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                                                                    Exhibit 10.2

                              SKILLSOFT CORPORATION

                            1998 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

     1. Purposes of the Plan. The purposes of this Stock Incentive Plan are to
attract and retain the best available personnel for positions of substantial
responsibility, to provide additional incentive to Employees, Directors and
Consultants and to promote the success of the Company's business.

     2. Definitions. As used herein, the following definitions shall apply:

         (a) "Administrator" means the Board or any of the Committees appointed
to administer the Plan.

         (b) "Applicable Laws" means the legal requirements relating to the
administration of stock incentive plans, if any, under applicable provisions of
federal securities laws, applicable state corporate and securities laws, the
Code, the rules of any applicable stock exchange or national market system, and
the rules of any foreign jurisdiction applicable to Awards granted to residents
therein.

         (c) "Award" means the grant of an Option, Restricted Stock, or other
right or benefit under the Plan.

         (d) "Award Agreement" means the written agreement evidencing the grant
of an Award executed by the Company and the Grantee, including any amendments
thereto.

         (e) "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Company.

         (f) "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

         (g) "Committee" means any committee appointed by the Board to
administer the Plan.

         (h) "Common Stock" means the common stock of the Company.

         (i) "Company" means SkillSoft Corporation.

         (j) "Consultant" means any person who is engaged by the Company or
Related Entity to render consulting or advisory services as an independent
contractor and is compensated for such services.

         (k) "Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant" means
that the provision of services to the Company or a Related Entity in any
capacity of Employee, Director or Consultant, is not interrupted or terminated.
Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant shall not be considered
interrupted in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence, (ii) transfers
between locations of the Company or among the Company, any Related Entity, or
any successor, in any capacity of Employee, Director or Consultant, or (iii) any
change

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in status as long as the individual remains in the service of the Company
or a Related Entity in any capacity of Employee, Director or Consultant (except
as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement). For purposes of Incentive Stock
Options, no such leave may exceed ninety (90) days, unless reemployment upon
expiration of such leave is guaranteed by statute or contract.

         (l) "Corporate Transaction" means any of the following
stockholder-approved transactions to which the Company is a party:

            (i) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the
surviving entity, except for a transaction the principal purpose of which is to
change the state in which the Company is incorporated;

            (ii) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially
all of the assets of the Company (including the capital stock of the Company's
subsidiary corporations) in connection with the complete liquidation or
dissolution of the Company; or

            (iii) any reverse merger in which the Company is the surviving
entity but in which securities possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the
total combined voting power of the Company's outstanding securities are
transferred to a person or persons different from those who held such securities
immediately prior to such merger.

         (m) "Director" means a member of the Board.

         (n) "Employee" means any person, including an Officer or Director, who
is an employee of the Company or any Related Entity. The payment of a director's
fee by the Company shall not be sufficient to constitute "employment" by the
Company.

         (o) "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.

         (p) "Fair Market Value" means, as of any date, the value of Common
Stock determined as follows:

            (i) Where there exists a public market for Common Stock, the Fair
Market Value shall be (A) the closing price for a Share for the last market
trading day prior to the time of the determination (or, if no closing price was
reported on that date, on the last trading date on which a closing price was
reported) on the stock exchange determined by the Administrator to be the
primary market for the Common Stock or the Nasdaq National Market, whichever is
applicable or (B) if the Common Stock is not traded on any such exchange or
national market system, the average of the closing bid and asked prices of a
Share on the Nasdaq Small Cap Market for the day prior to the time of the
determination (or, if no such prices were reported on that date, on the last
date on which such prices were reported), in each case, as reported in The Wall
Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable; or

            (ii) In the absence of an established market of the type described
in (i), above, for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value thereof shall be
determined by the Administrator in good faith.

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         (q) "Grantee" means an Employee, Director or Consultant who receives an
Award under the Plan.

         (r) "Incentive Stock Option" means an Option intended to qualify as an
incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

         (s) "Non-Qualified Stock Option" means an Option not intended to
qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.

         (t) "Officer" means a person who is an officer of the Company within
the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.

         (u) "Option" means a stock option granted pursuant to the Plan.

         (v) "Parent" means a "parent corporation," whether now or hereafter
existing, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.

         (w) "Plan" means this 1998 Stock Incentive Plan.

         (x) "Registration Date" means the closing of the first sale of
Common Stock to the general public pursuant to a registration statement filed
with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

         (y) "Related Entity" means any Parent, Subsidiary and any business,
corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity in which the
Company, a Parent or a Subsidiary holds an ownership interest, directly or
indirectly.

