TestOut Continuing Education Around the World

There’s a lot that I like about my job. My coworkers, working environment, and my commute (less than a mile) are real plusses. (I'm also a longtime Golden State Warriors fan. Life is good!) One thing that really excites me, however, is seeing how our training courseware solves problems for individuals and companies around the world.

A recent instance of solving problems began innocently enough with a TestOut customer who was using LabSim to earn an IT degree. He was so impressed that he showed it to his wife, Jeni Fray, who just happens to be a learning specialist with IBM in Boulder, Colo. Fray liked what she saw, did some research, and was impressed enough to recommend LabSim to her bosses.

To make a long story short — they love LabSim!

Anthony DeLuke, Senior Education Specialist with IBM, was originally dubious when he sat down to review our materials. Within a few minutes, however, DeLuke found himself pleasantly surprised. He liked how the courseware progressed from succinct videos to pertinent follow-up questions that helped reinforce the lessons.

He was especially impressed with LabSim. “One of the advantages I see with TestOut’s lab simulations is that the students get to touch, feel, connect equipment together, disconnect equipment together, configure — and that certainly enhances the learning,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 25 years. It’s one of the best courses I’ve ever seen.”

When all of this happened, IBM was looking for online training and curriculum to bolster the effectiveness of learning at their development centers. Big Blue also had an immediate need for their center in Sofia, Bulgaria. They needed to train 90 new employees in entry-level PC hardware and networking skills — and they had just eight weeks to do it.

IBM contacted us and asked for an evaluation copy of LabSim. They used it for a week and realized we could solve their training challenges. Presently, they’re completing the training of their Bulgarian employees, and this is just the first phase of 300 students.

TestOut’s online learning courseware solves so many problems associated with training. One of Fray’s biggest challenges was that she could accommodate just so many students in her classroom at one time. Our online courseware enables her to reach “so many more students across the globe,” she said.

Additionally, there are significant cost savings to using our online LabSim courseware. Students don’t need to be physically onsite. IBM doesn’t have to fly their students in and put them up in hotels for training. “They get to sit at home, in the comfort of their own home, in their own chairs, using their own laptops and take this training,” said Fray.

TestOut’s mission statement is that, “We make a difference in a person’s life through education using breakthrough technology.”

IBM is the “gold standard” in enterprise technology. (Sort of like how the Warriors are the gold standard for the NBA.) They take their corporate training seriously — and knowing that LabSim is helping solve their Bulgaria training needs is a great feeling. To me this is TestOut in a nutshell.

About the Author — Kyle Orton is a sales manager for TestOut Corporation. He has a business management degree with an emphasis in marketing from Brigham Young University. He is married to Jill Orton, the love of his life, and they have five children. Kyle is a die-hard Golden State Warriors fan — he recently mortgaged his home to bet on them winning consecutive championships. (No, really. Please don't tell Jill.)