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July 13, 1998

Web Training Catches On

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Some IT vendors, including IBM, Microsoft, Network Associates, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems, have begun offering online training programs for customers. Demand for these types of training programs has led to the creation and fast growth of companies specializing in these services. DigitalThink, which was founded in 1996 with backing from Adobe Systems, Intel, and Texas Instruments, is one of the market leaders, with customers such as Cirent Semiconductor, Eastman Kodak, Federal Express, Informix, Johnson & Johnson, and Raytheon.

DigitalThink offers courses in Java, C and C++, SQL database, Adobe PageMaker, Web programming and publishing, database concepts, Internet search engines, and others. Most courses are aimed at programmers, developers, and system administrators, but this summer, the company will begin offering end-user courses in products such as Windows NT and Microsoft Office, and management courses for "soft skills" such as project management and personal finance, says Steve Zahm, VP of marketing and co-founder of DigitalThink.

Zahm says the Web is making it easier for corporate and individual clients to sign up for electronic classes. "Companies are beginning to see that the Web is a perfect delivery mechanism for training," he says.

DigitalThink provides online student progress reports so training administrators can see how trainees are doing. It also offers trained tutors who exchange E-mail with students. Its service includes online chats and threaded discussions among classmates. Courses are sold directly from its Web site or as blocks of seats sold to corporate training departments. Most programmer and developer courses are priced at $325 per student; more specialized courses sell for $450; and end-user courses are $125. Courses are "self-paced," but typically take 12 to 15 hours to complete.

O'Reilly & Associates and Digital Education Systems recently launched an online training course for Web designers. Using an "online lab," students can write and check HTML code as they learn to develop Web pages. The course is available on the Web or over intranets. The course carries an introductory price of $199, and students can register at training.oreilly.com.

Another Web-based training company, the Training Place, develops and provides self-paced, soft-skills training programs on topics such as leadership development, management, and marketing skills. It just finished testing a marketing training service, which will soon be available for $400 per student.

Companies that have been in the computer-based training business for years are also getting involved in Web-based services. DPEC Inc. offers more than 160 courses in its interactive Web-based training program. Among the topics covered are Internet browsers, Web-site development, databases, computer security, data networking, programming, and general business skills such as time, project, and stress management.

Despite its predicted growth, Web-based training is not without risks. "As with any use of new technology, the learning curve can be steep," Hall says. There's also the potential security threats and the need for firewalls, he adds, as well as the fact that many people are not used to this type of training. Nevertheless, Hall says, "Web-based training is a technology that's here to stay-and to grow."

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