SumTotal Systems, NTT Communications and Others Team up to Provide Next Generation E-Learning ASP Solution In Japan
6 April 2004
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- April 6, 2004-- SumTotal Systems(TM) Inc. (Nasdaq:SUMT), the industry's largest provider of business performance and learning technologies, processes and services, today announced that, in cooperation with Sun Microsystems K.K., NTT Communications, Sony Broadband Solutions Corp. and IP Innovations, they have teamed up to provide the next generation of e-learning solutions. Integrating their proven expertise, the coalition will start an application service provider (ASP) service for e-learning to meet the high demand for certain course subjects, such as Voice-over IP (VoIP), Privacy Mark Certification and other regulatory compliance standards. The SumTotal Enterprise Suite(TM), the industry-leading learning and performance solutions suite, will power the coalition's solution platform.
The ASP solution will utilize NTT Com's hosting service, which consists of NTT/VERIO's Power Platform using Sun servers, to enable the service to deploy SumTotal Systems' Enterprise Suite. The coalition also has developed a VoIP technical course, one of the most highly-demanded subjects in Japan, allowing easy access to VoIP online training. IP Innovations, Japan's leading education service provider, is handling content development for the service, and Sony Broadband Solutions is evaluating its Web-based content authoring tool, ContentAuthor Presto, for providing content development support.
"Often, e-learning implementations are time- and cost-consuming, regardless of the organization's size," said Mr. Hirotaka Fukuoka, Director of the IT Management Services Business Division at NTT Communications. "In particular, it can be hard for the IT department to determine resource needs and they may need special know-how and experience for any integrations or customization. Therefore, we see huge business potential for delivering e-learning solutions via an ASP model to provide systems on demand to reduce the initial investment costs for implementation, and to engage more users with the content that they are most interested in."
In the initial phase, the coalition will provide VoIP technical training courses, which are highly demanded in the Japanese market. IP Innovations, one of the project team members, found that its classroom VoIP training would be sold-out months in advance, thus making this an ideal class for initial online delivery. Also, they created Japan's first e-learning course containing Cisco System's certified VoIP content. In addition, starting in April 2004, the coalition will deliver e-learning courses in Privacy Mark Certification, Regulatory Compliance, ISO Certification, and Information Security Management System (ISMS). These courses will leverage the SumTotal Enterprise Suite's learning management capabilities for digital signatures, which support standards from the US FDA and other entities.
This service will be marketed mainly by IP Innovations with NTT Com's selling support, and initial content is targeted for the telecommunication, electrical engineering and manufacturing industries and their channels and system integration partners.
About IP Innovations
IP Innovations delivers IT-related education and networking solutions, and e-learning content, localization and outplacement services. Through the IT-related education services, we solve educational issues with consulting, skill assessment, competency management and education programs. We are proud of our years of experience in education services and for providing solutions to our customers to fit their business needs. Our networking solutions make it possible to create high quality content at a lower cost. We provide networking services to enterprises of all sizes. With our e-learning content services, including translation and localization, we will bring our customers learning products in their native languages in a simple and easily understandable way. Through our knowledge and experience in the IT industry, we deliver the best solutions to help you connect people with networks and information. IP Innovations can optimize your company's performance with education, networking, learning products and outplacement solutions. For more information, visit http://www.ipii.co.jp.
About NTT Communications (NTT Com)
NTT Communications is the long-distance and international communications subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), one of the world's largest telecommunications companies. The NTT Com group is recognized as one of the top IP service providers worldwide, offering world-class IP services under the NTT/VERIO brand together with Verio Inc., its U.S.-based wholly-owned subsidiary. NTT Com also offers Arcstar-brand global services for managed data and multimedia services. The company has garnered several awards for outstanding performance and customer service, including "Best Carrier -- Asia Pacific" in 2002.
About Sun Microsystems
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.
About SumTotal Systems, Inc.
SumTotal Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:SUMT) is the industry's largest single provider of business performance and learning technologies, processes and services. Formed by the merger of industry pioneers Docent and Click2learn, the company is uniquely focused on helping organizations harness and manage mission-critical intellectual power to solve real-world business problems and produce significant bottom-line results. SumTotal Systems has helped accelerate performance and profit for more than 600 of the world's best-known companies, including Microsoft, Cingular Wireless, Vodafone, Lucent, Accenture, Cendant, Harley-Davidson, Wyeth, Wachovia and D & B. SumTotal Systems is headquartered in Mt. View, CA, with offices throughout the US, as well as London, Paris, Heidelberg, Sydney, Tokyo and Hyderabad, India.
