Under the terms of agreement, SmartForce will make an equity investment in Docent by embedding advanced learning management capabilities developed by Docent into its e-learning platform. The SmartForce solution powered by Docent will be marketed by SmartForce's 400 person sales force in 35 countries around the world. According to Dave Ellett, chairman, president and CEO of Docent, the partnership with SmartForce is intended to help the companies stay competitive by enhancing the learning opportunities they require. We believe the combination of SmartForce and Docent's scalable platform capabilities should make a significant difference in how companies implement strategic e-learning initiatives.
Docent is a very good choice.
They have a good mix of technology, market size and momentum. Previously, SmartForce tried to do it all themselves, but I think they finally get that they need to reinforce their base as a strong content provider. Aldrich adds, however, that the agreement is not mutually exclusive. I don't see why SmartForce would limit themselves. To be a premier content company they need to partner will all nine relevant Learning Management Systems.