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Fronter chosen as Campus Solution for the University of Vienna

The oldest university in the German-speaking world and one of the largest in Central Europe has selected Fronter as its central Learning Management Solution. The Fronter platform is implemented this autumn and replaces Blackboard Vista.

The contract with Blackboard Vista was about to expire and, looking for alternatives, the University of Vienna put the LMS out to tender. Fronter was chosen to replace Blackboard after an extensive tender process and intensive testing. Fronter was selected from a number of competitors for its attractive cost benefit ratio and level of support and flexibility.

“Fronter’s offer in response to our Software and services for the eLearning-infrastructure for the university of Vienna tender, had the most attractive cost benefit ratio” says Peter Rastl, Director of University of Vienna Computer Service. “We are confident that Fronter meets the user needs specified in our requirements in an optimal way. Fronter offers our users a powerful, stable and flexible solution that meets all the needs of a heterogeneous university society”.

"We are very proud to have been selected as a campus wide solution by one of the oldest universities in Europe", says Roger Larsen, Fronter Founder and CEO. "The University of Vienna, with its history, experience and commitment to advanced learning strategies, will be a key strategic partner in the further development of the Fronter platform".

An important factor in the LMS selection process was the possibility to structure the LMS along the lines of the Bologna-Processes. Fronter’s open solution supports modular structures and makes it possible to embed E-Learning and Blended Learning solutions within the LMS. “In the spirit of the Bologna-Processes, Fronter’s platform is student centric”, says Roger Larsen, “it is designed to enhance the learning experience for the individual student and his/her opportunities for collaboration”.

The Austrian University has bought a campus license which covers the whole University, and will host the system on its servers. The agreement includes a 5 year plan for Fronter upgrades as well as support and training. Starting October this year, Fronter will facilitate the change of platform from Blackboard Vista, migrating some 4500 courses from the old platform into the Fronter platform. As of March 2009 Fronter will be available in its full range as the University of Vienna’s eLearning Platform.

About Fronter:

www.fronter.com

About the University of Vienna:

The University of Vienna is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and one of the largest in Central Europe. At present, about 72,000 students are enrolled at the University of Vienna, in more than 130 courses of which 26 Bachelor and 47 Masterstudies. With close to 8,300 employees, 6,200 of which are scientists and academics, the University of Vienna is also the largest teaching and research institution in Austria.  The University of Vienna has always been strongly orientated towards international research and teaching and therefore continues its efforts to maintain its relationships with other countries. The University has 331 European Partner Universities. Students from approximately 130 countries are taking part in more than 10,000 lectures at the University of Vienna every year.

The University of Vienna is one of the few Universities in Europe that has institutionalized the Bologna-Reform by establishing a dedicated Bologna-department that systematically supports the new structure of the study plans. E-Learning is a central tool for the university to achieve the goals from Bologna.

www.univie.ac.at/

For further information, please contact:

Kirsti Rogne, Communications Manager, Tel.: 481 16 851/e-mail: kirsti.rogne@fronter.com

Technorati Tags: Fronter

University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations chooses Fronter

University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations plans to use the Fronter Learning platform for a wide range of e-learning solutions, including the delivery of blended learning courses in English and the provision of on-line coordination of external examiners around the world. 

Cambridge ESOL will use the Fronter learning platform’s communication, survey and test tools, the learning paths for individualised learning and a range of functionalities developed specifically for the education sector. The Fronter learning platform will also be instrumental in the effective sharing of learning resources across ESOL’s global operations.

The initial contract runs for three years, with an option for a further seven years. “This is probably the most exciting project in European higher education, and at Fronter we are very proud to have been selected by Cambridge ESOL, and to feature in the long term plan to move its operations onto a digital platform,” said Roger Larsen, founder and CEO of Fronter. “The Fronter Learning platform has been developed in close cooperation with a large reference group of academic professionals. It is a tribute to the work of this group that the platform has now been selected by the most prestigious university in the world.”

Nick Charge, examination manager at Cambridge ESOL, is responsible for the 10 year strategy for e-learning. If the initial phases are successful, it is planned that the Fronter learning platform will play an integral part in Cambridge ESOL’s e-learning strategy.

