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Press / 2003 / 4^th August

Benchmark Learning and InfoBasis form strategic alliance

The move provides Benchmark Learning with a natural upgrade path for the 150 clients currently using its SMART assessment tool. “With technology budgets tight, it is critical for projects to be completed successfully and trained people are the key ingredient to this outcome. Our existing customers are very happy using our SMART assessment tool,” explains CEO Phil Hinderaker. “It enables them to check technical and project readiness in addition to setting individual learning plans. Now, though, many want to go beyond that, and understand and analyze the skills of their organization as a whole. The InfoBasis Enterprise Skills Infrastructure allows them to do that.”

InfoBasis ESI enables organizations to understand in detail their people’s capabilities and how to best develop and deploy them for business advantage. Using InfoBasis ESI, organizations are better able to manage their IT projects, develop and manage their IT staff’s career paths and training, and reap the other benefits of effective skills management such as succession planning, smarter recruitment, risk analysis and readiness planning.

With this alliance, InfoBasis is looking to replicate successes in the European market, explains Ashley Wheaton, CEO of the British-based company. “We are extremely excited about the partnership with Benchmark Learning – by working closely together, we’ve enabled their customers to migrate seamlessly from SMART to ESI. There is a high demand in North America for sophisticated Human Capital Management solutions such as ESI. We believe this reflects an understanding that, as Peter Drucker observed, organizations in the modern economy can only differentiate themselves successfully through the skills and knowledge of their personnel.”

Initial market research has shown that Benchmark Learning’s clients are keen to experience the benefits of deploying InfoBasis ESI. These clients already train with the Minneapolis firm, and many will be aiming to centrally plan their national and international training using InfoBasis ESI in combination with Benchmark Learning’s global training partners.