News 10-04-2002
SCT to Acquire Campus Pipeline for $42M
SCT announced this week that it will acquire Campus Pipeline for $42 million.
The acquisition is part of the company's strategy to corner the higher education
market by creating a single provider for the campus enterprise, from administrative
to learning applications. SCT's strategy calls for single sign-on for users
and a plug-and-play framework for applications delivered through portal channels
and Web Services. Georgia Board of Regents chief information officer Randall
Thursby called the deal, "a great match ... Add the Campus Pipeline product
lines to SCT's e-education administrative/ERP capabilities, and you have the
basic elements that allow them to make a major leap to the front of the solution
providers in this market." SCT plans to continue Campus Pipeline's open systems
approach, and will support customers' choice of homegrown systems or applications
from Datatel, Peoplesoft, WebCT, or Oracle.
Sponsor: James Oliverio Featured Keynote Speaker at Syllabus fall2002
James Oliverio, Professor and Director of Digital Worlds Institute at the University
of Florida, will lead off the first day of Syllabus fall2002's main conference
as keynote speaker on November 4. Oliverio's interest in immersive collaboration
and the use of visualization and multi-modal technologies to increase understanding
and retention promises to be an enlightening, thought-provoking session. Syllabus
fall2002 will be held November 3-5 at the Boston Marriott Newton Hotel in Newton,
Mass. with pre-conference seminars on November 3 and a vendor fair scheduled
for November 4. Register by October 11 and receive a 15% Early Bird discount!
For further conference details and to register, go to http://www.syllabus.com/fall2002
Study Charts Growth of Fully-Online Distance Learning
Research firm Eduventures, Inc., released a study on the distance learning
market that shows that the distance learning market for fully online degree
programs is growing at a rate of 40 percent annually. Currently, more than 350,000
students are enrolled in fully online degree-granting programs, which generated
$1.75 billion in tuition revenues for institutions in 2001/2002, according to
the study. A key to institutional success is a comprehensive integration of
direct and indirect services in support of online programs, it said. The study
looks at success factors of fully online degree programs at Bismarck State College,
the University of Wyoming, and Strayer University.
For more information, visit: http://www.eduventures.com
Physicians Group Launches PDA Info Clearinghouse
pdaMD, a provider of handheld computing technology for physicians, said it
would create a PDA Center for the American College of Physicians-American Society
of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM), the national organization of internal medicine
specialists. The PDA Center will provide physicians access to a library of medically
oriented handheld applications, advanced customization options to speed deployment,
and dedicated support personnel.
Handheld technology has become increasingly
important in today's medical environment, providing improved access to critical
information such as drug prescribing data, treatment strategies, patient history
and reference material, all at the point of care. According to a 2001 ACP-ASIM
survey of 489 members, 47 percent were found to use handheld computers, and
usage among internists is expected to increase.
For more information, visit: http://www.acponline.org
GW Medical Center Teaches with Simulation Tech
George Washington University Medical Center said it will build a medical simulation
system for cardiac catheterization skills. The Center said it would use the
SimSuite Training System from Denver-based Medical Simulation Corp. for the
application, an which includes a combination of tactile force-feel simulation
technology with procedures performed on a simulated patient named "Simantha."
The system will allow all healthcare professionals in the region to practice
the craft through highly realistic simulated medical scenarios. The system will
specialize initially in the practice of minimally invasive cardiovascular and
endovascular procedures.
EDT Learning Partners With Streaming Media Firm
EDT Learning, Inc. which specializes in custom e-learning courseware for corporations,
said it would partner with Playback Media, a provider of scenario-based content
via streaming video, to market Playback's library of 187 business skills courses.
EDT called the new content a "best-of-breed soft skills library," which will
allow it to map courseware to the relevant needs of an organization. Playback
said it has a 87 percent learner completion rate among its clients, which include
California State University.