as mentors, supporting the women around them
"The insights we gained from the survey confirmed the need for a program like Empowership, which helps companies support their women on a deeper level to overcome personal hurdles, like the inner critic, or work and life integration, to succeed. Empowership, being a full-service program, is perfect for companies because it doesn't exhaust internal resources; and for individuals, it gives them a tangible way to invest in their own long-term development," continued Chelsea Szabo.
Recognizing the gap in the development space around growing female leaders, Empowership provides individuals and companies a comprehensive solution to shaping all aspects of a woman's professional growth.
Cecilia Gorman, co-developer of the Empowership program, who is also a John C. Maxwell certified trainer and the Founder of Creative + Talent + Partners, said, "Empowership digs deep into areas of personal and professional development that most workshops and webinars don't have time to thoroughly cover in a few hours or a few days. It's about surrounding women with consistent training, coaching, mentorship, community and relevant resources all year long."
For additional Empowership program details and to reserve your company or individual enrollment, please visit: www.empowership.me
ABOUT CREATIVE + TALENT + PARTNERS - CECILIA GORMANCecilia Gorman is a former advertising professional with 20+ years of experience in production, creative services and Human Resources. She is a certified John C. Maxwell speaker and trainer and focuses her programs on creatively-minded companies whose employees seek to ignite their leadership potential. Her company, Creative + Talent + Partners, offers coaching and workshops designed to break the mold of what's typical in the training space. Expect laughter and authentic advertising examples in support of relevant topics. Cecilia works to infuse others with increased self-belief and joy as they bridge the gap between personal and professional happiness. www.creativetalentpartners.com
ABOUT VERBAL COURAGE - CHELSEA SZABOChelsea Szabo is a certified career and personal growth coach, speaker, and founder of Verbal Courage, a personal transformation company helping successful, career-driven women experience true and sustainable fulfillment in their careers and person lives. Her 10-year journey as a sales and advertising professional and experience as a sought-after coach give her deep insights into the minds and hearts of professional women who are overcoming challenges, trying hard to have it all.
Chelsea received her certification through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), and is accredited through the International Coach Federation. She is also a certified Energy Leadership Index ™ master practitioner. www.verbalcourage.com
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