164 - People on The Move: Curtis Uehlein to CEO at Provant & Michael Saylor Donates $100 Million for Free On-Line University

1. Free B2B e-Learning Report from Thomas Weisel Partners: We are pleased
to provide a free copy of a 52 page analysis of the Business to Business
e-Learning Industry, prepared by Fred McCrea, R. Keith Gay and Rusty Bacon
of Thomas Weisel Partners. You can read or print the report at our website:
http://www.masie.com/b2breport.pdf

2. Thank You!!! Condolences and Digital Mourning: I cannot tell you how
much I and my family appreciated the 1,700 email messages from Trends
Readers after the passing of my mom. It was so warming to read your notes
and I noticed how many of us have recently dealt with the passages of our
parents. When it was time to plan Dorothy's funeral, we were faced with
another dilemma of the mobile age. Her best friends are 102 and 89 and live
in Miami. Her brother is 84 and not in good health. How could they
participate in mom's funeral in Saratoga Springs? We decided to use a
Digital Collaboration set of technologies to hook 37 of her friends into the
funeral via a telephone conference call. They were so touched and moved to
hear the words and songs of the funeral. We also discreetly captured the
funeral on video and posted a few edited segments on the web so her friends
could see and hear. MSNBC did a very touching story on the process and a
tribute to my mom. It was an example of how the technology is powerful if
it can be used to link people and enrich their human experiences. The MSNBC
story is at http://www.masie.com/mom/

3. Sam Donaldson to Report on e-Commerce at e-Learning Business Conference:
We are honored to have Sam Donaldson as a keynote speaker at next week's
Business of On-Line & E-Learning Conference in Seattle, Washington. Sam
will be talking about his own ventures into becoming an on-line content
provider (www.abcnews.com) and the way in which we might use the news
gathering process as a learning example for the training industry. If you
are provider or vendor in the industry, there are only 10 seats left.
Register on-line at http://www.masie.com

4. People on The Move: Curtis Uehlein to CEO at Provant: Yesterday, Provant
(http://www.provant.com) announced that Curtis M. Uehlein would take the
role CEO, in addition to his current role as President and COO. They also
appointed Reg Murphy, an outside board member, as Chairman of the Board.

5. Michael Saylor Donates $100 Million for Free On-Line University:
Computer software billionaire Michael Saylor is donating $100 million to
start an online university he says will offer a free "Ivy League" education
to anyone. "Done right, this will impact the lives of millions of people
forever," Saylor told The Washington Post in an interview. "Done wrong, it's
just noise in a can. Saylor, 35, is chief executive of Microstrategy, a
software company based in suburban Vienna, Va. His personal wealth actually
dropped in the last few days, as the company lost ground on Wall Street.
The news story is available at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9402-2000Mar14.html

MASIE Center News:
Our e-Learning Briefing in Washington, DC in April has 35 available spots.
It is a 2 day, vendor neutral look at the world of on-line and e-learning
products, approaches and strategies. Complete agenda and on-line
registration at http://www.masie.com

Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter: Only $195 for a year with
monthly in-depth research. http://www.learningdecisions.com



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Digital Collaboration Conference Launched by ASTD & The MASIE Center

TO: Training, Learning and Technology Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center
RE: Digital Collaboration Conference Launched by ASTD & The MASIE Center

I am pleased to announce that ASTD & The MASIE Center are partnering to
launch a new conference and even a new professional field:

Digital Collaboration Conference
May 22 to 24, 2000 - Dallas, Texas
Held in Conjunction with ASTD International Conference

I will be hosting and facilitating this exciting 2 1/2 day event totally
focused on how organizations will be building and managing Digital
Collaboration capabilities. We will address issues like:

* Who will "own" the digital meeting capabilities in organizations and how
will we create the new customs of meeting electronically?
* How can organizations guide the use of e-mail to be a tool for
productivity and communication rather than a burden to workers?
* What are the best ways to link far flung offices to share culture and work
jointly?

This event will focus on the HOW and PROCESS side of Digital Collaboration.
We will take the first in-depth look at how major organizations can and must
develop strategies to focus these powerful tools for performance and
effectiveness.

