DaimlerChrysler Moves to Live eLearning Solution from Centra To Reduce Costs and Accelerate Training on Financial Systems

    LEXINGTON, Mass.--May 1, 2001--Centra , the world's leading provider of software and ASP services for live eLearning and collaboration, today announced that the Finance Training College of DaimlerChrysler Corporation has deployed Centra Symposium(TM) virtual classroom software to provide eLearning to its employees. The Finance College has the responsibility of training employees at their world headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, as well as at its many offsite locations. Using Symposium, the Finance College is able to deliver knowledge and skills to employees without the high cost of time and travel.
    "Our ability to maintain a leadership position in the competitive automotive industry is not only the outcome of our investments in complex automation software, but a result of our focus on the people who use these systems everyday," said Mary Ann Gillis of DaimlerChrysler's Finance College. "Using Centra to accelerate the introduction of new financial concepts and tools over the intranet not only improves the bottom line by reducing training-related travel costs, it ensures end-user competency of tools designed to streamline financial processes."
    Relying on the powerful, real-time collaboration capabilities of Centra as an alternative to stand-up training, DaimlerChrysler's Finance College is able to replicate the interactivity of a traditional classroom. With integrated voice-over-IP audio conferencing, live application sharing, whiteboards, and online breakout rooms, DaimlerChrysler uses Centra to deliver high quality, expert-led training to users, regardless of their location, over low-bandwidth network connections.

    Software Infrastructure for eLearning and Collaboration

    Already used in over 500 companies 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 interactions necessary to accelerate internal and market-facing business processes. Centra's interfaces - available on the CentraOne(TM) server for on-premise deployment, or through the full-service CentraNow(TM) ASP - include Centra Symposium for virtual classrooms, Centra Conference(TM) for large-scale Web conferences and events, and Centra eMeeting(TM) for meetings and team collaboration. Using the Centra Knowledge Object Studio(TM), users can easily capture, edit, and archive content and interactions derived from these live online sessions for continuous, on-demand access to self-paced recordings.
    "DaimlerChrysler Corporation's application of live eLearning and collaboration is another illustration of how Centra can not only help ensure return on IT investments, but on every training dollar spent," said Tony Mark, President and Chief Operating Officer of Centra. "In the current business climate, more and more large companies are turning to Centra to help accelerate business processes, improve productivity, and reduce operational costs."

    About Centra

    With over 1.3 million users worldwide, 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, Siemens, and Procter & Gamble. Centra supports a vital ecosystem of strategic eLearning partnerships, which include alliances with Microsoft, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Consulting, Cisco, Oracle, Saba, Docent, Global Knowledge, and 27 international value-added resellers covering 29 countries. Headquartered in Boston's technology corridor, Centra has sales offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.centra.com.