NEW YORK, NY - November 22, 2004 - Corporate University Xchange (CUX) announced findings from its Sixth Annual Benchmarking Report. In the report, CUX presents a comprehensive view of the current state of learning in 170 corporate universities and highlights the differences between beginner, established and expert corporate universities. This year's report highlights a number of interesting developments. An executive summary of the report is accessible online.

Increased Technology
In 2001, approximately 18% of corporate education was done via technology. The current report indicates that 30% of professional services and telecommunications companies utilize technology. The mix of learning delivery methods is changing. And companies expect that by 2006, 36% of learning will be via blended delivery (classroom and technology), 26% learning via technology and 36% classroom learning only.

Rising Budgets
On average, the operating budgets of corporate universities increased by $2 million to $19 million since last year's report. Much of the additional funding is attributed to a larger workforce size. Even so, the survey showed that large expenditures aren't necessary; nearly half of the organizations surveyed spent less than $3 million on their corporate university operations. Expenditures on technology ranged from six to nine percent of corporate university budgets.

Business Impact
Measuring business impact was one of the highest priorities as well as biggest challenges for corporate universities. Sixty-six percent of all corporate universities are responsible for measuring learning. Seventy percent measured business impact through improvements in product/service quality and customer service. Over half measured the reduction in operating costs and increased revenues.

Global Learning Challenges
Although half of corporate universities serve learners in a single region of the world, a full twenty-eight percent were designated as global. Global corporate universities, with learners spread across four or more countries, faced considerable challenges with language barriers and training delivery methods.

"The Corporate University Exchange Sixth Annual Benchmarking Report reveals just how quickly corporate learning is evolving," said Sue Todd, President, Corporate University Xchange. "We're seeing how some of the leading corporate universities are dealing with the challenges of new technology, global learners, measuring business impact and other important issues. We're gathering invaluable information on all types of companies involved with training and development."

The report features in-depth reporting and analysis of the similarities and differences in the way corporate universities approach such critical success factors as governance and the role of the CLO, alignment of CU and business priorities, adoption of technology, and measurement of learning. The Sixth Annual Benchmarking Report also includes case studies and examples from leading corporate universities such as:

• BellSouth Business Training Transformation
• Cisco Trains Field Engineers Wherever They Are
• Deloitte Shops for Learning
• GE Creates a Centralized Learning Organization
• Harley Davidson University: Giving Dealers What They Need

Corporate University Xchange (CUX) is the leading provider of corporate university research, benchmarking, and advisory services for helping organizations transform corporate learning. The aim of CUX research and services is to maximize corporate investments in training and development to deliver improved business results. For more information, please visit CUX on the web at www.corpu.com.

For more information, please contact sales@corpu.com.