You will join the senior executives from our TechLearn Collaborative and
other major organizations as we conduct in-depth briefings, share in
non-commericial demonstrations and explore the PEOPLE side of these emerging
TECHNOLOGIES.

Complete details and registration information is located at:

www.masie.com/digcollab

PLEASE CLICK ON THE DIGITAL COLLABORATION LINK for on-line information and
registration. The size of the group will be limited to 350 attendees and
includes attendance at the full ASTD Conference as well.

We are so excited about this new effort. In years to come, organizations
will take it for granted that they have well focused digital collaboration
strategies... join us as we launch the thinking and dialogue needed to
harness the ability to work over time and distance.

Yours in learning and collaboration..

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center

Survey: Blending Classroom & e-Learning

TO: Training and Technology Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center

Please take 2 minutes to complete our latest TechLearn Trends Survey:
Blending Classroom & e-Learning. How will we ADD e-learning elements to
traditional classroom offerings.

Just go to http://www.masie.com/survey/ and fill out our 2 minute survey.
Results will be posted in two weeks.

Yours in learning,

Elliott

163 - Watch for Instant Messenger Capacity on Cell Phones: Continuous Presence

1. Fifty Interviews on Learning & Technology Free on TechLearn Site: We are
pleased to release a series of fifty video interviews with learning and
training managers. These 3 to 15 minute interviews were captured at
TechLearn 99. They focus on the results of Case Studies and Problem
Solution Sessions. You can stream this free resource, using the Windows
Media Player, at http://www.masie.com/interviews

(Please save the dates for TechLearn 2000: November 12 to 15, 2000 in
Orlando, Florida)

2. Watch for Instant Messenger Capacity on Cell Phones: Continuous Presence:
The concept of continuous presence is growing into the world of cell and
mobile phones. In the next three to six months watch for a new capability
of running instant messenger software like ICQ or AOL's IM, between cell
phones and PC's. Trainers and learners could be continuously connected for
field based coaching and support. Add to it a big push to integrate speech
recognition into cell phones and we have an interesting new capacity.

3. Learning Quotation: From the Treasury Department

"My name is Melanie Leschnik and I am the training manager for the
Department of Treasury Headquarters in Washington, D.C.. I use the
following quote on our intranet training site"

"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."
-- Ben Franklin

4. e-Learning Briefing in Washington DC 75% Filled: There are only a few
dozen spots left in the Washington, DC edition of our e-Learning Briefing.
We already have representatives of a wide range of government and corporate
training departments from both the US and overseas. For complete info, go
to http://www.masie.com This event includes 2 on-line follow-up sessions.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* The Business of On-Line and E-Learning: Seattle WA - March 27 and 28th
* e-Learning 2000 Europe - Dublin Ireland - July 2000
* The Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter - Only $195 Per Year
Complete details at http://www.masie.com

162 - MASIE Research on Learning Portals: Rate of Adoption; Taking Notes On-Line; Key Business Issues as Hurdles for e-Learning

1. New Report on e-Learning Marketplace By WR Hambrecht & Co: Here is an
extensive report on the investment dimensions of the e-Learning Marketplace
that has been produced by WR Hambrecht & Co. The entire report is available
on-line at http://www.wrhambrecht.com/research/coverage/elearning/ir/ir_explore.html

2. MASIE Research on Learning Portals: Rate of Adoption: The recent
Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter survey provides insight into the
concept of learning portals. We surveyed 1,902 learning professionals on
their plans to implement a learning portal. (Portals are public or internal
sites that serve as single points of access for learning.)

The data indicates that 22% of organizations are in the process of building
a learning portal and 32% are investigating the concept.

One part of the study asked people to indicate the importance of eight
learning portal capabilities, they following ranked Top 3:
#1 Pointing workers to a single site for all learning and training
resources.
#2 Creating an on-line community with access to subject matter experts and
peers to assist in the learning process.
#3 Increasing the quantity and range of learning offerings by consolidating
offers from a wide range of vendors.

The complete results and analysis of the data, is being distributed to all
Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter subscribers. If you would like to
subscribe, just go to www.learningdecisions.com.