         (z) "Restricted Stock" means Shares issued under the Plan to the
Grantee for such consideration, if any, and subject to such restrictions on
transfer, rights of first refusal, repurchase provisions, forfeiture provisions,
and other terms and conditions as established by the Administrator.

         (aa) "Share" means a share of the Common Stock.

         (bb) "Subsidiary" means a "subsidiary corporation," whether now or
hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.

   3. Stock Subject to the Plan.

         (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 11(a) below, the maximum
aggregate number of Shares which may be issued pursuant to all Awards (including
Incentive Stock Options) is 4,690,000 Shares. The Shares may be authorized, but
unissued, or reacquired Common Stock.

         (b) If an Award expires or becomes unexercisable without having been
exercised in full, or if any unissued Shares are retained by the Company upon
exercise of an Award in order to satisfy the exercise price for such Award or
any withholding taxes due with

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respect to such Award, such unissued or retained Shares shall become available
for future grant or sale under the Plan (unless the Plan has terminated). Shares
that actually have been issued under the Plan pursuant to an Award shall not be
returned to the Plan and shall not become available for future distribution
under the Plan, except that if unvested Shares are forfeited, or repurchased by
the Company at their original purchase price, such Shares shall become available
for future grant under the Plan.

   4. Administration of the Plan.

         (a) Plan Administrator. With respect to grants of Awards to Employees,
Directors, Officers or Consultants, the Plan shall be administered by (A) the
Board or (B) a Committee (or a subcommittee of the Committee) designated by the
Board, which Committee shall be constituted in such a manner as to satisfy
Applicable Laws. Once appointed, such Committee shall continue to serve in its
designated capacity until otherwise directed by the Board. The Board may
authorize one or more Officers to grant Awards and may limit such authority as
the Board determines from time to time.

         (b) Powers of the Administrator. Subject to Applicable Laws and the
provisions of the Plan (including any other powers given to the Administrator
hereunder), and except as otherwise provided by the Board, the Administrator
shall have the authority, in its discretion:

            (i) to select the Employees, Directors and Consultants to whom
Awards may be granted from time to time hereunder;

            (ii) to determine whether and to what extent Awards are granted
hereunder;

            (iii) to determine the number of Shares or the amount of other
consideration to be covered by each Award granted hereunder;

            (iv) to approve forms of Award Agreement for use under the Plan;

            (v) to determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted
hereunder;

            (vi) to establish additional terms, conditions, rules or procedures
to accommodate the rules or laws of applicable foreign jurisdictions and to
afford Grantees favorable treatment under such laws; provided, however, that no
Award shall be granted under any such additional terms, conditions, rules or
procedures with terms or conditions which are inconsistent with the provisions
of the Plan;

            (vii) to amend the terms of any outstanding Award granted under the
Plan, including a reduction in the exercise price of any Award to reflect a
reduction in the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock since the grant date of
the Award, provided that any amendment that would adversely affect the Grantee's
rights under an outstanding Award shall not be made without the Grantee's
written consent;

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            (viii) to construe and interpret the terms of the Plan and Awards
granted pursuant to the Plan; and

            (ix) to take such other action, not inconsistent with the terms of
the Plan, as the Administrator deems appropriate.

      (c) Effect of Administrator's Decision. All decisions, determinations and
interpretations of the Administrator shall be conclusive and binding on all
persons.

   5. Eligibility. Awards other than Incentive Stock Options may be granted to
Employees, Directors and Consultants. Incentive Stock Options may be granted
only to Employees of the Company, a Parent or a Subsidiary. An Employee,
Director or Consultant who has been granted an Award may, if otherwise eligible,
be granted additional Awards. Awards may be granted to such Employees, Directors
or Consultants who are residing in foreign jurisdictions as the Administrator
may determine from time to time.

   6. Terms and Conditions of Awards.

      (a) Type of Awards. The Administrator is authorized under the Plan to
award any type of arrangement to an Employee, Director or Consultant that is not
inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan and that by its terms involves or
might involve the issuance of (i) Shares, (ii) an Option, or similar right with
an exercise or conversion privilege at a fixed or variable price related to the
Common Stock and/or the passage of time, the occurrence of one or more events,
or the satisfaction of performance criteria or other conditions, or (iii) any
other security with the value derived from the value of the Common Stock or
securities issued by a Related Entity. Such awards include, without limitation,
Options, and sales or bonuses of Restricted Stock. An Award may consist of one
such security or benefit, or two or more of them in any combination or
alternative.

      (b) Designation of Award. Each Award shall be designated in the Award
Agreement. In the case of an Option, the Option shall be designated as either an
Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option. However, notwithstanding
such designation, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of Shares
subject to Options designated as Incentive Stock Options which become
exercisable for the first time by a Grantee during any calendar year (under all
plans of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary) exceeds $100,000, such excess
Options, to the extent of the Shares covered thereby in excess of the foregoing
limitation, shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options. For this purpose,
Incentive Stock Options shall be taken into account in the order in which they
were granted, and the Fair Market Value of the Shares shall be determined as of
the grant date of the relevant Option.

