TENERA Announces Alliance for Web-Based Corporate Distance Learning Center

Business Wire, Dec 24, 1998

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 23, 1998--TENERA Inc. (AMEX:TNR) and its energy services subsidiary TENERA Energy LLC Wednesday announced that its Technology Enhanced Training consulting practice has established an alliance with SoBran Inc., a developer and provider of computer-based training services.

SoBran, established in 1987 and with headquarters in Dayton, Ohio, has approximately 120 employees operating 11 offices in nine states, and is designated as an 8(a) small disadvantaged business. SoBran's principal role in the alliance will be to assist TENERA with the design, production, packaging, commercial sale and maintenance of TENERA's Corporate Distance Learning Center (CDLC) computer application software system housed on a Web-based server environment.

Commenting on the alliance, Robert McKay, TENERA chief executive officer, and Richard Weber, TENERA Energy's president, joined in stating: "We are very pleased to welcome SoBran as our partner in the creation and delivery of TENERA's CDLC Web-based training courses.

"SoBran brings to the alliance a solid and sustained reputation for quality and technical expertise in the development and production of Internet and computer applications that we believe provides the foundation upon which to further expand our Technology Enhanced Training service and product offerings."

To support TENERA's objectives, SoBran will serve as the technical partner and maintainer of the CDLC and will also assist in the production of Web-based training courses that will be resident on it. In addition to its role as the alliance manager, TENERA also provides expertise in delivering management solutions and Web-based training techniques designed to leverage its clients' human assets by maximizing their return on training investment.

Amos Otis, president and chief executive officer of SoBran, noted: "We believe that this alliance will allow us an excellent opportunity to concentrate our collective companies' resources and core competencies to provide an ever-changing marketplace with training products and services designed to take full advantage of the latest Web-based technologies available to TENERA and SoBran's clients."

The CDLC is the hardware and software cornerstone for the delivery of a full complement of training and information management services to clients through the Internet. It is programmed to automatically administer clients' training and information management functions, such as training records maintenance and online status reporting, within a corporate university environment tailored to each client's specifications.

In related news, Gary Curtis, vice president of Technology Enhanced Training for TENERA Energy, reported: "TENERA has reached an agreement with U.S. Generating Company ("USGen"), pursuant to terms of a separate alliance previously formed and announced (reference press release dated October 20, 1998) between the companies, for the design and production of a multimodule, Web-based training course that will address OSHA requirements for an eight hour HAZWOPER Annual Refresher training.

"Under the terms of the agreement, the resultant training course will also be packaged for commercial application and sale via access to the CDLC."

TENERA, in business for more than 20 years, provides strategic and management consulting, and technical products and services to energy-related industries and the federal government. Through its operating subsidiaries, TENERA's experienced staff of professionals provides a broad range of services to solve complex management, engineering, environmental and safety challenges associated with energy production and distribution, operation and management of federal government properties, and capital asset intensive industries through offices in California and Colorado.

Statements contained in this news release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such risks and uncertainties include reliance on major customers and key personnel, uncertainty regarding industry trends and customer demand. Additional risks are detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Form 10-K filed on March 30, 1998.