Come visit Convergence Training at the 2010 world of concrete show in Las Vegas, Nevada from February 2nd through the 5th. We’ll be exhibiting in the North Hall at booth #N664 with our friends from TruckTrax. Stop by to learn more about the benefits of our Surface Miner Training products and to take advantage of discount pricing for World of Concrete!

While Convergence also produces a broad range of Environmental Health and Safety training courses, the focus of the team at the World of Concrete will be to showcase Convergence’s innovative and award-winning line of MSHA Training.

The Surface Miner Training line of products includes the Basic DVD set, the Standard desktop software, the Advanced desktop software with compliance tools, and the newly released Enterprise Internet-based system for larger organizations with multiple locations.

The World of Concrete is a massive annual international event that brings together companies involved in the concrete and masonry construction industries. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

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While our safe and defensive driving course is going through an internal review before being ready for the public, I’ve published some sneak previews to a special YouTube playlist.

The playlist has samples for Blind Spots, the 2 Second Rule, and Emergency Supplies.

Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=380A119BFD3219B2

These defensive driving courses will soon be available on our website at www.BuyBetterTraining.com.

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In the final half of 2009, Convergence Training’s team of computer-based training content development experts have visited locations and created site-specific, custom training content for customers in the:

• Northwest (Washington and Oregon)
• Midwest (Wisconsin)
• Northeast (Pennsylvania)
• Southeast (Florida, Alabama, and Arkansas)

Our content development team, including engineers, writers, instructional designers, and photographers, would love to “hit for the cycle” and finish their tour of the U.S. this year by creating our 3-D, animated training content for a customer based in the Southwest. Any takers?

It’s been a busy year for the content development team. We’ve created custom, computer-based training content on the following topics:

• Converting equipment
• Finishing
• Boilers
• Paper machines
• Wrappers
• Log saws
• Board machines
• Tissue QA devices
• Contractor and site-visitor orientation training
• Environmental, health and safety
• Chemical process safety

Convergence Training is excited that demand for our custom training materials has been so high, and we look forward to some already-scheduled trips to begin making new materials for more customers. For those readers in the Southwest, now’s your chance to join in the fun!

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In recent months, Convergence Training has installed the Convergence Server Learning Management System (LMS) for new customers located throughout the United States. New Convergence LMS customers include three locations in the “Keystone State” of Pennsylvania, one in the “Yellowhammer State” of Alabama, one in the “Bayou State” of Louisiana, and one in the “Golden State” of California.

Our new Learning Management System customers report great satisfaction with the Server LMS, often citing its flexibility, intuitive design, and ease of use. They note that installation is fast and appreciate the two-day, onsite training sessions that come with each new LMS delivery.

Our customers are not the only ones who have enjoyed the LMS installations. Convergence personnel have enjoyed hitting the road to meet our customers face-to-face and learn more about their computer-based training (CBT) needs. We’ve also appreciated the warm hospitality, good weather, tasty regional food, and opportunity to learn state nicknames!

If you’re looking for a Learning Management System specifically designed for the industrial, manufacturing, or pulp and paper industries that will deliver, track, and report on your computer-based training, contact Convergence today. We can install the LMS remotely or come to your location to do it. All LMS installations come with two-day, face-to-face training sessions at your location to ensure that you’ll be using the LMS quickly and easily.

Click here to request a free online demonstration

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Tragedy Strikes

In February of 2009 in the Mogoon Village in Kenya, tragedy struck. Their water source, the “borehole” as they call it, had broken down and there was very little hope of raising the money required to fix it. With one of the longest standing droughts in Kenya, the community struggled to hang on for life; schools closed, 2 seasons of crops didn’t produce, disease infiltrated and consequently both animals and people passed away. Without affordable access to water, many fell ill to dehydration, cholera and didn’t have the immunity to fend off malaria. In other words this was a major health risk to hundreds of people in the region.

Convergence Training Gives Thanks at Thanksgiving

Back in the United States, Randy Kohltfarber of Convergence Training, is enjoying the luxury of an early morning water ski session. In a ski boat, surrounded by gallons and gallons of water, he sits with his skiing partners Kara Anderson and Dr. Gerri Fujii. Kara recalls her recent trip to the Nakuru Orphanage in Kenya where she was a volunteer worker. When Randy hears about the tragic broken water supply, he decides to offer support and pay for the water source to be repaired.

Click the link below to read the full story about the interwoven lives of people across the globe and how Convergence Training sponsored the repair of the Kenyan village’s water supply.

Read the full story here

See the PowerPoint with photos and details

Click here to visit LifeWater.org

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A local newspaper, The Columbian based in Vancouver, Washington, has featured Convergence Training on the front page of their business section. The article is part of their weekly “Clark County at Work” feature and details how Convergence has dealt with the difficult economic times, what our greatest challenge has been, and what lies ahead in the next six to eight months. There is also information on what Convergence does and some statistics on our company.

The electronic version of the article can be found here: View Article

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Well, it may be pretty bold, but we’re making a statement: BuyBetterTraining.com. The name says it all.

What is BuyBetterTraining.com?