3. Learning Quotation

"No great thing is created suddenly"
-Epictetus

4. Taking Notes On-Line: One of the curiosities I have is how people are
going to take notes during e-Learning experiences. Will we have the
equivalent of a digital yellow highlighter? Will we have the ability to cut
and paste key elements into a personal notebook? We are interested in
hearing your ideas about notetaking and e-learning. Please send me an email
to emasie@masie.com and we will summarize in a future TRENDS.

5. Key Business Issues as Hurdles for e-Learning: We are pleased to add
these items to our upcoming Business of On-Line and E-Learning Conference to
be held in Seattle at the end of March:
* What are the key hurdles that may slow corporate adoptions of e-Learning?
* Where are the major supporters and dissenters?
* What business issues must be addressed when developing an e-Learning
Strategy or Proposal?

There are only 45 seats left in this program, for vendors and suppliers in
the learning and technology arena. Go to http://www.masie.com for agenda
and registration:

MASIE Center Services and Events:
* e-Learning Briefing - April in Washington, DC
* e-Learning Europe 2000 - Dublin, Ireland in July
* Business of On-Line and e-Learning Conference - March in Seattle, WA
* TechLearn 2000 - Orlando in November
* Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter
* Elliott Masie Keynote Speeches and Briefings
Details at www.masie.com or call 800-98-MASIE

161 - Web Usage at Work Soars and Worries Managers

1. Web Usage at Work Soars and Worries Managers: Much to the chagrin of
many managers and supervisors, people are spending more time surfing the
Internet at work than they are at home, mainly because home Web connection
speeds pale in comparison to the faster connections that companies give
their employees. During January, at-work Internet users spent an average of 21 hours on the Web, more than double the amount of time at-home users were online, according to Nielsen/NetRatings, a Web measurement service from Nielsen Media Research Inc. and NetRatings Inc.

The new monthly survey found that although the active Internet audience size on the job was less than half that at home - 30.6 million users at work versus 77 million at home - working people went online an average of 41 times a day, dramatically higher than the average 18 sessions at home. "Web users are taking advantage of the fast Internet connections within the workplace to communicate and obtain information more efficiently," said Allen Weiner, vice president of analytical services at NetRatings.

"While there may be less people overall using the Internet at work compared
to the home, those who utilize the medium in the workplace are spending more time on it because of its easy accessibility and its high bandwidth," Weiner said. In addition, NetRatings found that finance, news and electronics sites are more popular to at-home surfers, with finance sites reaching 31.1 percent more users at work than from home.

Among the leaders in the online finance category were Marketwatch.com Inc.,
Intuit Inc.'s Quicken.com, Time Warner Inc's CNNfn.com and E+Trade.com.
Accessing music sites such as Napster.com is causing some corporate internet pipes to clog. Watch for additional corporate monitoring and selective site restriction as this trends continues.

2 e-Learning 2000 Europe in Dublin by The MASIE Center: We are pleased to
announce a new international event sponsored by The MASIE Center this
summer:

-e-Learning 2000 Europe - Dublin, Ireland - July 10 and 11th \

If you are located in Europe, or would like to take a work/play vacation in
Ireland, check out the preview site for this new MASIE event: Go to
http://www.masie.com/dublin/

3. Learning Quotation: Submitted by Maureen Laparo of Pershing

The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.

---- William Arthur Ward

Other MASIE Center Offerings:
* Subscribe to our Research Based Monthly Newsletter: Learning Decisions -
Only $195 www.learningdecisions.com
* Industry Event for Vendors, Suppliers and Investors in e-Learning: The
Business of e-Learning & On-Line Learning: Seattle, WA - March 27 and 28th.
www.masie.com Space is limited.
* e-Learning Briefing: Implementing Learning and Technology: Washington,
DC - April 13 and 14: www.masie.com for info.

160 - Netherlands Discussion Raises Long Term Nature of Learning Question; Another Israeli Company in Collaborative Space: LearnLinc Acquired; Even Smaller Footprint Digital Video Equipment for Learning

1. Netherlands Discussion Raises Long Term Nature of Learning Question:
This morning at 4 am, my telephone rang and I led an interactive session at
an e-learning event in the Netherlands. (e-learning does challenge sleep
when we overcome time and distance...grin). The most interesting question
that the group raised was the duration of learning issue.

