Business Editors

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2000

Web-based distance

learning enhanced with multi-point interactive voice application

AudioTalk Networks Inc., a leading provider of Internet voice services for e-business, Moday announced that it will be providing voice services to eInstruction, a Dallas provider of web-based education courses for corporations and educational institutions.

With over 750 institutions utilizing CyberClass in one or more courses and with over 500,000 students utilizing CyberClass in some instructional mode this year, the AudioTalk voice service will support the distance learning portion of CyberClass with multi-point interactive group voice conferencing.

&uot;By combining AudioTalk's group voice conferencing capability with eInstruction's distance learning solutions, we can now remove geographic boundaries without sacrificing quality and offer interactive virtual classrooms,&uot; said Darrell Ward, chief executive officer of eInstruction.

&uot;Many corporations send course instructors all around the world to train employees, but web-based courses enabled with the AudioTalk Internet voice service can change that overnight.&uot;

AudioTalk's Internet voice service can be seamlessly integrated into any web site to add voice communications. E-businesses, such as eInstruction, simply add a click-to-talk button to their web site to integrate the AudioTalk Internet voice service, which is powered by AudioTalk's client/server infrastructure.

&uot;Distance learning is the perfect application for the web, and Internet voice conferencing significantly enhances the experience of virtual classrooms,&uot; said Robin Throne, director of distance education at Quest Education, a current CyberClass user. &uot;We are excited about the teaming of eInstruction with AudioTalk Networks to deliver high quality, reliable voice communications over the web.&uot;

Integrating voice communications into a web site using AudioTalk's Internet voice service requires no additional hardware or software. Web site users access the AudioTalk service using a PC or telephone.

AudioTalk's thin-client application is automatically installed as an OCX/ plug-in for Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. The AudioTalk service is firewall friendly, allowing user access to voice services from dial-up connections or from corporate networks.

About AudioTalk

AudioTalk Networks Inc., privately-held and based in Mountain View, provides high quality Internet voice services to e-business. AudioTalk creates the enabling technology and turnkey services and infrastructure to add Internet voice communications to web sites without installing additional hardware and software.

AudioTalk's e-business customers add Internet voice services to enhance online web communities, sell products, provide customer assistance and communicate in ways unique to the Internet.

AudioTalk Networks was founded in August 1998 by executives and engineers from leading Internet, networking and multimedia application vendors, including Cisco, Creative Labs, FVC.com, Polycom, ShareVision, Bay Networks, Netcom and Oracle.

About eInstruction

Headquartered in Dallas, eInstruction is a leader in the educational technology industry, with over 1.5 million projected users for the year 2000. Founded in 1981, by Dr. Darrell L. Ward, a long-time researcher and professor, he recognized a significant need in educational institutions for innovative technology-based products.

eInstruction has over 30 employees and has substantial publishing relationships with Course Technology, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill post-secondary, Jones and Bartlett, Cord Communications, Marcraft International, Delmar Publishing and South-Western College Publishing.

Many years of consistent cutting-edge research and development have earned eInstruction a reputation of excellence in the education market. eInstruction is committed to providing innovative products that enhance the learning process in corporations and educational institutions through the use of computer-based technology, software, and the Internet.