      (c) Conditions of Award. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the
Administrator shall determine the provisions, terms, and conditions of each
Award including, but not limited to, the Award vesting schedule, repurchase
provisions, rights of first refusal, forfeiture provisions, form of payment
(cash, Shares, or other consideration) upon settlement of the Award, payment
contingencies, and satisfaction of any performance criteria. The performance
criteria established by the Administrator may be based on any one of, or
combination of, increase in share price,

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earnings per share, total stockholder return, return on equity, return on
assets, return on investment, net operating income, cash flow, revenue, economic
value added, personal management objectives, or other measure of performance
selected by the Administrator. Partial achievement of the specified criteria may
result in a payment or vesting corresponding to the degree of achievement as
specified in the Award Agreement.

      (d) Early Exercise. The Award may, but need not, include a provision
whereby the Grantee may elect at any time while an Employee, Director or
Consultant to exercise any part or all of the Award prior to full vesting of the
Award. Any unvested Shares received pursuant to such exercise may be subject to
a repurchase right in favor of the Company or to any other restriction the
Administrator determines to be appropriate.

      (e) Term of Award. The term of each Award shall be the term stated in the
Award Agreement, provided, however, that the term shall be no more than ten (10)
years from the date of grant thereof. However, in the case of an Incentive Stock
Option granted to a Grantee who, at the time the Option is granted, owns stock
representing more than ten percent (10%) of the voting power of all classes of
stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary, the term of the Incentive
Stock Option shall be five (5) years from the date of grant thereof or such
shorter term as may be provided in the Award Agreement.

      (f) Transferability of Awards. Incentive Stock Options may not be sold,
pledged, assigned, hypothecated, transferred, or disposed of in any manner other
than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised,
during the lifetime of the Grantee, only by the Grantee; provided, however, that
the Grantee may designate a beneficiary of the Grantee's Incentive Stock Option
in the event of the Grantee's death on a beneficiary designation form provided
by the Administrator. Other Awards shall be transferable to the extent provided
in the Award Agreement.

      (g) Time of Granting Awards. The date of grant of an Award shall for all
purposes be the date on which the Administrator makes the determination to grant
such Award, or such other date as is determined by the Administrator. Notice of
the grant determination shall be given to each Employee, Director or Consultant
to whom an Award is so granted within a reasonable time after the date of such
grant.

   7. Award Exercise or Purchase Price, Consideration, Taxes and Reload Options.

      (a) Exercise or Purchase Price. The exercise or purchase price, if any,
for an Award shall be as follows:

         (i) In the case of an Incentive Stock Option:

            (A) granted to an Employee who, at the time of the grant of such
Incentive Stock Option owns stock representing more than ten percent (10%) of
the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent or
Subsidiary, the per Share exercise price shall be not less than one hundred ten
percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant.

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            (B) granted to any Employee other than an Employee described in the
preceding paragraph, the per Share exercise price shall be not less than one
hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant.

         (ii) In the case of a Non-Qualified Stock Option, the per Share
exercise price shall be not less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair
Market Value per Share on the date of grant unless otherwise determined by the
Administrator.

         (iii) In the case of other Awards, such price as is determined by the
Administrator.

      (b) Consideration. Subject to Applicable Laws, the consideration to be
paid for the Shares to be issued upon exercise or purchase of an Award including
the method of payment, shall be determined by the Administrator (and, in the
case of an Incentive Stock Option, shall be determined at the time of grant). In
addition to any other types of consideration the Administrator may determine,
the Administrator is authorized to accept as consideration for Shares issued
under the Plan the following:

         (i) cash;

         (ii) check;

         (iii) delivery of Grantee's promissory note with such recourse,
interest, security, and redemption provisions as the Administrator determines as
appropriate;

         (iv) if the exercise occurs on or after the Registration Date,
surrender of Shares or delivery of a properly executed form of attestation of
ownership of Shares as the Administrator may require (including withholding of
Shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of the Award) which have a Fair
Market Value on the date of surrender or attestation equal to the aggregate
exercise price of the Shares as to which said Award shall be exercised (but only
to the extent that such exercise of the Award would not result in an accounting
compensation charge with respect to the Shares used to pay the exercise price
unless otherwise determined by the Administrator);

         (v) if the exercise occurs on or after the Registration Date, delivery
of a properly executed exercise notice together with such other documentation as
the Administrator and the broker, if applicable, shall require to effect an
exercise of the Award and delivery to the Company of the sale or loan proceeds
required to pay the exercise price; or

         (vi) any combination of the foregoing methods of payment.