"We believe that learning is something that happens over time, with
multiple experiences! How does the short term focus of e-learning fit into
that perspective?"

I believe that they are raising a critical and important challenge for
e-learning. While we want to honor the ability of learning to be just in
time and available in granular chunks for immediate needs, we have to
recognize how we actually have acquired our most critical skills and
knowledge sets. We believe that learning is an on-going and social
process, rather than an event. Learners will use a wide range of inputs
and tools, and even technologies. But, if we structure e-learning as merely
a short term set of experiences, we will miss the mark totally.

Some of the most potent learning technology implementations on the corporate
scene are longer duration offerings. Learners have a chance to become part
of on-going explorations or communities, with a wide range of experiences.
Let's make sure that e-learning is not just defined as a series of quick
hits. We will address this critical issue in the March issue of our new
publication, Learning Decisions (www.learningdecisions.com)

2. Another Israeli Company in Collaborative Space: LearnLinc Acquired:
Israel is clearly on the map for digital collaboration. Companies such as
Interwise and ICQ have already placed Israel on the map as a key site for
development in the distance learning and virtual meeting space. Now, we
have an announcement from another Israeli company, Gilat (which recently
purchased Allen Communications) that they have acquired LearnLinc, a major
player in the live e-learning space. You can access information on these
players at www.learnlinc.com or www.gilat.com I a fascinated by the role
that different countries are developing in the learning and technology
areas, including Ireland and India. If you have some other examples or
comments send me a note at emasie@masie.com

3. Even Smaller Footprint Digital Video Equipment for Learning: The
footprint for high quality video equipment keeps getting smaller. The
MASIE Center is building a demonstration lab in our new building to explore
the role of video in corporate e-learning. As a ramp up, we are buying a
range of digital video cameras to capture content, for desktop and
workstation editing. The most recent tool is the SONY Digital Video Camera
(DCR-PC100). It weighs less than 2 pounds, is hand held, creates high
quality digital video and is Firewire compatible. It also doubles as a
digital still camera and can interface with digital editing programs. Cost
is below $2,000 and can be placed in workgroups for on-going documentation
and knowledge interviews. Information at www.sony.com/handycam

4. Learning Quotation: Lau Tzu

"If you tell me, I will listen.
If you show me, I will see.
If you let me experience, I will learn!"

---- Lau Tzu

5. e-Learning Implementation: Pilot and Strategy Addressed in Briefing -
Corporations seeking help in understanding the confusing and exciting world
of e-Learning should look towards two key strategies:

- Piloting: The building of pilots for discovering your corporate culture's
ability to absorb and respond to various e-learning methods.
- Learning Strategy: Creating a Learning Strategy, aligned with Business
Goals, to guide our organizations experiments and projects with various
learning methods and models.

These two strategies will be discussed in depth in my next event for
learning professionals: e-Learning Briefing. This is a vendor-neutral, 2
day in-depth class (with 2 follow-up on-line classes) that will be offered
in Washington, DC on April 13 and 14th. We will demonstrate and explore
every model of e-learning currently (and coming) to the marketplace. Our
last class in Seattle sold out quickly. Reserve your space by going to
http://www.masie.com Group discounts are available.

Other MASIE Center Offerings:
* Subscribe to our Research Based Monthly Newsletter: Learning Decisions -
Only $195 www.learningdecisions.com
* Industry Event for Vendors, Suppliers and Investors in e-Learning: The
Business of e-Learning & On-Line Learning: Seattle, WA - March 27 and 28th.
www.masie.com Space is limited.

159 - Balloons for Competency Testing?; Denials of Service Attacks on Internet: A Techie's View; KnowledgeNet Launches New IT e-Learning Services

1. Balloons for Competency Testing? I had a great conversation about
testing while sitting in a barber's chair over the weekend. I asked the
barber to trim my beard and it led to a dialogue about how he had been
tested by the government for his skills at using a razor on men's shaving
cream slathered necks. Yes, there is a competency based test that each
barber learner must pass on their way to being a Certified Shaving Engineer.
I asked him who had the job of being the testing face for applicants
(especially those who failed!) It turns out the shaving exam starts with a
simulation.....the learner is handed a blown up balloon, covered with
shaving cream and a sharp, straight edged razor. The applicant has to
completely remove the shaving cream from the balloon. If the balloon
bursts, you fail.

