Click2learn Maintains Leadership Position in New Learning Management Technology Report

Business Wire, Feb 4, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2003

META Group gives company high marks for enterprise productivity

suite, performance excellence and value to customers

Click2learn (Nasdaq:CLKS), a leader in enterprise productivity solutions, announced today that it has been ranked a market leader in the newly released "Learning Management Systems Platforms METAspectrum Market Summary," from the META Group, a leading research and consulting firm, focusing on information technology and business transformation strategies.

This marks the second consecutive time the analyst firm has placed the company in the "Leader" category in its report on the learning technology market.

The new METAspectrum report provides an in-depth evaluation and objective assessment of 12 learning technology providers who "have demonstrated considerable investment in addressing this market, both in product R&D and in corporate positioning and marketing." META Group rated each organization on its market presence and technology performance, ultimately ranking it as a "Leader," "Challenger," or "Follower." Based on its evaluation, META "recommends that G2000 organizations look to the vendors in the leader sector first for a best-of-breed enterprise e-learning platform."

As a Leader in the report, Click2learn was recognized for its capabilities spanning learning content management, course development and skills management, as well as for its financial and market stability, innovation and execution. Further, Click2learn and its Aspen Enterprise Productivity Suite(TM) earned high rankings for its vision and strategy; its success building channel partnerships; its global reach and market share; its comprehensive technology offering; and the high quality of its personnel.

"In 2002 Click2learn has further enhanced its leadership position in the METAspectrum report. We believe the company is well-positioned to continue executing successfully on its integrated ONE platform strategy and its enhancements to the Aspen Suite seem to be strongly resonating with current and potential customers," said Jennifer Vollmer, META Group research analyst and author of the report. "The energy and single-minded focus that Click2learn has dedicated to product innovation and customer success sets a new standard for the industry and is a great model for others to emulate."

"It's an honor to be recognized by META Group as a leader in our industry. The positive outcome of META's analysis of Click2learn, as well as its survey of our customers, is the result of our innovative product strategy and our customer-centric approach," said Kevin Oakes, Click2learn chairman and CEO. "We have spent considerable time listening to our customers and working closely with them to identify how corporate learning aligns with their business goals. With Aspen, we've helped many leading Global 2000 organizations increase their productivity and overall business performance, while at the same time helping them realize significant cost savings. This success is helping to elevate the role of learning and knowledge sharing within global enterprises, and the view of Aspen as a mission-critical application in many leading organizations."

Click2learn's highly acclaimed Aspen Enterprise Productivity Suite(TM) enables organizations to strategically manage corporate knowledge and workforce productivity to improve business performance. With Aspen organizations can -- for the first time -- enjoy a comprehensive, integrated solution for their learning needs. Aspen facilitates information management, knowledge exchange and multi-modal training, all under one platform with one seamless user experience. The Aspen Suite consists of separate but integrated modules, including:

-- Learning Management (LMS)

-- Learning Content Management (LCMS)

-- Virtual Classroom (VCS)

-- Performance Management

-- Collaboration, Knowledge Exchange & Instant Messaging

-- Information Management

-- Simulation Creating and Editing

-- Auditing & Compliance Tracking

Whether organizations choose to deploy the entire Aspen suite, or to integrate select Aspen applications with existing infrastructure, Aspen's standards-based (AICC, SCORM, XML, etc.) modular and open architecture is designed to lower the total cost of ownership of learning solutions.

About METAspectrum

METAspectrum(sm) evaluations from META Group (Nasdaq:METG) provide IT professionals with a view into critical market success factors and vendor positioning. METAspectrum, in combination with META Group's SPEX modules -- which provide detailed technical analysis of product features and capabilities -- delivers comprehensive evaluations of both technology markets and vendor product offerings. METAspectrum evaluations are a standard component of a META Group retainer service subscription and are updated quarterly, biannually, or annually, depending on the characteristics of individual markets. To view completed market evaluations, or learn more about the METAspectrum methodology, visit www.metagroup.com/metaspectrum. For more information on META Group's SPEX offerings, visit www.checkspex.com. METAspectrum(sm) market evaluations and results are the sole property of META Group, Inc. and are Copyright (C) 2002 META Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to use the results requires prior written approval from META Group, and should not be deemed an endorsement of any company or product.