“We chose the Fronter platform because it provided all the tools we need to fulfil our e-learning ambitions,” said Nick Charge.  “We look forward to working closely with the Fronter team over the next few years.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Sebastian Mysko on 0113 3947960 or sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com.

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Notes to editors:

About Fronter

Fronter customers come from a wide selection of educational institutions, from primary schools through to higher education. Public and commercial organisations also use Fronter as a collaborative working tool, enabling professional support networks, and continued professional development.

Used by the National College of School Leadership in the UK, across schools in the Nordic capitals, chosen by London education authorities, and recently selected as preferred learning platform provider for all Austrian schools, the Fronter platform is fast gaining recognition as a learning platform solution catering for the next generation of global education.

The Fronter platform’s development is based on three core values; openness, simplicity and a pedagogic foundation. These values ensure wide accessibility, an intuitive user interface, and most importantly that the platform’s development is driven by the dynamic needs of the education community.

About Cambridge ESOL

Cambridge ESOL is a not for profit department of the University of Cambridge. It is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group, Europe’s largest assessment agency. The Cambridge Assessment Group incorporates three major exam boards; University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL). Cambridge ESOL provides examinations in English for more than two million people every year in more than 130 countries.

Fronter partners with Elluminate to combine live e-learning within its virtual learning environment

Fronter, one of the top three providers of learning platforms for schools in the UK, has announced a new strategic partnership with Elluminate, Inc. The learning platform enables education to take place online, enhancing collaboration between students, teachers and parents. Fronter will embed Elluminate’s real-time virtual classroom and web conferencing technology into its platform free of charge.

Elluminate Live!® is a real-time virtual classroom environment designed for distance education and collaboration. Academic institutions worldwide use Elluminate technology to extend the physical boundaries of the traditional classroom and add live discussion and dynamic interaction to asynchronous distance learning. Elluminate Live! has become the educational standard for engaging students, enhancing learning, and improving comprehension..

Fronter will include two Elluminate solutions as part of its Open Learning Platform: an unlimited-use, limited functionality version and a fully functional version Live! for up to three participants. The addition of these fully integrated services will provide educators and students with a comprehensive, real-time collaboration system that is embedded and facilitated directly within the Fronter environment.

Fronter, is an open-learning platform that combines almost 100 easy-to-use web tools for learning, teaching, communication, personal work, portfolios and publishing. It is working with more than 1000 schools and almost a third of all UK LAs to help them implement a learning platform in line with the new government target for all learners to have an online personalised learning space by 2008.

Elluminate is a real-time virtual classroom designed for distance learning and collaboration in academic institutions. It offers an affordable service that duplicates any learning activity, from lectures and presentations to small group discussions and debates.

"Fronter and Elluminate share a commitment to enhancing and facilitating the process of teaching and learning for academic institutions of all levels," said Roger Larsen, international managing director of Fronter. "By including industry leading real-time collaboration from Elluminate in the Fronter solution, we are offering our customers the most feature-complete collaboration platform on the market"

In May 2007, Fronter was chosen by the London Grid for Learning (LGFL) to provide and implement a learning platform to all London schools. The solution, known as the London MLE, is an integrated learning and management system based on Fronter’s open learning platform. The partnership has encouraged nearly 400 schools to implement the platform, including 42% of all secondary schools.

Bill Gayler, UK managing director added: “This new partnership is fantastic news for our customers across the country. We are constantly looking for new innovative ways to improve and develop our platform, so teachers, parents and students alike can share their work quicker and easier.

"We are extremely pleased to partner with Fronter to extend the company's popular virtual learning environment to include live eLearning and web collaboration, while expanding our presence in the European marketplace," said Maurice Heiblum, president of Elluminate Inc. “Integrating Elluminate Live! will help ensure that students are fully engaged in learning, communicating and collaborating in real time on a global level."