2. Denials of Service Attacks on Internet: A Techie's View: The recent and
current attacks on major internet sites have triggered lots of calls to The
MASIE Center about the impact on e-learning. If major websites are
vulnerable to hacker attacks, does that raise issues of security for
learning and training sites. Could a disgruntled ex-employee bring down the
learning portal at a company with a hacker attack? I could not even begin
to answer these questions, since I didn't understand the technical aspects
of this wave of attacks. So, I turned to Matt Frazer, our IT Manager at
The MASIE Center, to give me and TechLearn Trends readers a short tutorial
on this latest wave of cyber-terrorism. For a quick briefing on these
attacks go to http://www.masie.com/net1/

We will track the impact on e-learning sites and report in an upcoming
TRENDS.

3. KnowledgeNet Launches New IT e-Learning Services: Recently,
KnowledgeNet introduced KnowledgeNet LIVE and KnowledgeNet INTERACTIVE, two
IT e-learning solutions. Both solutions are based on a unique learning
architecture model. Additionally, both solutions are supported by
KnowledgeNet CAMPUS, a suite of mentoring, customization and hands-on
learning tools. Detailed information at http://www.knowledgenet.com

4. Learning Quotation: Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one
where they sprang up."
- - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* Business of On-Line and e-Learning Conference: March 27 and 28th -
Seattle, Washington - For Industry Suppliers and Vendors
* e-Learning Briefing: April 13 and 14th - Washington, DC - A Vendor-Neutral
View of On-Line and e-Learning by Elliott Masie
Info on these events: http://www.masie.com

Learning Portals Survey

TO: Learning and Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center

Learning Portals are big news in the training world this year. Take 3
minutes and complete our most recent survey on Learning Portals. Let's get
a handle on the field's reactions to the product and buzz about Learning
Portals. Just go to:

http://www.masie.com/survey/

Executive summary of the results will be posted in Trends in 3 weeks.
Complete analysis available in our Learning Decisions Newsletter.

Thanks,

Elliott Masie

158 - Special Report: Ford and Delta Airlines Subsidize Workforce Home PC's

Special Report: Ford and Delta Airlines Subsidize Workforce Home PC's

A new type of program smashed onto the corporate scene this week, as Ford
and Delta Airlines, introduced a low-cost "Get a PC for Your Home" program.
Both employers have offered their worldwide workforce the opportunity to get
a state of the air home computer and unlimited internet access for as little
as $5 per month. What do these programs mean for e-learning and HR
processes?

* Workers can use these computers to access e-learning programs for their
families. Ford workers already have a range of training programs available
for their families. Through the corporate subsidized programs, watch for a
wider range of non-work related training offerings.

* Workers will be able to access e-learning for work specific and career
development objectives. These new world wide networks will extend the
ability of a worker to take learning activities anytime, right from their
home. We will be watching to see how compensation issues play into these
programs. Will a unionized worker have an overtime compensation claim for
time spent on their PC's in learning programs?

* Workers and their families will be able to conduct more of their HR
related activities through web based forms at home. For example, a worker
and their spouse will have the ability to access their 401K plans and make
choices right from their home based PC. We would expect greater levels of
family involvement and knowledge of these decisions as at-home access is
created.

* Delta is also providing employees with access to their entire corporate
network from home. Scheduling will be available on these PC's, allowing
employees to view and revise schedules from their homes. Email accounts
will be available to each employee, exempt from corporate monitoring or
content regulations.

As these programs spread, it will be a great boost to the e-learning
movement. Hundreds of thousands of devices will now be available for use
in e-learning settings. The MASIE Center believes it will be a high energy
accelerant for the growth of on-line and e-learning.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* The Business of On-Line and e-Learning Conference: Seattle, Washington -
March 27 and 28th. Only 95 seats left in this vendor only conference.
Check www.masie.com for details and registration.
* e-Learning Briefing: Washington, DC - April 13 and 14th. How to
implement e-learning in your organization. The only vendor-neutral summary
of e-learning approaches and technologies. www.masie.com for details and
registration.

