LEXINGTON, Mass.--Feb. 11, 2003-- Centra Software, Inc., a leading provider of application software and services for real-time enterprise collaboration (RTEC), today announced that Kinko's, the leading provider of document solutions and business services, has deployed Centra's enterprise Web collaboration application to deliver real-time technical training to employees nationwide. Through this deployment, Centra played a key role in Kinko's move from a more traditional classroom training model to a comprehensive blended learning strategy that incorporates live Centra sessions, other Web-based training, mentoring and coaching, and instructor-led learning. "Kinko's goal was to establish a world-class training program to support our team members' career paths by investing in an optimal mix of delivery methods," said Whitney Shelley, director of learning and development for Kinko's. "Centra's Web collaboration application provides Kinko's with the high-touch online environment required to train remote employees effectively. It also contributes to a highly scalable blended learning model that has allowed us to streamline our business processes while maintaining a per team member investment of more than three-and-a-half times the retail industry average." With the full deployment completed last fall, Kinko's has adopted Centra as part of its company-wide blended learning program created to increase employee productivity, reduce time-to-market for training, and manage costs. During a pilot program earlier this year, Kinko's used Centra to deliver product training and software application training to its branch managers. The results demonstrated a fast return-on-investment and accelerated time-to-performance on company initiatives. Kinko's was able to quickly deliver six courses to 170 managers throughout the country while saving an estimated 75 percent in travel-related training costs. "The feedback on Centra's ease-of-use has been extremely positive, and Kinko's focus on growing our expertise in training - not delivery - is paying off," said Paul Rostron, Kinko's senior vice president of Human Resources.