On an annual basis, Fronter brings together 100 pedagogy and teaching experts from across the globe to discuss industry trends. It relies on the findings from this forum to ensure the product evolves to meet the future needs and wishes of the community. For further information please go to www.fronter.co.uk.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• Fronter was founded in Norway in 1998 and is now used by more than four million users across nine countries. Fronter is used by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) for their talk2learn platform and work with a large number of UK schools, colleges and local authorities.
• Fronter is a 3^rd time winner of the European Seal of E-Excellence in Gold.
• Since its formation, Fronter has gone from strength to strength with its increasingly popular open learning platform, which offers a web-based and multilingual platform where students and teachers alike can benefit from collaboration and learning.
• Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Elluminate has served more than 200 million web-collaboration minutes to over 3 million teachers and students located in 184 countries.
• The winner of several prestigious awards, Elluminate is one of Deloitte’s 50 Fastest Growing Technology Companies and is positioned in the Visionaries Quadrant of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Web Conferencing, 2007.
• Elluminate Live!® is a Live!registered trademark of Elluminate, Inc.
Technorati Tags: Fronter,Learning Platforms,software

Fronter announces new senior appointment

Fronter, one of the top three providers of an Open Learning Platform to schools in the UK, has appointed a new senior employee to its team as it continues its rapid expansion. Antony Moore, 37, joins the business as head of education, moving from his role as ICT development officer for Westminster City Council.

Antony will now supervise a team of 13, including 10 managed learning environment (MLE) consultants and is dedicated to supporting schools to successfully implement the Fronter learning platform and MLE, through effective development of training products.

Antony has worked in the education sector for the last 15 years and brings with him experience of working in a range of public sector establishments including primary schools, regional bodies and DCSF. The move to Fronter will be his first role within the private education sector and he is looking forward to the new and exciting challenges this position will offer.

Founded in Oslo in 1998, Fronter established its first fully owned international subsidiary in the UK in 2002 and has recently been chosen to provide a learning platform for all London schools. Based on three core principals of openness, simplicity and pedagogic focus, Fronter offers a long-term relationship with its users, as the platform is continually developed and technically supported by its professional team.

Bill Gayler, manager director of Fronter UK, said: “The appointment of Antony will certainly have an immediate and positive impact on our business here at Fronter. With the company continuing to grow rapidly – we believe we are well placed to help schools meet the Government’s long term targets for learning platforms and personalised learning in British schools.”

Antony commented: “I’m delighted to be joining Fronter. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Westminster LA but I am now looking forward to a new and challenging opportunity. In my 15 years in education, I have worked within the public sector and I really wanted the opportunity to start working in a different environment. Fronter’s business ethic and values were key motivators in my desire to work with the team and I truly believe that the MLE will make a real difference in educational establishments in London and beyond.”

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For more information please contact, Sebastian Mysko on 0113 3947960 or email sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com
Get Skype and call me for free.

Notes to Editors

· Roger Larsen is Fronter’s founder and international managing director.

· Fronter was founded in Norway in 1998 and is now used by more than four million users in 9 European countries.

· Fronter is used by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) for their talk2learn platform and work with a large number of UK schools, colleges and local authorities.

· Fronter is a 3^rd time winner of the European Seal of E-Excellence in Gold.

Technorati Tags: Fronter,Learning platforms,Becta,virtual learning enviroment

A click in the right direction for Somerset schools

Children and young people in Somerset will benefit from a new online learning environment that will allow pupils to access interactive learning resources on the internet, in and out of school.

Somerset County Council has signed a contract with Fronter making the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) available to all schools in Somerset. The VLE is a platform that pupils and teachers can use to share and host learning opportunities and resources needed to help pupils achieve.

The VLE can be used from any computer with internet access. This allows pupils to access the same information at home and in the classroom. Pupils will be able to communicate with teachers, access video, audio and written learning resources and discuss topics with other pupils outside of school hours.

The VLE will be part of Somerset County Council’s education strategy allowing parents to work in partnership with schools. Parents will be allowed secure access to view their child’s attendance and performance and school events over the internet.

David Taylor, Somerset County Council’s Director of Children and Young People’s Services, said: “This project has the potential to extent and enrich the learning opportunities that Somerset County Council are able to provide to children and young people in Somerset. The VLE will be available for all primary and secondary schools, and will improve the continuity of education between the two phases.”