Its our new online store, redesigned from the ground up with new technology and a fresh new look! We’ve got new products, more screenshots, and lots of great new information! Not only does it look great, but the stuff under the hood is pretty cool too. Its faster, easier to search, filter and find products, and the checkout process is quick and painless.

What does the new store sell?

Just like our old store, we’ve got all the safety training essentials you need including our popular Bloodborne Pathogens, Fire Safety, and Asbestos Awareness. If you need more than a single topic, we have our 28 DVD Set full of environmental, health and safety training. We’ve also got our Surface Miner Training products (Basic, Standard, and Advanced) that provide training for MSHA Part 46. In addition to the core products, we’ve made room for the future. We’ve got categories all lined up for our Driver Safety courses and our Industrial Essentials library.

What about the old store?

Over the past year and a half, we’ve had a pretty steep increase in products, viewers, and customers, and we finally outgrew our ecommerce platform. In order to provide a better shopping experience and to better support our growing customer base, we have launched a new store at BuyBetterTraining.com. Our old site will continue to be operational until December 31st, 2009. You may shop and complete purchases at the old site, or give the new store a test drive (but please be patient while we work out all the kinks!).

Check it out!

We’ve been working hard to prove to everyone that they don’t have to settle when it comes to training, and now our store stands out just like our products do. So, give it a test drive yourself and check out our new store now!

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With a shortage of Swine Flu Vaccines and President Barrack Obama’s recent declaration of a national emergency, Convergence Training has developed our new H1N1 Flu/Swine Flu Awareness Video that’s appropriate for nearly any audience

Director of Product Development here at Convergence Training, Randy Kohltfarber, explains that “Our goals for this new video are to provide information and tools that can help prevent the spread of the H1N1 Flu, reduce the potential social and economic impact on our country, and ultimately save lives.”

Like our other safety training video products, this video uses our distinct visual style including 2D and 3D graphics and animation.

The Swine Flu Video is being offered for purchase and download in flexible, easily-sharable formats to encourage broad distribution of the training on our new website:

www.H1N1Video.com

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Convergence Training would like to welcome two new media designers to the team, Jason Raines and Chris Dunable. They will be helping us keep up with our growing workload of training projects.

Jason has several years of pulp and paper training experience in his media repertoire, and Chris brings a diverse and extensive 3D background to the media development team. Jason’s Adobe Flash skills have already proven useful in helping with our Contractor Training projects. Chris has started work on our upcoming Defensive Driving courses.

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Convergence Training, a division of Capstone Technology Corporation, announces the launch of its new reseller program designed to expand distribution of safety training DVDs through relationships with established online retailers of safety training videos and safety products.

In January of 2009, after years of developing custom safety and operational training courses for international manufacturing clients, Convergence began actively marketing a line of commercial safety training DVDs and compliance software. Less than a year after opening its online store, Convergence is now extending its distribution strategy to established online safety resellers to meet increased demand for their unique training products.

Now, even as the U.S. economy struggles and unemployment remains high, Convergence safety training DVDs and compliance software sales have been consistently on the rise. “Safety training has always been a tough-sell. But with increasing pressure on Safety Coordinators to do more with less, our customers view our products as high quality, cost-effective training tools,” noted Randy Kohltfarber, Director of Convergence Product Development. He added, “And with more diversified sales efforts, we can focus our resources on what we do best, producing superior training tools that improve safety and lower costs.”

Leading online safety stores, including www.trainingabc.com, ComplianceAndSafety.com, and SafetyDVDs.com, now carry Congergence Training safety DVDs and compliance software. Bjorn Ansbro, Convegence’s Business Development Manager, is also currently developing reseller and affiliate relationships with national equipment distributors, office supply retailers, and federal organizations. Bjorn notes that, “While building these relationships is critical to our growth, our new reseller program is just one step toward establishing and building a lasting presence in the industry.”

Convergence is a producer of occupational health and safety training videos, learning management software, and regulatory compliance tools for general industry, mining, pulp and paper, and construction.

For more information on Convergence Training’s safety training videos, compliance software, and online training services, visit www.ThinkConvergence.com or call 888-634-7346 x231.

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After launching our reseller program, reaching out to hundreds of new customers, and deciding to develop and release many new titles, we have decided to upgrade our online store. We have decided to use ZNode, a powerful e-commerce platform that is designed to be adaptable and customizable. In the next couple of months, look for a brand new design as well as a host of new features to make the shopping experience more enjoyable and easier to use.

New features include:
– Better product organization
– More design and layout flexibility
– Post product reviews online
– Built in customer service forms
– Faster performing with less lag time
– Advanced product search
– Better image and thumbnail support
– And many more!

Visit the ZNode Website

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Convergence Training is pleased to announce that we have launched a new website, dedicated to our pulp and paper customers.

Specific topics covered by this new website include:

• Custom Machine and Process Training – Site-specific, media-rich, 3D courses
• Contractor Training Solutions – Training and software to save time and money
• Mill Safety Training – Off-the-shelf, media-rich, 3D courses
• Learning Management System Software – Deliver, track, and report
• Mobile Training Device – Rugged task and classroom management in the field

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