( BW)(OK-HEARTSOFT)(HTSF) Heartsoft Partners With Internet Based ClassroomDirect.com
Business Editors and Computer/Education Writers
TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 1999--Heartsoft, Inc. (OTC BB:HTSF), publisher of educational software products for early-learning students, reported today that the company had formed a marketing alliance with ClassroomDirect.com, a subsidiary of School Specialty, Inc. (Nasdaq:SCHS) to provide on-line purchasing of its educational software titles.
ClassroomDirect.com, which markets educational supplies to more than 3 million teachers and curriculum specialists nationwide, will offer Heartsoft's entire line of educational software products, including the company's new critical thinking skills product, Thinkology(R), through its on-line catalog site, www.ClassroomDirect.com. Additionally, Heartsoft's products will be featured in three educational catalogs distributed by ClassroomDirect.com totaling 3 million pieces during 1999.
"We're really excited about bringing Heartsoft to the attention of every classroom teacher in America. Heartsoft's Critical Thinking Series, Thinkology, is truly superior curriculum-based product, written to meet the needs of today's educators," according to Vickie Bruner, Director of Marketing for ClassroomDirect.com.
Benjamin Shell, Heartsoft Chairman & CEO commented, "We're thrilled with the opportunity to work with ClassroomDirect.com, who offers over 13,000 quality educational items on-line. In addition to the on-line presence which our marketing alliance with ClassroomDirect.com offers, our products will receive significant print-media support through three million catalogs which ClassroomDirect.com will distribute in 1999."
"ClassroomDirect.com has established relationships with 108,000 schools nationwide and processes approximately 2 million orders annually. With 12,000 school customers in the U.S., our relationship with ClassroomDirect.com will increase our exposure to the school market in the U.S. by 800% during 1999 alone. With industry estimates showing that by 2002 nearly every classroom in the country will have a computer, it becomes increasingly important that Heartsoft offer its products on-line through e-commerce retailers such as ClassroomDirect.com in order to augment traditional distribution methods," said Shell.
Recently, Heartsoft announced the release of new versions of its educational software for Microsoft Windows 98(R) (Nasdaq:MSFT) and Apple iMac(R) (Nasdaq:AAPL). Heartsoft's support of Windows 98(R) significantly expands the company's ability to support hardware manufacturers such as Dell Computer Corp. (Nasdaq:DELL), Compaq Computer Corp. (Nasdaq:CPQ), and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HWP), which represent the most widely used platforms by schools and parents.
School Specialty, Inc, "The Nation's Education Resource," is the fastest-growing supplier of non-textbook education products to educators in the United States. Through its subsidiary, ClassroomDirect.com, School Specialty offers the largest selection of educational supplies on-line among such Internet retailers as Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) and BarnesandNoble.com (NYSE:BKS).
Heartsoft, Inc. publishes and distributes a diverse line of multimedia curriculum-based products for schools and parents nationwide. Headquartered in Tulsa, Heartsoft is acknowledged among educators as the price-vs.-performance leader, delivering such product classics as the Heartsoft Bestseller and its new critical thinking skills software, Thinkology, with unsurpassed customer service and customer loyalty. The company's stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol HTSF. Heartsoft's web sites are located at heartsoft.com and thinkology.com. |
