Corporate e-learning comes of age in
Asia Pacific
says Oracle University
British American Tobacco China
among companies in Asia Pacific
adopting Oracle iLearning to manage training
Hong Kong, December 10, 2002 - Oracle
Systems Hong Kong Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oracle Corporation,
the world's largest enterprise software company, today announced that
e-learning in Asia has hit its takeoff point, particularly in the markets
of Australia, Korea, China, Singapore and Hong Kong.
According to Chris Pirie, vice president, Oracle University,
technology and communications infrastructure is expected to improve across
most countries in the Asia Pacific region, while cultural factors such
as an Asian preference for classroom training have faded in the wake of
the clear cost-benefit advantages of e-learning.
British American Tobacco China ('BAT China'), the
largest international tobacco company in Asia Pacific, has just rolled
out a learning management system across Hong Kong, China and Taiwan using
Oracle iLearning.
"E-learning is in a fast adoption cycle in Asia Pacific,
as it addresses fundamental business priorities for clients," said
Mr Pirie on a visit to Hong Kong. "E-learning solutions provide the
flexibility to meet companies' tight schedules and budgets, and can
be quickly deployed, personalized or altered to benefit users in dispersed
locations. In addition to this, there is a clear improvement in productivity
and a much better alignment with company directives, resulting in a dramatic
improvement in the return-on-investment from staff training."
In a recent report, market research firm IDC predicts
that the Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) corporate e-learning market is
expected to be worth almost US$345 million by 2006, growing at a compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28 percent.
Closer to home, IDC predicts that the overall corporate
e-learning market of Greater China will reach some US$107 million by 2006,
with PRC taking up 72% of the market. IDC cites that PRC will increase
at a CAGR of 52% from 2001-2006 and reach some US$76 million by 2006;
the Hong Kong e-learning market is set to reach a value of US$20 million
in 2006, growing at a CAGR of 17%; Taiwan will expand at a CAGR of 13%
over the same period, growing to reach some US$11 million by 2006.
Oracle iLearning was recently selected as the best overall
solution for small- to medium-sized implementations at the 2002 Online
Learning Conference in the US. Similarly, Oracle iLearning has also been
popular with businesses in Hong Kong, especially multinationals like BAT
China.
BAT China selected Oracle iLearning not only for its
flexible, scalable and feature-rich LMS technology, but also for its shared
vision as a partner in the drive to establish a company e-culture of continuous
learning and improvement.
"With Oracle iLearning, it is possible to upskill
more than 800 employees in multiple locations across the area without
travelling," said Mick Bolton, program manager, e-Commerce, British
American Tobacco China. "Investing in a good eLearning solution can
be a means for corporations to reduce their long term training costs."
BAT China employees have benefited from a more efficient,
measurable and flexible learning process, and the ability to schedule
their training to their own timetables as well as to gain access to content
that suits them best. The rollout of content on the system to users in
BAT China was completed in just 60 days.
Oracle iLearning, offered as an integrated component
of the Oracle E-Business Suite or as a stand-alone solution, provides
a complete infrastructure for organizations to manage, deliver, and track
training participation of employees, customers, and partners in both online
and classroom based environments. Oracle iLearning may be installed at
the customer's site or as an outsourced service, eliminating the need
for complex installation and ongoing software maintenance.
About Oracle
Oracle is the world's largest enterprise software company. For more information
about Oracle visit our Website at www.oracle.com
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