[July 06, 2005] OutStart Customer Wins Prestigious Computer World Award for Education & Academia; Australia Defence Organisation Recognized for Highly Flexible Learning Infrastructure Tweet BOSTON --(Business Wire)-- July 6, 2005 -- OutStart, the leading provider of software solutions for learning and knowledge sharing, today announced that the Australia Defence Organisation (ADO), an OutStart Evolution customer, was honored with the Computerworld 21st Century Achievement Award for its visionary use of technology for learning management. The award was presented at a black tie gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. attended by more than 250 guests, including information technology leaders, as well as judges, scholars, and diplomats from around the world. The ADO was among 10 companies recognized for their use of technology to promote positive social, economic, and educational change. The ADO boasts one of the largest enterprise-wide implementation in Australia of flexible learning capabilities encompassing learning management systems (LMS), learning content management system (LCMS) and content authoring tools. The LCMS component of the Defence Online Campus is OutStart Evolution. OutStart Evolution LCMS provides the ADO with both learning content management and content creation functionality. The incorporation of the entire range of course creation functions, including authoring, production management, security, version control, subject matter expert reviewing, and tracking, provides maximum benefits for content authors, including more cost-effective training opportunities; sharing of information and services across ADO; visibility into the design and delivery of flexible learning programs; consistent application of organizational processes; and elimination of duplicate efforts. The LCMS provides a central, reusable content repository, allowing for the collaborative development of single-source, blended learning content, such as web, presentations, print, CDs, and mobile PDAs. Since content authors are geographically dispersed throughout Australia, the LCMS was configured to allow local authors, editors, and training authorities to create and edit learning content both locally and remotely. The use of a common IT infrastructure and implementation of software that conforms to current and developing industry standards (e.g. SCORM and AICC), have enabled ADO to be more strategic in its approach to flexible learning. The ADO's state-of-the-art learning technology serves more than 90,000 military and civilian personnel as well as defence contractors. The Army has conducted several trials for their soldier promotion program using a blended solution of interactive technology-based training and face-to-face instruction. The trials demonstrated that soldiers who learned via technology-based training experienced improved learning retention, consistently performing better on post and retention tests compared with soldiers who received only face-to-face instruction. The technology-based learning offered a more flexible approach whereby soldiers could learn at their own pace, and revisit relevant sections that they were uncertain of. "OutStart Evolution LCMS is the only complete learning application that provides total control over how organizations develop, manage, and assemble learning content," said Massood Zarrabian, president and chief executive officer for OutStart. "We are extremely pleased that our products are being used for such important training endeavors at ADO." About OutStart OutStart software powers solutions that help make people more effective in a fraction of the time and cost. Unlike traditional training or knowledge management approaches that take too long, cost too much and fail to address the entire need, OutStart's applications address the way people learn through a combination of formal training, knowledge sharing and expert collaboration that is available on-demand. Customers like Empire BlueCross BlueShield, Cisco Systems, Steelcase, the U.S. Navy, Verizon and Westland Helicopters rely on OutStart to increase individual and organizational performance, improve knowledge transfer and lower operating costs. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., OutStart has offices throughout the US and Europe and can be found on the Web at www.outstart.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]