Plateau Systems Launches Implementation Qualification (IQ) Program for Customers and Global Partner Network

IQ Program allows customers and partners to certify in-house experts on Plateau 4 LMS, extending the strategic value of the software and lowering ownership costs

ARLINGTON, VA September 9, 2003 Plateau Systems, the leading provider of enterprise learning management systems, today announced its offering of the Implementation Qualification (IQ) Program, which certifies customers and chosen integration partners on Plateau's Global Services Implementation Methodology, providing them with the tools and techniques necessary to efficiently and effectively implement and utilize Plateau 4 Learning Management System (LMS) in customer environments.

Certifying customers and strategic partners on Plateau 4 LMS extends the Return on Investment (ROI) customers receive from Plateau's award-winning enterprise software, and it broadens Plateau's presence in global markets. By sharing best practices, lessons learned, specific tools and job aids, Plateau is enabling its customers to easily take ownership of the software after it is implemented and better utilize the system to meet corporate objectives. The IQ program also allows Plateau's global partner network to implement more effectively and provide strategic advice on Plateau's enterprise software applications. Professionals from all of the world's largest systems integration companies will be Plateau-certified in the next year.

Plateau kicked off the IQ program last month, beginning the certification process for six professionals at two of its strategic integration partners. Plateau expects to certify dozens of service professionals from the world's largest systems integration companies over the next year. Customers will be able to utilize the IQ program by the end of the year. Other planned extensions to the IQ Program include on-site Plateau mentoring for students as well as a virtual, collaborative space for updates and other ongoing Plateau learning that is currently being developed. The IQ Program training is divided into three program tracks:

Functional Track - targeted towards Project Managers and Business Analysts
Technical Track - incorporates installation, customization, migration and integration issues
Train the Trainer Track - highlights Plateau's training methodology.

All participants must be a Plateau customer or one of Plateau's chosen integration partners, and are admitted to the IQ Program through an application and review process. Classes of 8-10 students learn interactively during the Knowledge, Application and Analysis, and Evaluation Phases of the training. All told, each participant will undergo nearly 300 hours of instruction and on-the-job training before becoming certified.

The IQ program provides our customers the ability to have significant in-house expertise on our system, and it extends our global footprint from a services perspective, said Shelly Heiden, Plateau's senior vice president of global services. This program is unique to the LMS industry, and is tied directly to our core mission of ensuring Plateau customers receive the greatest value from our enterprise software.

About Plateau: Plateau's enterprise-class software manages all of an organization's learning and knowledge on one scalable platform. Plateau 4 Learning Management System (LMS) is built on Web-based J2EE/EJB architecture, and is the engine behind the largest e-Learning initiatives in the corporate, non-profit and government markets. Plateau 4 LMS automates the management and delivery of online and classroom learning, organizational knowledge and competencies for clients including the American Red Cross, Motorola, Union Pacific and the U.S. Air Force. Plateau is listed as a leader in LMS evaluations from Gartner Inc. and META Group. The company is headquartered in Arlington, VA. For more information, please visit www.plateau.com.

###