Gloria Cawood, Somerset County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Education, added: “The Virtual Learning Environment will be a central information source, that will compliment and extend traditional teaching methods. Children will be able to benefit from tailored learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom, helping to raise achievement in schools across the County.”

Bill Gayler, Fronter’s UK Managing Director, commented: “We are excited to have been chosen by Somerset County Council to introduce the Fronter learning platform to the region. Ahead of the government’s guidelines, we feel there is a transformation taking place, and the improvement of education in and outside the classroom through online learning is of monumental benefit to students, teachers and guardians.”

---ENDS--- 

For more information please contact, Sebastian Mysko on 0113 3947960 or email sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com
Get Skype and call me for free.

Alex Bacon, PR and Communications Officer, 01823 358271 or email abacon@Somerset.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

· Roger Larsen is Fronter’s founder and international managing director.

· Fronter was founded in Norway in 1998 and is now used by more than four million users in 9 European countries.

· Fronter is used by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) for their talk2learn platform and work with a large number of UK schools, colleges and local authorities.

· Fronter is a 3^rd time winner of the European Seal of E-Excellence in Gold.

· Becta is the Government's lead agency for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education, covering the United Kingdom. In March 2007, Becta was given an enhanced remit by the Department for children, schools and families (DCSF) to lead the co-ordination, development and delivery of the government's strategy to harness the power of technology to help improve education, skills and children's services (http://www.becta.org.uk).

· The first Somerset schools will take advantage of using Fronter in March 2008 and implementation for most schools will be phased in over the next twelve months.

Technorati Tags: Fronter,Learning platforms,Becta,Somerset County Council,vitual learning environment

Fronter secures pole position in UK schools after record growth

Fronter, one of the top three providers of a learning platform for schools in the UK, has announced a 25-fold increase in business. The learning platform enables education to take place online, enhancing collaboration between students, teachers and parents.

Since Fronter established itself in the UK in 2002, staff numbers across the management, educational consultancy and technical teams have seen a dramatic increase.

In May 2007, Fronter was chosen by the London Grid for Learning (LGFL) to provide and implement a learning platform to all London schools. The solution, known as the London MLE, is an integrated learning and management system based on Fronter’s open learning platform. The partnership has encouraged nearly 400 schools to implement the platform, including 42% of all secondary schools.

Fronter is also working with more than 1000 schools and almost a third of all UK LA’s to help them implement a learning platform in line with the new government target for all learners to have an online personalised learning space by 2008.

Roger Larsen, international managing director at Fronter said: “Because Fronter is an open company, it develops its learning platform in partnership with its users. We work closely with schools and LA’s to ensure the implementation of the platform is correct. This allows the system to be used easily and it can then be embedded into everyday school life. Our aim is to set a global standard for collaboration on the web, and our increased UK presence and growth is certainly helping us achieve this objective.”

On an annual basis, Fronter brings together 100 pedagogy and teaching experts from across the globe to discuss industry trends. It relies on the findings from this forum to ensure the product evolves to meet the future needs and wishes of the community.

Bill Gayler, UK managing director commented further: “A real transformation is taking place in schools across this country, over the next three years, which should help reduce the administrative burden placed on our schools. Fronter’s core values of openness, simplicity and pedagogic focus are reflected in our product and more importantly through our entire working ethos. We believe there is no other company providing a service like ours in this sector. Our industry focus has helped Fronter to become one of the main providers of learning platforms across the whole of Europe.”

For further information please go to www.fronter.co.uk

ENDS

For further media information please contact Wolfstar +44 (0)113 394 7960

Sebastian Mysko +44 (0)7855 323728

sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Technorati Tags: Frinter,Learning platforms,London MLE,London Grid for Learning,ICT in eduction

 

Notes to Editors:

· Roger Larsen is Fronter’s founder and international managing director.

· Fronter was founded in Norway in 1998 and is now used by more than two million users in 2,000 learning institutions through eight countries. Fronter is used by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) for their talk2learn platform and work with a large number of UK schools, colleges and local authorities.

· Fronter is a 3^rd time winner of the European Seal of E-Excellence in Gold.