      (c) Taxes. No Shares shall be delivered under the Plan to any Grantee or
other person until such Grantee or other person has made arrangements acceptable
to the Administrator for the satisfaction of any foreign, federal, state, or
local income and employment tax withholding obligations, including, without
limitation, obligations incident to the receipt of Shares or the

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disqualifying disposition of Shares received on exercise of an Incentive Stock
Option. Upon exercise of an Award the Company shall withhold or collect from
Grantee an amount sufficient to satisfy such tax obligations.

      (d) Reload Options. In the event the exercise price or tax withholding of
an Option is satisfied by the Company or the Grantee's employer withholding
Shares otherwise deliverable to the Grantee, the Administrator may issue the
Grantee an additional Option, with terms identical to the Award Agreement under
which the Option was exercised, but at an exercise price as determined by the
Administrator in accordance with the Plan.

   8. Exercise of Award.

      (a) Procedure for Exercise; Rights as a Stockholder.

         (i) Any Award granted hereunder shall be exercisable at such times and
under such conditions as determined by the Administrator under the terms of the
Plan and specified in the Award Agreement.

         (ii) An Award shall be deemed to be exercised when written notice of
such exercise has been given to the Company in accordance with the terms of the
Award by the person entitled to exercise the Award and full payment for the
Shares with respect to which the Award is exercised has been received by the
Company. Until the issuance (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books
of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company) of the
stock certificate evidencing such Shares, no right to vote or receive dividends
or any other rights as a stockholder shall exist with respect to Shares subject
to an Award, notwithstanding the exercise of an Option or other Award. No
adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date
is prior to the date the stock certificate is issued, except as provided in the
Award Agreement or Section 11(a), below.

      (b) Exercise of Award Following Termination of Employment, Director or
Consulting Relationship.

         (i) An Award may not be exercised after the termination date of such
Award set forth in the Award Agreement and may be exercised following the
termination of a Grantee's Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or
Consultant only to the extent provided in the Award Agreement.

         (ii) Where the Award Agreement permits a Grantee to exercise an Award
following the termination of the Grantee's Continuous Status as an Employee,
Director or Consultant for a specified period, the Award shall terminate to the
extent not exercised on the last day of the specified period or the last day of
the original term of the Award, whichever occurs first.

         (iii) Any Award designated as an Incentive Stock Option to the extent
not exercised within the time permitted by law for the exercise of Incentive
Stock Options following the termination of a Grantee's Continuous Status as an
Employee, Director or

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Consultant shall convert automatically to a Non-Qualified Stock Option and
thereafter shall be exercisable as such to the extent exercisable by its terms
for the period specified in the Award Agreement.

      (c) Buyout Provisions. The Administrator may at any time offer to buy out
for a payment in cash or Shares, an Award previously granted, based on such
terms and conditions as the Administrator shall establish and communicate to the
Grantee at the time that such offer is made.

   9. Conditions Upon Issuance of Shares.

      (a) Shares shall not be issued pursuant to the exercise of an Award unless
the exercise of such Award and the issuance and delivery of such Shares pursuant
thereto shall comply with all Applicable Laws, and shall be further subject to
the approval of counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance.

      (b) As a condition to the exercise of an Award, the Company may require
the person exercising such Award to represent and warrant at the time of any
such exercise that the Shares are being purchased only for investment and
without any present intention to sell or distribute such Shares if, in the
opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is required by any
Applicable Laws.

   10. Repurchase Rights. If the provisions of an Award Agreement grant to the
Company the right to repurchase Shares upon termination of the Grantee's
Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant, the Award Agreement
shall provide that the repurchase price will be either:

      (a) Not less than the Fair Market Value of the Shares to be repurchased on
the date of termination of the Grantee's Continuous Status as an Employee,
Director or Consultant, and the right to repurchase must be exercised for cash
or cancellation of purchase money indebtedness for the Shares within ninety (90)
days of the termination of the Grantee's Continuous Status as an Employee,
Director or Consultant (or in the case of Shares issued upon exercise of Awards
after the date of termination of the Grantee's Continuous Status as an Employee,
Director or Consultant, within ninety (90) days after the date of the Award
exercise), and the right terminates when the Company's securities become
publicly traded; or

      (b) The original purchase price, provided that the right to repurchase at
the original purchase price lapses at the rate of at least twenty percent (20%)
of the Shares subject to the Award per year over five (5) years from the date
the Award is granted (without respect to the date the Award was exercised or
became exercisable), and the right to repurchase must be exercised for cash or
cancellation of purchase money indebtedness for the Shares within ninety (90)
days of termination of the Grantee's Continuous Status as an Employee, Director
or Consultant (or in the case of Shares issued upon exercise of Awards after the
date of termination of the Grantee's Continuous Status as an Employee, Director
or Consultant, within ninety (90) days after the date of the Award exercise).

