Upside Learning recently concluded a great show at CIPD HRD 2011, an HRD conference and exhibition. Held on 6^th and 7^th of April 2011 at Olympia, London, the event saw 4000 visitors from various disciplines including training, L&D, OD, leadership, coaching and more. Not only did the company bag appreciation from these visitors, but the company’s booth (#500) too bagged the runner-up award in the best stand category. The stand was chosen from amongst 155 stands at the show.

Upside Learning’s stand was conceptualised and designed by the company’s internal marketing and design team. The aim was to create a space that not only reflected the company’s branding and image, but also made the visitors feel welcomed. The highlight of the stand was a life-size cut out of the company’s latest mobile learning solution – Upside2Go – along with its mascot, which attracted eyeballs and garnered curiosity.

The award criteria for the best stand were based on two key elements – Stand and Staff. The ‘Stand’ was judged on the basis of:

• Clarity of message for product/service on offer
• Use of branding to promote overall organisation
• Quality of materials/ resources available to customer
• Use of space/ shell to create inviting/ appropriate atmosphere
• Use of techniques/ tools to entice customer to stand

While, the ‘Staff’ was judged on the following:

• Skill of staff in attracting customer to stand
• Knowledge – industry, organisation and product
• Approachability
• Efficiency of enquiry – both customer and company focussed
• Overall professionalism of team – appearance and attitude

Speaking on winning the award, Amit Garg, Director of Custom eLearning Solutions at Upside Learning, said, “We had planned and prepared well for the event, but the award for the best stand truly came in as a surprise!”. Further, he added, “Overall, it was a great show. We had some rich interactions with the visitors. I am positive that this event will be a perfect beginning to our Europe focused growth strategy.”

Simon Meager, Sales Director for Europe, who was present at the event with Amit, commented, “The 2 days at the show were full of learning, connecting and new ideas. We ensured that all the visitors at our stand were well entertained. I’m now eagerly looking forward to meet some of them in the coming weeks.”

Founded in 2004, Upside Learning celebrated its 7^th Anniversary on 7^th April, 2011. Over the past seven years, the company has grown from strength to strength. From a 6 member team to 150+ professionals, today it is a global leader in Custom eLearning Development, Learning Management System and Mobile Learning Solutions with over 12 awards and recognitions.

The last year was quite eventful for the company as it witnessed many proud moments and also achieved many firsts in its 7 year journey.

Among the firsts were – launching of a new corporate identity emphasizing the company’s ‘you-centric’ approach, and its focus on growth through learning and performance. Another was the development of India’s first Layar for an Indian city. Pune Layar, an augmented reality application for mobile phones, was developed by the company’s Innovation and New Projects (INP) which allowed users to explore the city and find significant landmarks using their mobile phones.

It was a proud moment for Upside Learning when its flagship Learning Management System – UpsideLMS – won 3 Brandon Hall Awards (1 Gold & 2 Silver) under the 2009 Brandon Hall Awards for Excellence in Learning Technology. Making this win truly exceptional was the fact that UpsideLMS was the only product to have won three awards, more than any other product. Furthermore, it was named as one of ‘The top five emerging LMSs’ in Chief Learning Officer magazine and later was included in the ‘2010 Top 20 Learning Portal Companies’ List by Training Industry.

The year also saw the company adding a new product to its solutions and services portfolio. Upside2Go – a revolutionary platform for mobile learning designed to cater to the unique needs of the mobile workforce – was launched in the US and the UK market.

2011 has been a year of events for the company. A Brandon Hall Research webinar, sponsored by Upside Learning, on ‘How to Select the Right LMS for Your Small/Medium Business’ kick started the new year, followed by expos like ASTD TechKnowledge 2011 and CIPD HRD 2011 where the company was a sponsor and exhibitor respectively.

As the company enters its 8^th year, the focus on expanding its operations across the globe would be further underlined. This has already been highlighted by the appointment of a Sales Director for Europe region. Besides this, strengthening its solutions and services portfolio would be another significant focus area for the company.

Two lucky visitors at CIPD HRD 2011, an HRD conference and exhibition, can look forward to winning an iPad each. As a part of Upside Learning’s HRD 2011 special expo offer, visitors can try their luck at winning these iPads by visiting the company’s booth at the expo. Organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), this expo is to be held on 6^th and 7^th of April in Olympia, London.