157 - Department of Defense Moves Towards Reusable Courseware & Tony Blair Focuses on Learning as Key to Digital Economy; Top Learning Decisions for 2000 Released & More IPO's from e-Learning

1. Department of Defense Moves Towards Reusable Courseware: We are
pleased to announce that the United States Department of Defense's ADL
Initiative has taken the learning industry a huge step forward with the
release of a new standard. It marks the inaugural release of specifications
and guidelines, called the Sharable Courseware Object Reference Model (or
SCORM), that provide the foundation for how the Department of Defense will
use learning technologies to build, and operate in, the learning environment
of the future.

Imagine the ability to mix and match learning segments to create lower cost,
reusable training resources. SCORM is a significant step in the direction
of true standards for our industry. Read the complete press release at
http://www.adlnet.org Great work, ADL!

2. Tony Blair Focuses on Learning as Key to Digital Economy: UK Prime
Minister Tony Blair has outlined the reforms he claims Europe needs in order
to build a thriving digital economy. Speaking at the World Economic Forum
in Davos, Switzerland, Blair said the need for reform in education is
paramount. "In an economy dominated by information and knowledge, education
is king. Not just in school or university but throughout life," he said. He
held up Britain as an example. "A whole network of adult learning centres
are being established, with incentives provided to upgrade skills, and a new
University for Industry established through the use of Internet technology
to give adults the skills they need." To read the entire article, go to
http://www.silicon.com/a35401

3. Top Learning Decisions for 2000 Released: Our recent survey reveals the
top five issues that learning departments are facing in 2000. Responses
from over 1,240 learning professionals indicated these concerns:

a. Aligning Training with Business Goals and Objectives.
b. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Training
c. Integrating Instructor Led and Technology Delivered Training
d. Developing and e-Learning Strategy for Our Organization
e. Changing the Corporate Culture Regarding Learning & Training

The complete results and analysis of the data, along with comments from
senior Learning Officers, is being distributed to all Learning Decisions
Interactive Newsletter subscribers. If you would like to subscribe, just
go to www.learningdecisions.com

4. More IPO's from e-Learning: Two more e-Learning companies are headed
towards IPO - Stock Market release this week. Centra Software (CTRA)
www.centra.com will be released in the next few days and SkillSoft (SKIL)
www.skillsoft.com hit the market on Monday. Watch for at least 5 more
e-Learning IPO announcements in the coming weeks. Our telephone has been
ringing with journalists covering the increased interest in the e-Learning
market.

5. Learning Quotation: Bill Moyers

"When I learn something new - and it happens every day - I feel a little
more at home in this universe, a little more comfortable in the nest."
- Bill Moyers

6. Elliott Masie, Newt Gingrich and Lou Dobbs at Speaker Showcase: If you
are a meeting planner and select speakers for events, the agency that
represents me is holding a free Speaker Showcase in D.C. on April 6th. I am
honored to be included with several of their other speakers, presenting at
this showcase, including former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich and Lou
Dobbs (of CNN fame and now Chair of space.com) Go to
http://www.washspkrs.com/showcase/ to reserve a space at this showcase.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* The Business of On-Line and e-Learning Conference: Seattle, Washington -
March 27 and 28th. Only 95 seats left in this vendor only conference.
www.masie.com for details and registration.
* e-Learning Briefing: Washington, DC - April 13 and 14th. How to
implement e-learning in your organization. The only vendor-neutral summary
of e-learning approaches and technologies. www.masie.com for details and
registration.

Special TechLearn Alert: e-Learning, Super Bowl & RuPaul

Special TechLearn Alert: e-Learning, Super Bowl & RuPaul

Impress your friends as you prepare for Super Bowl Parties on Sunday. Tell
them that e-learning will be featured for the first time in a Super Bowl,
super-expensive ad. And, tell them that a "Drag Queen" is the spokesperson
for this ad.

You will be right! WebEx.com, a digital collaboration & e-learning company
providing virtual meetings and presentations, is spending $1.2 million
dollars for a thirty second spot on the most watched TV show of the year.
And, to get the buzz going, they hired RuPaul, the mega-tall drag queen as
their spokesman (paying with cash and equity).