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      (c) In addition to the restrictions set forth in (a) and (b) above, the
Shares held by an Officer, Director or Consultant may be subject to additional
or greater restrictions.

   11. Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization or Corporate Transaction.

      (a) Adjustments upon Changes in Capitalization. Subject to any required
action by the stockholders of the Company, the number of Shares covered by each
outstanding Award, and the number of Shares which have been authorized for
issuance under the Plan but as to which no Awards have yet been granted or which
have been returned to the Plan, as well as the price per share of Common Stock
covered by each such outstanding Award, shall be proportionately adjusted for
any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock
resulting from a stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, combination
or reclassification of the Common Stock, or any other similar event resulting in
an increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock. Except
as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of
any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall
affect, and no adjustment by reason hereof shall be made with respect to, the
number or price of Shares subject to an Award.

      (b) Corporate Transaction. Except as provided otherwise in an individual
Award Agreement, in the event of any Corporate Transaction, the Award will
terminate immediately prior to the specified effective date of the Corporate
Transaction, unless the Award is (i) accelerated pursuant to paragraphs (c) or
(d) below or (ii) assumed or an equivalent Award is substituted by the successor
corporation or a Parent or Subsidiary of such successor corporation. For the
purposes of this subsection, the Award shall be considered assumed or
substituted for an equivalent Award if, following the Corporate Transaction, the
Award confers, for each Share subject to the Award immediately prior to the
Corporate Transaction, (i) the consideration (whether stock, cash, or other
securities or property) received in the Corporate Transaction by holders of
Common Stock for each Share subject to the Award held on the effective date of
the Corporate Transaction (and if holders were offered a choice of
consideration, the type of consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of
the outstanding Shares), or (ii) the right to purchase such consideration in the
case of an Option or similar Award; provided, however, that if such
consideration received in the Corporate Transaction was not solely common stock
of the successor corporation or its Parent, the Administrator may, with the
consent of the successor corporation, provide for the consideration to be
received upon the exercise or exchange of the Award for each Share subject to
the Award to be solely common stock of the successor corporation or its Parent
equal in fair market value to the per share consideration received by holders of
Common Stock in the Corporate Transaction.

      (c) The Administrator shall have the authority, exercisable either in
advance of any actual or anticipated Corporate Transaction or at the time of an
actual Corporate Transaction and exercisable at the time of the grant of an
Award under the Plan or any time while an Award remains outstanding, to provide
for the full automatic vesting and exercisability of one or more outstanding
unvested Awards under the Plan and the release from restrictions on transfer and
repurchase or forfeiture rights of such Awards in connection with a Corporate
Transaction on such terms and conditions as the Administrator may specify. The
Administrator also shall have the authority to condition any such Award vesting
and exercisability or release from such

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limitations upon the subsequent termination of the Continuous Status as an
Employee or Consultant of the Grantee within a specified period following the
effective date of the Change in Control or Subsidiary Disposition. The
Administrator may provide that any Awards so vested or released from such
limitations in connection with a Change in Control or Subsidiary Disposition,
shall remain fully exercisable until the expiration or sooner termination of the
Award. Effective upon the consummation of a Corporate Transaction, all
outstanding Awards under the Plan shall terminate unless assumed by the
successor company or its Parent.

      (d) The portion of any Incentive Stock Option accelerated under paragraph
(b) of this Section 11 in connection with a Corporate Transaction shall remain
exercisable as an Incentive Stock Option under the Code only to the extent the
$100,000 dollar limitation of Section 422(d) of the Code is not exceeded. To the
extent such dollar limitation is exceeded, the accelerated excess portion of
such Option shall be exercisable as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

   12. Term of Plan. The Plan shall become effective upon the earlier to occur
of its adoption by the Board or its approval by the stockholders of the Company.
It shall continue in effect for a term of ten (10) years unless sooner
terminated.

   13. Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Plan.

      (a) The Board may at any time amend, suspend or terminate the Plan. To the
extent necessary to comply with Applicable Laws, the Company shall obtain
stockholder approval of any Plan amendment in such a manner and to such a degree
as required.

      (b) No Award may be granted during any suspension of the Plan or after
termination of the Plan.

      (c) Any amendment, suspension or termination of the Plan (including
termination of the Plan under Section 12, above) shall not affect Awards already
granted, and such Awards shall remain in full force and effect as if the Plan
had not been amended, suspended or terminated, unless mutually agreed otherwise
between the Grantee and the Administrator, which agreement must be in writing
and signed by the Grantee and the Company.