To participate in the offer, visitors would need to submit their details at Upside Learning’s booth (number 500). Two winners will be chosen via a random draw and announcement of the winners thereof will be done post the event.

Visitors can also get to experience Upside Learning’s new, revolutionary platform for mobile learning – Upside2Go, along with its entire range of learning solutions. These include its award-winning custom eLearning solutions, triple Brandon Hall award-winning, best value LMS – UpsideLMS and other innovative mobile learning solutions. Besides this, attendees can also interact with the team and discuss their learning problems and requirements.

The company’s representatives will be present at booth no. 500 on 6^th and 7^th of April. To pre-arrange a meeting with a member of the Upside Learning team, drop a mail at sales@upsidelearning.com

After its huge success at ASTD TechKnowledge 2011, Upside Learning has announced today its plan to participate in CIPD HRD 2011, an HRD conference and exhibition. Organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the HRD is a leading learning and organisation development event for L&D Professionals. Scheduled to take place on the 6th and 7th of April 2011 in London, this event will see leading learning and organisation development suppliers in a range of disciplines including training, L&D, OD, leadership, coaching and more, come together under one roof.

Upside Learning will be showcasing some of its award-winning custom eLearning solutions, its triple Brandon Hall award-winning, best value LMS and some truly innovative mobile learning solutions. Attendees at the exhibition can look forward to experiencing the company’s entire range of learning solutions, interacting with the team and discussing their learning needs and requirements.

The Upside Learning team will help organisations gain practical insights and ideas on the role that eLearning can play in building a strong and effective training function. Visitors can learn how the company’s solutions are already helping organisation, across the globe, maintain continuous learning and development within the constraints of the current economy. Upside Learning will also demonstrate the value of new components (like social and informal learning) and how they can be integrated into a well developed learning programme for training that is future focused and effective.

“Upside Learning’s participation in CIPD HRD underlines the company’s growth plans for the Europe market. With our recently established local presence in the UK, I am confident that this event will enable us to get closer to our prospects, partners and clients, thereby enabling us to serve them better.”, said Amit Garg, Director of Custom eLearning Solutions at Upside Learning.

Upside Learning’s representatives will be present at Booth No. 500 throughout the event. To pre-arrange a meeting with a member of the Upside Learning team, drop a mail at sales@upsidelearning.com

e-Learning for Kids (EFK), as a part of its initiative to provide fun and free learning to kids across the world, wanted to develop new courses for its Environmental Skills curriculum. For this assignment, EFK partnered with Upside Learning, a global leader in custom eLearning development.

As a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and with a view to providing effective learning solutions to the global community, Upside Learning has been actively participating in various social initiatives. And one of the ways it is doing this is through its partnership with EFK. This CSR activity, aimed at strengthening the company’s global mission, will see Upside Learning creating eLearning courses on various topics ranging from environmental awareness to language arts.

One of the focal points for EFK is increasing environmental awareness. EFK, along with its pool of Instructional Designers, worked with Upside Learning to design two new courses in this category. Aptly named ‘The Global Guardian’, these eLearning courses address one of the most important and challenging topics in environmental awareness – Global Warming. Using scenarios and graphics, these courses focus on the key concerns causing global warming and the after effects of global warming. Also, the courses have been designed with a view to keeping the target audience engaged and as such will help children connect easily with the global scenario.

Commenting on the development, Amit Garg, Director of Content Solutions at Upside Learning, said, “I am confident that these courses will help children understand global warming and its adverse effects on our lives. Courses will definitely help increase awareness about environment preservation and green world”. Further, he added, “We are happy and honored to be associated with EFK in their initiatives.”

Michael Williams, EFK’s Director of Courseware Development, further commented, “e-Learning for Kids’ focus on 21st century issues is crucial to expose learners to various issues that affect our planet. Upside Learning has been integral in helping us reach our goal with strong Flash development, rich graphics, and strong project management. The Global Warming courses are beautiful and I look forward to working with Upside Learning on future initiatives.”

About e-Learning for Kids

e-Learning for Kids is a global 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation that is dedicated to opening doors to education worldwide. Established in 2004, e-Learning for Kids is dedicated to fun and FREE learning on the Internet (or via CD ROM) for children aged 5-12 with over 200 best-in-class courses in math, science, language arts, computers, English as a second language, health and life skills. The courseware is also available in Spanish, French, Portuguese and in Indian English. In 2010, more than 2.3 million children benefitted from one or more EFK courses. A large volunteer staff consists of education and e-Learning experts and business professionals from around the world committed to making a difference. We are actively seeking funding, sponsors and courseware developers. Get involved! For more information, please visit us at: http://www.e-learningforkids.org.

