CTRA Centra Software (MM)

Release Incorporates New Components that Increase Enterprise Application Value and End-user Adoption; Includes Centra's Next Generation Client for Live Events Centra Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRA), a leading provider of software and services for online learning and training, today announced Centra 7 version 7.5. This release provides significantly enhanced support for organizational acceptance of enterprise applications including the introduction of three add-on components that provide a complete solution of integrated software, services and best practices. Created to address the many challenges of application implementation, end-user adoption and user competency, Centra 7.5 includes a new performance support system and sophisticated live help component for personalized, on-the-job learning. These new components lower production application support costs and increase compliance to standard business processes. This new release also includes enhanced, custom reporting capabilities for program and progress measurement tied to enterprise applications. Centra 7.5 also includes enhancements to Centra's core technology, Centra Live, with a next-generation client for real-time sessions, essential for traditional pre-go-live training and change management initiatives. Centra Live now offers a refined user interface, enhanced voice-over-IP audio and live video experience, and tools for interactivity for richer, more engaging sessions. With this complete and integrated solution, organizations will realize higher enterprise application adoption and utilization, optimized business process execution, and faster time to business value -- all benefits attributed to learning programs. This announcement was made today at the 2005 ASTD Conference and Exposition. Organizations adopting Centra 7.5 will have access to product components and professional services that will address the online learning and training needs required to support enterprise applications. New add-on modules include: -- Centra Info Guide - An on-demand performance support system that delivers up-to-date information about corporate policies, procedures, and practices, and context-sensitive application help, providing low-cost, self-service assistance to employees as they are doing their work. Key to the continuation of learning after virtual classroom training, formal self-paced training, or blended programs are complete, Info Guide brings corporate and application knowledge to the desktop when needed to help employees perform business tasks - not just to conduct application transactions. Centra Info Guide integrates with Centra Knowledge Center, Centra's Web-based knowledge portal for formal blended learning programs, enabling users to effortlessly access relevant, personalized training materials with a single click. -- Centra Instant Assist - Employees can effortlessly transition from self-help to live expert assistance with Centra Instant Assist. This component provides real-time application or business procedure support through online chat with help desk representatives. Accessible from Centra Info Guide, employees conveniently and quickly access experts and, through tight integration with Centra Live, may share their desktop virtually for fast issue resolution. -- Centra Performance Insight - A Web-based enterprise reporting system that provides customized business intelligence reports in sophisticated yet easy-to-understand formats. Custom application training progress reports provide visibility into an organization's ability to "go live" on time with competent users. Combine Centra and enterprise application data into a single report to attribute trends in business performance to organizational learning and collaboration. -- Content Development Services - Adding to a wide range of consulting, education and training, implementation, best practices, and support services, Centra's content development services provide assistance for live online training, blended learning programs, and performance support. Content services for training span needs analysis, adaptation and repurposing, creation, and delivery. New services assist organizations in architecting, designing, and creating content and information for Centra Info Guide. Centra's experienced staff of content developers can author meaningful, up-to-date, and job-specific support materials, including application instructions, demonstrations, simulations, process mappings, and procedures. These new components are designed to shorten application rollout cycles and drastically lower travel, facilities and telecom costs associated with traditional rollout methods, ultimately reducing costs for an organization on a recurring basis. They also lower help desk costs for business-critical applications in production use. Organizations maximize their enterprise application investment by increasing employee productivity through more targeted training, less time out of the office, increased proficiency and end-user adoption of the new business processes. Centra 7.5 allows organizations to deliver personalized training to employees through a combination of self-service and live online learning, provide access to key subject matter experts for support, and automate the gathering and reporting of key rollout progress and effectiveness metrics. Beta customers have applauded Centra's integrated solution that gives them a single system that addresses the multiple needs of end-users while providing both application and business process support accessed through one application. "When implementing an enterprise application, our research shows that companies that understand the correlation between training and end-user adoption and invest more in training throughout the application lifecycle have a higher success rate," said Bruce Richardson, Chief