With its roots firmly planted in the broadcast industry, satellites are perfectly suited for offering enterprise distance learning applications that allow the training of employees at various sites simultaneously. And for the companies that have successfully implemented satellite-enabled distance learning, there is a common thread of characteristics, including affordable implementation and a strong focus on creating the right kind of content.

As with any networking technology used by enterprises large or small, the first consideration that will be encountered is cost. To make distance learning affordable, “the key is to serve a large base of homogeneous customers, so that you share the satellite uplink costs among them,” Mark Gruskin, manager of the Fordstar Dealer Communication Network, said.

The Fordstar network transmits 14 channels of live and recorded training presentations via SES Americom‘s AMC-4 satellite to 5,200 Ford and Lincoln dealers across America. Each dealership is equipped with a satellite dish and a room with microphones and Onetouch keypads, allowing dealership employees to interact with Ford Motor Co.‘s training staff.

Using Existing Networks To Cut Cost

For operators looking to offer distance learning services, a good place to start will be with organizations that are already using satellites services. For those customers, cost savings are built in.

“Leveraging existing satellite networks is a great way to expand distance learning,” Andrea Maleter, technical director of Futron Corp., said. “This is why we are seeing such courses being sent to telecenters in Latin America. These centers were built to carry Internet traffic. Since distance education video can be encoded as IP (Internet protocol) data, any center that has Internet connectivity can become a distance learning teaching site.”

Another example of the piggybacking of satellite services is how the World Bank has implemented its distance learning program. The organization’s Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) reaches 100 sites. But the World Bank did not deploy its satellite network for the sake of implementing a distance learning offering but rather as a means of linking its offices worldwide.

“After the World Bank network was running [24 hours a day, seven days a week], then-President James Wolfensohn realized that its capacity could also support distance learning,” said Atem Ramsundersingh, head of the GDLN.

More Affordable Than The Web

With the ability to encode distance learning packages as IP data, selling a satellite distance learning solution as an alternative to a terrestrial option that leverages the Internet could be a challenge. But experience shows that for larger organizations, satellite is the cost effective way to go.

“In truth, Web-based training generally takes more time to develop and lacks the immediacy, the power of live television and the interactivity of classroom learning,” said Susan Irwin, president of Irwin Communications. “This assessment is based on the feedback we’ve got from firms who have dropped satellites for the Web. They’ve realized that by moving everything to the Web, they’ve given up the impact of satellite distance learning. The ideal situation is to use a combination of media and training techniques selected on the basis of the content, the audience and the needs of the organization.”

“A good example is Pfizer and its 1,000-plus satellite sites,” Christopher Baugh, president of Northern Sky Research, said. Each downlink sites is used by a Pfizer office or sales representative. The existing connectivity allows Pfizer to offer a full suite of training programs over the satellite network, he said

“The reason companies choose satellite over the Web is sheer numbers,” Mike Tippets, executive vice president and CTO at Helius said. “If you are trying to reach 60 or more sites at the same time, satellite is the most efficient and economical way to do it,”

Content Is King

For those that have successfully implemented a distance learning program, the key, as with any broadcast application, is creating content that is both relevant and compelling.

“If you don’t do this, if your distance learning broadcast is filled with drivel, then your customer satisfaction indexes will fall,” said Larry Steinman, CEO of BTV+, a satellite services provider. “If this happens, your distance learning course’s future will be at risk.”

Interactivity also plays a vital role in determining the success of a distance learning program. “Lively, engaging interaction between the teacher and student is what keeps a distance learning class fresh and interesting,” Gruskin said. “If the students don’t respond by voice or keypad, the session can become a one-sided lecture. People tune out lectures.”

–James Careless

For more on building an effective distance learning offering please see the January 2006 issue of sister publication Via Satellite magazine. For more information on subscribing to Via Satellite, visit us on the Web at http://www.viasatellite.com.