WebEx is preparing for an IPO in the next half year, so this ad is aimed at
the stock buying market as much as the e-learning purchasing manager. And,
it is paying off in publicity, with articles in Business Week and multiple
mentions on sports and entertainment shows.

If you want to check out the ad before the game, go to www.webex.com

What's next?

Happy Watching
Elliott Masie
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Business of On-Line & e-Learning Conference will address marketing and
advertising in this field. There are still spaces available for the event,
to be held in Seattle - March 27 and 28th. Go to www.masie.com for
information and on-line registration.

156 - Digital Filtering: Personal, Organizational and Environmental

1. Digital Filtering: Personal, Organizational and Environmental: The
rise of digital technology, including pagers, cell phones and other wearable
devices, is creating demand for Digital Filtering. In its simplest sense,
Digital Filtering, is the ability of an individual or an organization, to
determine the character, timing and context of digital communication. For
example, a corporation may place a filter called a SPAM TRAP at the server
to block unwanted or pornographic advertisements. On a more personal
level, I may choose to place my cell phone on vibrate or OFF during a
concert or lunch with a colleague.

At our recent TechLearn Conference we collected hundreds of dollars in fines
from people with ringing cell phones. We gave warning that a $5 "donation"
to a charity would be collected every time we heard a cell phone chirp.

Watch for three levels of Digital Filtering to be placed into action in the
years ahead. Personal, organizational and Environmental. Personal Filters
will be actions or formulas for preferences activated by an individual.
Organizational Filters will be activated at the enterprise level. And
Environmental Filters will even take the shape of "cloaking" devices that
block intrusion into certain concert halls or conference rooms.

At the core of Digital Filtering is a desire for PREFERENCE. I want to
personalize access to me. I want to prioritize the nature of how I spend my
time. And, a cell phone call may not be more important than focus in a one
to one interaction that I am having at a meeting or over a cup of coffee.

2. An In Car e-Learning Experience: My wife and I recently purchased a new
car from Germany. This morning I had an e-learning experience in the
drivers seat. There was a function on my GPS navigation system that I did
not understand. So, I pressed the INFORMATION button on the car and in
less than a minute, a live coach was talking to me. She knew my name, the
make of my car and the location of the vehicle. In two minutes, she talked
me through how to enter some data into my navigation system and while I had
her on the line, got a quick lesson on oil change frequency for my vehicle.
It was just in time, live, personalized, mobile and awesome. Watch for
this technology to be added to historic information and even coaching for
sales staff prior to making a critical presentation.

3. Learning Quotation: Diane Ackerman

"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning."
Diane Ackerman
Submitted by: Joyce Allen

4. Walid Mougayar Added to Business of e-Learning Event: We are pleased to
announce that Walid Mougayar will be providing a keynote presentation at our
popular Business of On-Line & e-Learning Conference (March 27 and 28 in
Seattle). Walid is the author of Opening Digital Markets: Battle Plans and
Business Strategies for Internet Commerce and a monthly columnist for
Business 2.0. He joins Sam Donaldson, a panel of e-Learning CEO's and
Elliott Masie for this 2 day intensive retreat for businesses in the
e-learning arena. Info and registration at www.masie.com Seats are limited and we have sold out each year!

5. Industry Notes: KnowledgePlanet, Achieve Global and People on the Move

* KnowledgePlanet: Knowledge Universe, KnowledgeSoft, and Harbourvest
Partners today announced the formation of KnowledgePlanet.com, a new company
that will launch a business-to-business eLearning Marketplace integrated
with Workforce Performance Management (WPM). Check them out at
www.knowledgeplanet.com
* e-Books Merge: Gemstar International Group Ltd. announced January 18 that
it has entered the electronic-book business through the acquisition of the
two leading eBook companies, NuvoMedia Inc. of Mountain View, California,
maker of the Rocket eBook(TM), and SoftBook Press Inc. of Menlo Park,
California, maker of the SoftBook(R) Reader. Info at www.softbook.com
* Kevin Oakes New CEO of click2learn: click2learn.com, inc. has promoted
president Kevin Oakes to the position of president and chief executive
officer, effective immediately. Jim Billmaier, moves from the CEO position
to vice-chair of click2learn.com, and remains on the board of directors.
Steve Martino, who has served as Senior VP of Operations since 1999, and has
been with the company since 1995, becomes the company's chief operating
officer. Jim will take the CEO role of another of Paul Allen's companies,
Broadband Partners. Info at www.click2learn.com
* Achieve Global announced that they are not planning to be purchased at
this time. Times Mirror has been shopping to sell Achieve Global. Info at
www.achieveglobal.com