   14. Reservation of Shares.

      (a) The Company, during the term of the Plan, will at all times reserve
and keep available such number of Shares as shall be sufficient to satisfy the
requirements of the Plan.

      (b) The inability of the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory
body having jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Company's counsel to
be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, shall
relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell
such Shares as to which such requisite authority shall not have been obtained.

   15. No Effect on Terms of Employment/Consulting Relationship. The Plan shall
not confer upon any Grantee any right with respect to continuation of employment
or consulting relationship with the Company, nor shall it interfere in any way
with his or her right or the

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Company's right to terminate his or her employment or consulting relationship at
any time, with or without cause.

   16. Stockholder Approval. The grant of Incentive Stock Options under the Plan
shall be subject to approval by the stockholders of the Company within twelve
(12) months before or after the date the Plan is adopted. Such stockholder
approval shall be obtained in the degree and manner required under Applicable
Laws. The Administrator may grant Incentive Stock Options under the Plan prior
to approval by the stockholders, but until such approval is obtained, no such
Incentive Stock Option shall be exercisable. In the event that stockholder
approval is not obtained within the twelve (12) month period provided above, all
Incentive Stock Options previously granted under the Plan shall terminate.

   17. Information to Grantees. The Company shall provide to each Grantee,
during the period for which such Grantee has one or more Awards outstanding,
copies of financial statements at least annually.

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                                                                   Exhibit 10.3

                              SKILLSOFT CORPORATION

                  1999 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN

1.       PURPOSE.

         The purpose of this 1999 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan (the
"Plan") of Skillsoft Corporation (the "Company") is to encourage ownership in
the Company by non-employee directors of the Company whose services are
considered essential to the Company's future progress and to provide them with a
further incentive to remain as directors of the Company.

2.       ADMINISTRATION.

         The Board of Directors shall supervise and administer the Plan. All
questions concerning interpretation of the Plan or any options granted under it
shall be resolved by the Board of Directors and such resolution shall be final
and binding upon all persons having an interest in the Plan. The Board of
Directors may, to the full extent permitted by or consistent with applicable
laws or regulations, delegate any or all of its powers under the Plan to a
committee appointed by the Board of Directors, and if a committee is so
appointed, all references to the Board of Directors in the Plan shall mean and
relate to such committee.

3.       PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN.

         Directors of the Company who are not employees of the Company or any
subsidiary of the Company ("non-employee directors") shall be eligible to
receive options under the Plan.

4.       STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.

         (a) The maximum number of shares of the Company's Common Stock, par
value $.001 per share ("Common Stock"), which may be issued under the Plan shall
be [240,000] shares, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 7.

         (b) If any outstanding option under the Plan for any reason expires or
is terminated without having been exercised in full, the shares covered by the
unexercised portion of such option shall again become available for issuance
pursuant to the Plan.

<PAGE>

         (c) All options granted under the Plan shall be non-statutory options
not entitled to special tax treatment under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").

         (d) Shares issued under the Plan may consist in whole or in part of
authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares.

5.       TERMS, CONDITIONS AND FORM OF OPTIONS.

         Each option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by a written
agreement in such form as the Board of Directors shall from time to time
approve, which agreements shall comply with and be subject to the following
terms and conditions:

         (a) AUTOMATIC OPTION GRANT DATE. Each person who first becomes a
non-employee director after the closing date (the "Closing Date") of the
Company's initial public offering of Common Stock pursuant to an effective
registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, shall
automatically be granted an option to purchase 60,000 shares of Common Stock on
the date of his or her initial election to the Board of Directors. Each date of
grant of an option pursuant to this Section 5(a) is hereinafter referred to as
an "Option Grant Date."

         (b) OPTION EXERCISE PRICE. The option exercise price per share for each
option granted under the Plan shall equal (i) the closing price on any national
securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed, (ii) the closing price
of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market or (iii) the average of the
closing bid and asked prices in the over-the-counter market, whichever is
applicable, as published in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, on the Option Grant Date.
If no sales of Common Stock were made on the Option Grant Date, the price of the
Common Stock for purposes of clauses (i) and (ii) above shall be the reported
price for the next preceding day on which sales were made.

         (c) TRANSFERABILITY OF OPTIONS. Except as the Board may otherwise
determine or provide in an option granted under the Plan, any option granted
under the Plan to an optionee shall not be transferable by the optionee other
than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and shall be exercisable
during the optionee's lifetime only by the optionee or the optionee's guardian
or legal representative. References to an optionee, to the extent relevant in
the context, shall include references to authorized transferees.

