Business/Technology Editors

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 2002

Chief Learning Officer and Chief Information Officer Share Vision

of Creating `Learning Channels' to Provide One-Stop Shopping for

Corporate Learning and Collaboration

Centra (NASDAQ: CTRA), the leading provider of business software solutions for eLearning and real-time collaboration, today announced that Grant Thornton, the leading global accounting firm serving the needs of middle-market companies, has deployed the CentraOne(TM) Web collaboration platform to enhance an innovative program that leverages the firm's investments in IT infrastructure to provide a robust enterprise continuous learning environment.

Grant Thornton began with Centra when a team led by David Holyoak, the firm's Chief Information Officer, implemented Centra's Web collaboration tool that utilized their existing network infrastructure, facilitated significant cost savings, and resulted in a rapid deployment throughout the organization. "We felt that this strategic initiative was a wise technology investment in the face of shrinking budgets for business travel and the increased demands on our profesionals' time," commented Holyoak. "Now, the use of Centra is helping us reach our business goal of creating a continuous learning environment for all of our employees."

As part of a learning innovation initiative, Bob Dean, Chief Learning Officer, focused on how to leverage this technology so that the firm could deliver multiple channels of learning, augmenting traditional classroom teaching with virtual learning and collaboration. Grant Thornton has recently launched Grant Thornton University (GTU), a one-stop shopping point for learning that integrates a learning management system with content and delivery channels.

"The ability to interact with practice and technical leaders across the firm was a key driver in our decision to implement this technology," said Dean. "Shortly after implementation, we were able to deliver critical knowledge to our tax and assurance practices in a matter of days, not months. The Centra-powered solution has changed the culture at Grant Thornton, giving us new ways to deliver learning and business communications that are more efficient and cost-effective than ever before."