RWD and the Internet
Today's announcement marks another important step in the movement of RWD into the Internet/e-commerce area. Whether it will have any immediate impact on the stock price, I don't know. I do know there is a very high level of demand for these types of services right now. Once the sales and earnings from the Internet business that RWD is doing start to come in, the stock price will benefit.
Byron Y. Angel
Thursday March 30, 4:15 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: RWD Technologies, Inc.
RWD Technologies Launches New Dot Com Company; Latitude360 Will Integrate Company's Expertise in e-Commerce and e-Learning
COLUMBIA, Md., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- RWD Technologies, Inc., (Nasdaq: RWDT - news) announced today its intent to establish a separate business unit to be named Latitude360, which will expand its nationally recognized leadership in both e-Commerce and e-Learning. Designed to rapidly respond to emerging opportunities arising from new and developing
Internet technologies in e-Commerce and e-Learning, Latitude360 provides complete delivery systems and Web content for many of the most sophisticated needs of Internet users.
``While countless companies claim similar capabilities, what genuinely sets Latitude360 apart is that end users of Internet technology are the primary beneficiaries of our service,' said RWD Chairman and CEO, Dr. Robert W. Deutsch. ``We will strengthen companies by helping them learn about and implement appropriate business solutions quickly and efficiently, which is vital for serving customers in the digital economy.'
Specifically, Latitude360 leverages RWD's many years of experience in the development of customer relationship management (CRM) and back office systems for major e-Commerce projects, to design comprehensive end-to-end Web-based systems for mid-market and pre-IPO companies. These solutions include all B2C (Business to Customer) systems and internal B2E (Business to Employee) infrastructures, including scalability for internal Web-based operations as well as supporting suppliers and partners on the back-end for B2B (Business to Business) e-Commerce. In the coming weeks, RWD will announce several new sites that demonstrate Latitude360's ability to deliver end-to-end e-Commerce solutions, including hosting services for a wide range of clients in the pre- IPO to mid-market space.
In addition to e-Commerce solutions, Latitude360 will also harness both the Internet and company intranets to revolutionize corporate training and knowledge management. By combining state-of-the-art Web technologies with internally developed tools and processes, RWD has established an extraordinary e-Learning practice that provides solutions to both mid-size and Fortune 100 clients. This rapidly growing segment of RWD's business addresses a full range of client needs: from basic course conversion into Web delivery formats to the development and implementation of entire virtual corporate universities.
RWD helps clients quickly deploy e-Learning to satisfy distance learning needs worldwide, offering complete wrap-around services and technical infrastructures for hosting training around the clock. Through CertificationNet© and RWD ConferenceNet(TM), RWD has established an infrastructure, which supports diverse database systems, customer profiling, course delivery and participant tracking. At the core of RWD's success with e- Learning is its proven ability to leverage knowledge assets -- and measurably improve business performance for its clients. Once demonstrated for each new client, this return on knowledge (ROK)(TM) creates demand for further e- Learning services from highly satisfied clients.
The President of Latitude360 is Dr. David Yager, who joined the company in 1999, serving as Director of the Applied Technology Laboratory and a Vice President of Internet Technologies and Systems Integration. Over the past six months, Yager has led RWD's ongoing efforts to develop innovative Internet solutions that exploit the power of the Web. Previously, Yager spent 12 years at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), serving as a distinguished professor, Founding Director of the nationally acclaimed Imaging Research Center (IRC), chair of the visual arts department and innovator of the undergraduate and graduate program in Imaging and Digital Arts. As a pioneer in visionary approaches to emerging technologies, scholarly research and program development, Yager has forged unique, cutting-edge relationships with Silicon Graphics, IBM, Apple Computer, Hewlett Packard, Softimage, Alias/Wavefront, Media 100, ESPN, the Discovery Channel, the Family Channel and PBS.
``Latitude360 is truly one of the most exciting opportunities I have ever been involved with, combining all of the history and talent from RWD in a creative environment that persistently fosters innovative thinking and solutions for its clients,' said Yager. ``It will bring a world of talented thinkers, developers and project managers together to deal with complex issues facing Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized companies and even pre-IPO companies.'
About RWD Technologies, Inc.
RWD Technologies, Inc., is a professional services company with headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, U.S.A., that provides a broad range of technology solutions to the business problems confronting Fortune 500 companies. The Corporation has four operational segments: Internet Technologies and Systems Integration, Automotive Manufacturing and Support Services, Enterprise Systems Support Solutions, and Enterprise Learning Solutions. Established in 1988, RWD has more than 1,100 employees located in 18 offices in the United States and in 3 offices in Europe who provide services that increase productivity and reduce operating costs for companies in more than 20 industries. Information about RWD can be found at the Corporation's World Wide Web site, www.rwd.com. |
