Interactive Training, Inc.

News from Interactive Training, Inc.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Colleen V. Hurley
Business Manager, Interactive Training, Inc.
Tel: (508) 820-8634
cvhurley@trainingforum.com

Interactive Training, Inc. Announces Organization of Company.
The New firm, acquiring assets of CD Solutions, Inc., will focus on CD-ROM and Internet-related media to help customers improve their productivity

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- (June 3, 1996) -- Interactive Training, Inc. today announced the organization of the company and said it will become a premier developer of interactive training products and an electronic source for the evaluation and purchase of business-related training products and services.

On formation, the new company acquired the assets of CD Solutions, Inc., a leading-edge producer of creative electronic media which over the last four years has published more than 40 business-to-business, marketing, and related information CD-ROM titles used by companies and individuals worldwide. Paul H. Earl, who had been president of CD Solutions, is the president and majority owner in the privately held corporation, based in Framingham.

Interactive Training also announced that International Data Group, the world's leading computer publishing, research, and exposition company, has made a significant investment in the new firm.

"One of the most widely recognized needs stemming from corporate change and downsizing is for more and better training of new and existing employees," Earl said. "Companies needing to do more with less staff realize that technology offers an attractive, cost-effective approach to training. That's why self-directed programs which don't require assembling people in the same place at the same time will become the standard. And CD-ROM combined with Internet-related resources are ideal vehicles for delivering that training."

Key services to be offered by Interactive Training include the development of workplace and individual performance assessment tools; interactive training courses eligible for continuing education credits; on-line access to training experts; virtual conferences; self-directed CD-ROM-based training workshops; access to proprietary databases; survey research; and on-line demonstrations and samples of training books, videos, and related interactive products. All products and services developed or represented by Interactive Training will be available through the company's Web site for evaluation, sampling, and purchase in a secure electronic environment.

Earl noted that many current business training programs are labor intensive and therefore expensive in actual dollar outlays. According to a recent survey conducted by Training Magazine, U.S. employers last year spent $52 billion on formal training for 50 million people, with nearly $1 billion for computer-based training programs, a figure which is growing rapidly. More than half of the companies surveyed said they would increase their training budgets in 1996.

"The fortunes of nearly all companies will be linked increasingly to the resourcefulness and initiative of all their employees, which is why most organizations have already become much more selective about the type of people they recruit," said Earl.

"To help their people grow and develop new skills, companies need a full range of training services that are self-directed, affordable, and easily accessible. That's what we provide."

Existing CD-ROM titles now owned and marketed by Interactive Training include Using the Internet for Profit; the Coping with Organizational Change training series, including the recently released Workshop in Conflict Solutions; and the SIGS series of object-oriented conference discs.

Paul H. Earl, President

Paul H. Earl, Chairman, CEO, and president of Interactive Training, Inc., has over 25 years of product development and management experience, having worked extensively in the information, publishing, on-line, Internet, and CD-ROM markets.

Previously he was with International Data Group (IDG), having joined in 1986 to establish and manage Installed Technology International, a market database company which provided market databases and lead generation services to information companies and now known as the Information Management Division of CW Publishing, an IDG publishing unit. Earl then founded CD Solutions, Inc., an electronic media company which was a publisher and custom developer of CD-ROM titles on Internet-related, training, and technology topics. Previously, he held a number of product development and senior management positions during 13 years with DRI/McGraw-Hill and received several distinguished achievement awards for new product development.

Earl, who holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Bucknell University and master's and doctorate degrees in economics from Georgetown University, speaks frequently at industry conferences on electronic publishing and marketing, and Internet-based business development. He has published numerous articles, books, and CD-ROM titles on a wide variety of business, marketing, and publishing topics. Interactive Training, Inc. has offices at 111 Speen St., Framingham, Mass., and can be reached at 508-879-0006. Their fax number is 508-820-4396.

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