MASIE Center e-Learning Briefing Scheduled for Washington, DC (April 13 &
14th). Info at http://www.masie.com/elearning

155 - Learning Managers: Are Classes the Unit of Learning?; AOL and Time Warner: Content is King in Learning World

(A Personal Note: Hi! We've been quiet on the TechLearn TRENDS front over
the first few weeks of 2000, as The MASIE Center ramps up for several new
projects. Learning Decisions Newsletter is at the press and will be in
subscribers hands at the end of next week, with loads of benchmarking
articles and research data on the key decisions we face in our field. We
have launched several new seminars and conferences, listed below. We are
building a new building for The MASIE Center in Saratoga Springs, which will
contain the first e-learning Lab. This will be a place for testing and
research on new learning products and methodologies.

And, I have been trying to get a better sense of the elements that will
trigger wider acceptance and usage of e-learning. In the coming weeks, you
will see TRENDS items focusing on the need for us to ramp up the EXPERIENCE
side of e-learning and to broaden our use of interactivity and simulation.
As we enter the 3rd year of TechLearn TRENDS, we thank our loyal readership
and invite you to part of a dialogue on inventing the future of learning...
Elliott Masie)

1. e-Learning Briefing and The Busine$$ of On-Line & e-learning Conference
Announced: We are pleased to announce two upcoming MASIE Center events:

* e-Learning Briefing: April 13 and 14 - Washington, DC: This is a 2 day
briefing that I run several times a year, looking at the entire field of
e-learning. We just completed a session in Seattle, WA with 195 attendees.
It is the only vendor-neutral view of the world and includes two on-line
learning sessions in the months following the event. Space is limited!
www.masie.com for details and registration

* The Busine$$ of On-Line & e-Learning Conference: March 27 & 28 - Seattle,
WA: This is the 3rd annual gathering of vendors, developers and investors
in the e-learning space. Sam Donaldson will be our featured keynoter,
describing his experience becoming sam.donaldson @ abcnews.com Topics to
include the patterns of buying; pricing issues; emerging business models;
e-learning and Wall Street and a host of other issues. I lead this 2 day
business retreat with informal panels throughout the event featuring CEO's
and marketing managers from the key e-learning companies. Register ASAP
www.masie.com for details and registration.

2. Learning Managers: Are Classes the Unit of Learning? At a recent
meeting of learning managers from major corporations the topic of units of
learning was raised. A number of the managers expressed a concern that the
unit of measurement in most Learning Management Systems was the class.
However, the interest in the group was to build additional experiences
beyond classes, including informal learning, action learning projects and
smaller chunks of content. They wanted to see the developers of Learning
Management System recognize that vector in their plans for development.

3. AOL and Time Warner: Content is King in Learning World The merger of
AOL and Time Warner was announced the morning of our recent e-learning
briefing. It is interesting to look at the merger from the learning world's
perspective. It clearly states that CONTENT is KING! The desire to have
Content and Connectivity is a parallel desire in the e-learning field.
Watch for a number of our current learning and technology groups to be
courted in future deals!

(If you would like to receive the January edition of Learning Decisions,
there is still time. Just go to www.learningdecisions.com and sign up.
The first edition will be mailed next Wednesday!)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Instant Survey on Learning Decisions for 2000

RE: Instant Survey on Learning Decisions for 2000
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center

Dear Colleagues,

Let's start the year by looking at the key Learning Decisions that
organizations are confronting in 2000. Take a few minutes to participate
in our Instant Survey, focused on the critical issues your organization
will face as it plans for learning and training activities.

Go to http://www.masie.com/survey/

An executive summary of the results will be published in an upcoming
TechLearn TRENDS. Complete data and analysis, along with commentary, will
be included in our new publication. Learning Decisions Interactive
Newsletter.

Thanks for your participation.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie

For information on our new Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter, go to
http://www.learningdecisions.com



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------