Research Officer at AMR Research. "Helping customers address the complex learning and change management challenges around ERP deployments has been a part of Centra's legacy. Now they have taken their deep domain expertise, best practices, and core software and added new modules that will go further to address major pain points of organizations deploying enterprise applications such as SAP. " Enhancements to Centra's Core Technology The new graphical interface provided by Centra 7.5 delivers streamlined, intuitive menus and improved tools and features for live sessions that promote high end-user adoption. Centra 7.5 integrates with end-user desktops and popular business applications, embedding collaboration into day-to-day workflows. By integrating with instant messaging, email and calendaring tools, enterprise applications and learning management systems, Centra supports and accelerates the collaborative requirements of existing business processes. Improvements to Centra's "Smart Client" Technology, a deployment design that exists today, makes it easy to deploy client software on desktops throughout the enterprise while minimizing IT support and corporate lock-down policies. Ease-of-Use Enhancements Centra 7.5 provides a simple user interface layout and controls including toolbar buttons and drop-down menus that have intuitive text labels, icons and keyboard short-cuts, moveable panels, drag and drop content, and a welcome screen that displays a simple set of instructions for new or infrequent users. Easy-to-use tools for interactivity include a new object-oriented whiteboard tool that saves all notes, images and markups and an enhanced survey editor. This version also includes a simple way to invite others when in a live session. Post-meeting activities are made easier through a user interface dialog that makes it easy to publish a recorded session and email a meeting summary. Packaging and Availability Centra 7.5 is scheduled for general availability in June 2005. Components of the application and add-on modules can be licensed separately, or together as a complete enterprise online learning and training environment that can be installed on-site or accessed through Centra's secure ASP. Pricing varies based on configuration and scope of services. Call 1-800-414-3591 or 781-994-1168 for details. About Centra Online learning and training solutions from Centra create workforce efficiencies and enable organizations to share and exchange business-critical information with geographically distributed customers, partners, prospects and employees. Centra's solutions integrate real-time communication, collaboration and learning, and departmental business processes with applications that accelerate enterprise application rollouts, sales and channel training, workforce development and customer training initiatives. Currently available in 9 languages, Centra solutions can be deployed as on-site software or through its ASP service and are supported by an active ecosystem of value-added partners, including Siebel, PeopleSoft, SAP and Deloitte Consulting. Organizations across every major industry and market sector choose Centra, including Wyndham International, Weyerhaeuser, Underwriters Laboratories, BMW and Stanford University. Headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, Centra serves a worldwide customer base throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit www.centra.com. Note to Editors: If you would like an onsite demo of Centra 7.5 during the ASTD Conference and Expo, contact Stephanie Goebel at 781-929-3705. Safe Harbor Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements With the exception of the historical information contained in this release, the matters described herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements about the beliefs and expectations of management regarding the Company's future performance, the Company's strategic initiatives, its ability to achieve and maintain a leadership position in real-time conferencing and collaboration, demand for the Company's software services and management's goals and objectives regarding future results of operations. These statements reflect management's beliefs and expectations as of the date of this statement, and involve risk and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the Company's ability to successfully execute its strategic plan, the effect of the Company's cost-cutting measures on its operations, acceptance by customers of the Company's Enterprise Advantage Subscription pricing model, significant changes in our senior management team, customer fulfillment of the entire term of multi-year subscription contracts, uncertainty of market reaction to the Company's sales and marketing efforts, product demand for and market acceptance of the Centra 7 collaboration platform, the Company's ability to sell and deliver its Enterprise Application Rollout and Sales Effectiveness solutions and other future products, the effect of economic conditions generally on the market for IT spending and for the Company's products, the results of future research and development activities, the impact of competitive products and pricing, technological difficulties and/or other factors outside the control of the Company. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to implement its growth and operating plans as anticipated, or achieve its revenue and earnings goals. For a description of additional risks, and uncertainties, please refer to the Company's filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and its Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2005, which are available at www.centra.com/investorrelations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Centra is a registered trademark of Centra Software, Inc. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.