University of Calgary Revolutionizes Distance Learning Program With Live eLearning Software from Centra

Business Wire, April 17, 2001

Business/Technology Editors

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2001

Centra (NASDAQ: CTRA), the world's leading provider of software and ASP services for live eLearning and collaboration, today announced that the University of Calgary has selected Centra for the delivery of live eLearning to students across Canada. Since 1995, the University's Teacher Assistant Certification Program has utilized traditional teleconferencing to deliver education programs to distance learners. As the number and popularity of these courses increased, the University's ability to meet demand using teleconference technology became more difficult, creating a significant wait list for attendance. Turning to the integrated, voice-over-IP and shared workspace capabilities of Centra's virtual classroom software earlier this year, the University of Calgary has been able to address demand, reduce the wait list, and expand its distance education programs and services.

Since adopting Centra Symposium(TM), University instructors have observed that online group interactions made possible by Centra are extremely useful given that many students reside in remote villages and small towns throughout Alberta and the NorthWest Territory. In addition to integrated IP audio, Centra provides easy-to-use tools for sharing content and applications, allowing educational assistants to communicate and share knowledge effectively with other students regardless of location. Unlike traditional teleconferencing technologies, Centra also gives instructors the ability to immediately detect and respond to specific student needs and concerns, and interact in a confidential manner to resolve them online.

According to Shelley Griffen-Hein, a University of Calgary online student, "Centra's online virtual classroom allows me to attend class from the privacy of my living room using my PC dialed into a Centra server. Working from home enables me to concentrate more on what is being taught, and less on the external interruptions that can distract you in a physical setting."

The University of Calgary's Teacher Assistant Certificate Program has immediate plans to shift all of its program courses into an online environment powered by Centra. According to Program Specialist, Jodie Retzlaff, "We are cultivating a growing body of students from all over Alberta and hope to include British Columbia and Saskatchewan over the next two years. With Centra, we can easily accommodate this growth without sacrificing the quality of education we deliver."

Software Infrastructure for Live eLearning and Collaboration

Already used in over 500 companies and universities worldwide, Centra's Web-based enterprise products and services share a common collaboration framework, and are optimized to address the full range of real-time business interactions necessary to accelerate internal and market-facing business processes. Every product features Centra's hallmark voice-over-IP capabilities, shared online workspace, and intuitive user interface to enable live conversation and interaction over low-bandwidth network connections. Centra's products include Centra Symposium for virtual classrooms, Centra Conference(TM) for Web conferencing and large-scale events, and Centra eMeeting(TM) for online meetings and team collaboration.

The University of Calgary Teacher Assistant Certificate Program

The University of Calgary has developed a unique part-time certificate program designed to increase Teacher Assistant skills and broaden their knowledge base. The nine core courses are designed to enhance Teacher Assistants para-professional development through on-the-job-training as their responsibilities change from year to year to meet the specific needs of the students in their schools. For more information visit, http://www.ucalgary.ca/cted/tacert/.> About Centra

With more than 1.3 million users, Centra is the world's leading provider of software infrastructure and ASP services for live eLearning and business collaboration. Today hundreds of global organizations have standardized on Centra for the delivery of live eLearning, including Accenture, Century 21, Domino's Pizza, EMC Corporation, McKessonHBOC, Nationwide Insurance, Siemens, Stanford University, and Procter & Gamble. Centra supports a vital ecosystem of strategic eLearning partnerships, which include alliances with Microsoft, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cisco, Oracle, Saba, Docent, and Global Knowledge. Headquartered in Boston's technology corridor, the Company has sales offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.centra.com.