         (d) VESTING PERIOD.

                  (i) GENERAL. Each option granted under the Plan pursuant to
Section 5(a) above shall become exercisable in four equal annual installments
beginning on the

                                      2
<PAGE>

first anniversary of the Option Grant Date; provided, however, that the optionee
is serving as a director of the Company on each such anniversary (it being
understood that a director whose term expires at an Annual Meeting of
Stockholders and who does not stand for re-election is deemed to be a director
on (but not following) the date of such Annual Meeting for the purposes of this
Section 5 if he or she continues to serve through the date of such Annual
Meeting).
                  (ii) ACCELERATION UPON A CHANGE IN CONTROL. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, each outstanding option granted under the Plan shall immediately
become exercisable in full upon the occurrence of Change in Control Event (as
defined in Section 8) with respect to the Company.

                  (iii) RIGHT TO RECEIVE RESTRICTED STOCK. Notwithstanding the
provisions of Section 5(d)(i) above, the Board shall have the authority to grant
options (including options granted pursuant to Section 5(a) above) which are
immediately exercisable subject to the Company=s right to repurchase any
unvested shares of stock acquired by the optionee on exercise of an option in
the event such optionee=s service as a director terminates for any reason.

         (e) TERMINATION. Each option shall terminate, and may no longer be
exercised, on the earlier of (i) the date ten years after the Option Grant Date
of such option or (ii) the first anniversary of the date on which the optionee
ceases to serve as a director of the Company.

         (f) EXERCISE PROCEDURE. An option may be exercised only by written
notice to the Company at its principal office accompanied by (i) payment in cash
or by certified or bank check of the full consideration for the shares as to
which they are exercised, (ii) delivery of outstanding shares of Common Stock
(which have been outstanding for at least six months) having a fair market value
on the last business day preceding the date of exercise equal to the option
exercise price, or (iii) an irrevocable undertaking by a creditworthy broker to
deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to pay the exercise price or
delivery of irrevocable instructions to a creditworthy broker to deliver
promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to pay the exercise price.

         (g) EXERCISE BY REPRESENTATIVE FOLLOWING DEATH OF DIRECTOR. An
optionee, by written notice to the Company, may designate one or more persons
(and from time to time change such designation), including his or her legal
representative, who, by reason of the optionee's death, shall acquire the right
to exercise all or a portion of the option. If the person or persons so
designated wish to exercise any portion of the

                                       3
<PAGE>

option, they must do so within the term of the option as provided herein. Any
exercise by a representative shall be subject to the provisions of the Plan.

6.       LIMITATION OF RIGHTS.

         (a) NO RIGHT TO CONTINUE AS A DIRECTOR. Neither the Plan, nor the
granting of an option nor any other action taken pursuant to the Plan, shall
constitute or be evidence of any agreement or understanding, express or implied,
that the Company will retain the optionee as a director for any period of time.

         (b) NO STOCKHOLDERS' RIGHTS FOR OPTIONS. An optionee shall have no
rights as a stockholder with respect to the shares covered by his or her option
until the date of the issuance to him or her of a stock certificate therefor,
and no adjustment will be made for dividends or other rights (except as provided
in Section 7) for which the record date is prior to the date such certificate is
issued.

         (c) COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES LAWS. Each option shall be subject to
the requirement that if, at any time, counsel to the Company shall determine
that the listing, registration or qualification of the shares subject to such
option upon any securities exchange or under any state or federal law, or the
consent or approval of any governmental or regulatory body, or the disclosure of
non-public information or the satisfaction of any other condition is necessary
as a condition of, or in connection with, the issuance or purchase of shares
thereunder, such option may not be exercised, in whole or in part, unless such
listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval, or satisfaction of
such condition shall have been effected or obtained on conditions acceptable to
the Board of Directors. Nothing herein shall be deemed to require the Company to
apply for or to obtain such listing, registration or qualification, or to
satisfy such condition.

7.       ADJUSTMENT PROVISIONS FOR MERGERS, RECAPITALIZATIONS AND RELATED
TRANSACTIONS.

         If, through or as a result of any merger, consolidation,
reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split,
reverse stock split, or other similar transaction, (i) the outstanding shares of
Common Stock are exchanged for a different number or kind of securities of the
Company or of another entity, or (ii) additional shares or new or different
shares or other securities of the Company or of another entity are distributed
with respect to such shares of Common Stock, the Board of Directors shall make
an appropriate and proportionate adjustment in (x) the maximum number and kind
of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, (y) the

                                       4
<PAGE>

number and kind of shares or other securities subject to then outstanding
options under the Plan, and (z) the price for each share subject to any then
outstanding options under the Plan (without changing the aggregate purchase
price for such options), to the end that each option shall be exercisable, for
the same aggregate exercise price, for such securities as such optionholder
would have held immediately following such event if he had exercised such option
immediately prior to such event. No fractional shares will be issued under the
Plan on account of any such adjustments.

