Irvine, CA -- July 20, 2000 - Ascolta, a leading provider of authorized Cisco training, today announced that they are providing training for Cisco's Intelligent Contact Management software. Cisco's Intelligent Contact Management (ICM) software is part of their newly formed division, Internet Communications Software Group, which provides software platforms that will be able to integrate Web-based email, chat, IP-based voice and collaboration capabilities with the phone-based customer-relationship management applications found in call centers. The applications frequently found in call centers are from vendors such as Siebel, Clarify, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and Baan. According to AMR Research, those vendors' total sales reached $1.57 billion last year and are expected to climb to $2.5 billion this year and that is not the total market. The Intelligent Contact Management software is in line with Cisco's commitment to a New World communications network where data, voice and video traffic will travel over a single network infrastructure. As a Cisco training partner, Ascolta is one of the few training partners that has been selected to deliver training to this market.

According to Irene Kinoshita, Ascolta's president, "Cisco's strategy of delivering a total communications network over the Internet is one which we strongly believe and support. Ascolta has a solid reputation for quality instructors in every aspect of Cisco products and offerings and ICM is no different. We are poised to provide the customer contact management market with the same high quality training that we are known for."

The partnership between Ascolta and Cisco serves to provide all of Cisco customers with the training that they need to run their businesses using Cisco products. Cisco outsources all of their customer training to their learning partners who must meet rigorous requirements in order to be designated as an authorized Cisco Learning Partner. Ascolta is the fastest growing Cisco learning partner and one of only 3 that has been selected to deliver Intelligent Contact Management software training.

About Ascolta Training Company, LLC

Ascolta is a leading provider of technical education and services focused on delivering quality IT education when, where and how their customers want to learn. As a Cisco Learning Solutions Partner, Ascolta offers instructor-led, e-learning, and custom learning solutions. Ascolta has partnerships and affiliations with Cisco, Microsoft, Centra Software, Irvine Valley College, and Corinthian Colleges. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Ascolta has locations in San Jose, CA, San Ramon, CA, Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, Phoenix, AZ, Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA, Minneapolis, MN and Omaha, NE. For more information about Ascolta, call (949) 477-2000 or visit their website at www.ascolta.com.