The last couple of years have witnessed Upside Learning ride the growth wave and introduce new products. And as a part of its continued growth strategy, the company has recently welcomed its Sales Director for Europe – Simon Meager – who will be based out of London, UK.

A Sales and Marketing professional with over 30 years of experience, Simon brings on board, among other things, extensive eLearning knowledge and understanding of Europe market. He has a strong understanding of learning and development of eLearning solutions and has to his credit a number of successful product launches in the industry, as well as a proven track record of sales in eLearning and allied fields. With B.A. in Law & European Business Management, he has also completed a couple of Sales oriented courses at the Wharton Business School.

Welcoming Simon to the company, Amit Garg, Founder and Director of Upside Learning, said, “We’re delighted to see our Europe sales team strengthened by Simon’s arrival. His expertise and experience will help Upside Learning achieve its mission of providing effective eLearning solutions to the global community.” Further, he added, “Having a Sales Director based out of London will enable us to be closer to our partners and clients, and help us serve them better. It’ll surely make our existing partnerships in the region stronger and help establish new ones.”

The recently concluded mega expo at San Jose – ASTD TechKnowledge 2011 – saw 1200 visitors and over 65 exhibitors from the learning technology space showcase their solutions and services. The attendees represented a wide cross section of the learning industry – including Instructional Designers, eLearning developers, L&D Managers, CEOs and HR executives.

Upside Learning, a silver sponsor of the event, was one the 67 exhibitors demonstrating its latest offerings in Custom eLearning Development, LMS and Mobile Learning Solutions.

The company’s booth was one of the most visited stalls at the expo with a constant stream of visitors dropping in to not only witness the latest range of solutions but also discuss their learning challenges with the Upside Learning team. Among the visitors were professionals from some of the most progressive companies in the world.

Drawing crowds to Upside Learning’s booth was the company’s new revolutionary platform for mobile learning – Upside2Go, which was launched at the expo. Not only was the launch well received, the product was also duly appreciated for its innovativeness and effectiveness. The excitement of finding a solution that could cater to the unique learning needs of the mobile workforce was almost palpable amongst the attendees. The excitement was further accentuated with the fact that they could witness Upside2Go live in action and could also get a hands-on experience.

Upside Learning also rolled out its special expo offer worth over USD 12500. Five lucky winners stand a chance to win 1 year FREE access to Upside2Go [with an option to access UpsideLMS (integrated with Upside2Go) for 1 year] with 10 video courses (from 50Lessons) for up to 100 users. The company will be announcing the winners’ details in the coming days.

Upside Learning, a recognised leader in training outsourcing, LMS solutions, custom eLearning development & mobile learning solutions, is showcasing its range of learning technology and business solutions at ASTD TechKnowledge 2011. The expo, which opened its doors on 2nd February, has seen a commendable number of visitors from various walks of the learning and technology space on its first day itself.

Upside Learning, a silver sponsor of the event, is demonstrating its latest offerings in custom eLearning, LMS and mobile learning. Attendees will also get an opportunity to exchange knowledge on latest solutions and discuss their learning challenges with the Upside Learning team.

The expo will also serve as a launch platform for Upside Learning’s revolutionary mobile learning solution – Upside2Go. The formal unveiling of the product will take place on 3rd February at 1.00 PM (PST) by Amit Gautam, Director of Technology Solutions at Upside Learning. Visitors can look forward to getting a first-hand experience of Upside2Go in the live environment.

Also, as a part of the company’s special expo offer, visitors to the Upside Learning booth (#504) will get a chance to win a learning package worth USD 12,500! This includes 1 year FREE access to Upside2Go [with an option to access UpsideLMS (integrated with Upside2Go) for 1 year] with 10 video courses (from 50Lessons) for up to 100 users.

Amit Gautam, Director of Technology Solutions at Upside Learning said, “The first day at ASTD TechKnowledge 2011 was gratifying to say the least. To rub shoulders with some of the big names in eLearning domain is always an incredible learning experience. We are looking forward to unveiling our revolutionary mobile learning solution amidst such a rich crowd.”

For more information on the latest in learning, technology and innovation, attendees are encouraged to reach Upside Learning’s representatives at Booth No. 504 throughout the event.