8. DEFINITION OF "CHANGE IN CONTROL EVENT". A "Change in Control Event" shall
mean:

         (a)      the acquisition by an individual, entity or group (within the
                  meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities
                  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) (a
                  "Person") of beneficial ownership of any capital stock of the
                  Company after the date of adoption of this Plan by the Board
                  of Directors if, after such acquisition, such Person
                  beneficially owns (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3
                  promulgated under the Exchange Act) 30% or more of either (x)
                  the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the Company
                  (the "Outstanding Company Common Stock") or (y) the combined
                  voting power of the then-outstanding securities of the Company
                  entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the
                  "Outstanding Company Voting Securities"); PROVIDED, HOWEVER,
                  that for purposes of this subsection (i), the following
                  acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control Event:
                  (A) any acquisition directly from the Company or an
                  underwriter or agent of the Company (excluding an acquisition
                  pursuant to the exercise, conversion or exchange of any
                  security exercisable for, convertible into or exchangeable for
                  common stock or voting securities of the Company, unless the
                  Person exercising, converting or exchanging such security
                  acquired such security directly from the Company or an
                  underwriter or agent of the Company), (B) any acquisition by
                  any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or
                  maintained by the Company or any corporation controlled by the
                  Company, or (C) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to
                  a Business Combination (as defined below) which complies with
                  clauses (x) and (y) of subsection (iii) of this definition; or

         (b)      such time as the Continuing Directors (as defined below) do
                  not constitute a majority of the Board (or, if applicable, the
                  Board of Directors

                                       5
<PAGE>

                  of a successor corporation to the Company), where the term
                  "Continuing Director" means at any date a member of the Board
                  (x) who was a member of the Board on the date of the initial
                  adoption of this Plan by the Board or (y) who was nominated or
                  elected subsequent to such date by at least a majority of the
                  directors who were Continuing Directors at the time of such
                  nomination or election or whose election to the Board was
                  recommended or endorsed by at least a majority of the
                  directors who were Continuing Directors at the time of such
                  nomination or election; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that there shall be
                  excluded from this clause (y) any individual whose initial
                  assumption of office occurred as a result of an actual or
                  threatened election contest with respect to the election or
                  removal of directors or other actual or threatened
                  solicitation of proxies or consents, by or on behalf of a
                  person other than the Board; or

         (c)      the consummation of a merger, consolidation, reorganization,
                  recapitalization or statutory share exchange involving the
                  Company or a sale or other disposition of all or substantially
                  all of the assets of the Company (a "Business Combination"),
                  unless, immediately following such Business Combination, each
                  of the following two conditions is satisfied: (x) all or
                  substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the
                  beneficial owners of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and
                  Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to
                  such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or
                  indirectly, more than 50% of the then-outstanding shares of
                  common stock and the combined voting power of the
                  then-outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the
                  election of directors, respectively, of the resulting or
                  acquiring corporation in such Business Combination (which
                  shall include, without limitation, a corporation which as a
                  result of such transaction owns the Company or substantially
                  all of the Company's assets either directly or through one or
                  more subsidiaries) (such resulting or acquiring corporation is
                  referred to herein as the "Acquiring Corporation") in
                  substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the
                  Outstanding Company Common Stock and Outstanding Company
                  Voting Securities, respectively, immediately prior to such
                  Business Combination and (y) no Person (excluding the
                  Acquiring Corporation or any employee benefit plan (or related
                  trust) maintained or sponsored by the Company or by the
                  Acquiring Corporation) beneficially owns, directly or
                  indirectly, 30% or more of the then-outstanding shares of
                  common stock of the Acquiring Corporation, or of the combined
                  voting power of the then-outstanding

                                       6
<PAGE>

                  securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in
                  the election of directors (except to the extent that such
                  ownership existed prior to the Business Combination).

9.       TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN.

         The Board of Directors may suspend or terminate the Plan or amend it in
any respect whatsoever.

10.      NOTICE.

         Any written notice to the Company required by any of the provisions of
the Plan shall be addressed to the Treasurer of the Company and shall become
effective when it is received.

11.      GOVERNING LAW.

         The Plan and all determinations made and actions taken pursuant hereto
shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of Delaware (without regard
to any applicable conflicts of laws or principles).

12.      EFFECTIVE DATE.

         The Plan shall become effective on the date hereof.

                                        Adopted by the Board of Directors on
                                        September 8, 1999

                                        Approved by the stockholders on
                                        October 2, 1999

                                       7

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