IDC sees opportunity for corporate training over the Internet

Business Wire, Nov 6, 1995

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 1995--The explosive growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web is fueling the creation of a new class of learning solutions.

According to a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC), corporate training over the Internet represents a high-growth area for IT educators. This research reveals that at this time, competitors, tools, and technology are beginning to emerge and define just what business education on the World Wide Web will look like.

"Internet is deeply rooted in education and research. So it is not surprising that educators in particular want to know what the Internet and the World Wide Web have to offer in the area of corporate education and distance learning," said Ellen Julian, a senior analyst in IDC's IT Training and Education research program.

This research indicates that forthcoming developments in the area of Web-based distance learning solutions offer significant opportunities for IT training vendors. Web pages, with their interactive hyperlinks and multimedia capabilities, are ideally suited to distance learning and education. While Web based distance learning is still in its infancy, technological innovations will be made in the coming year, strengthening the potential for opportunity. Currently, there is no clear leader in the area of Web-based distance learning. Accordingly, the opportunity is ripe for an organization to seize a leadership position and set the pace.

Key Findings:

o IDC believes that the arrival of Java from Sun heralds a new age of capability for distance learning. The high power, small size, and light weight of the Java development environment will go a long way toward bringing truly powerful interactivity and capabilities to Web-based distance learning sites.

o Training providers who develop a strong interactive design will be the most successful as greater interactivity promotes involvement and creates opportunities to learn.

o Distance learning via the Web will not replace teachers and classrooms, but it will supplement them in situations where traditional educational models are inappropriate. In this sense, Web-based training will expand and broaden the reaches of corporate learning.

o As tools and technology mature, an increasing number of choices will be available for business learning via the Web including off-the-shelf turnkey solutions for customers who desire shrink-wrapped solutions and powerful development tools for organizations willing and desiring to build more customized environments.

The information in this release comes from IDC's report, "Using the Web to Deliver IT Training and Education: A Current Assessment of the Competitive Environment" (IDC #10646). It is available for purchase by contacting Cheryl Toffel at 800-343-4952.

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the world's leading provider of information technology data, analysis, and consulting. With research centers in 40 countries and more than 300 research analysts worldwide, IDC is uniquely positioned to provide a global perspective on IT market and technology trends.

IDC's subsidiary, IDC/LINK, specializes in the convergence of the information, telecommunications, personal computing, and electronic entertainment industries.

Based in Framingham, Mass., IDC is a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's largest publisher of computer-related information and the leading global provider of information services on information technology.

CONTACT: International Data Corp.

Elizabeth Freedman, 508/935-4764

Internet: bfreedman@idcresearch.com

OR

Ellen Julian 508/935-4254

Internet: ejulian@idcresearch.com