eChalk Announces Version 5.0 with eChalk Groups™
Leading Provider of Online Communications Platform for K-12 Schools and Districts Enhances System
New Orleans, LA (June 21, 2003) - eChalk (www.eChalk.com), the leading provider of Web-based communication services for K-12 public, private, and parochial schools and school districts, announced today at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) that it has launched Version 5.0 which includes the addition of eChalk GroupsTM.
"K-12 has moved beyond the simple email services and Web-publishing that used to suffice, "said Torrance Robinson, eChalk's Co-founder and CEO. "No longer is it just the forward looking schools and school districts that are demanding a reliable system that synchronizes with back-end systems and offers online classrooms, Student-Safe EmailSM, Web-publishing tools and digital lockers in one unified system. All of K-12 is recognizing online communication as the critical application that it is and, as the leader in creating, providing and implementing these services, K-12 schools and districts are increasingly turning to eChalk to fulfill these needs."
One of the powerful new enhancements of Version 5.0 is the addition of eChalk GroupsTM. With eChalk GroupsTM any group within a school or school district can have their own private area online to collaborate using eChalk's email, threaded discussions, calendars, Web-publishing tools, online surveys and more. From a school's sports team and PTA to district-wide departments and school boards, now every group that is essential to running a successful school and district can safely collaborate online.
"eChalk GroupsTM comes out of years of research and design," said eChalk's Head of Product Development, Charlene Noll. "eChalk Groups gives the many important organizations that are part of a school or district the use of powerful communication tools to help run and maintain departments, clubs, and other extracurricular activities that are very important to all the members within the school community. This new feature set not only includes groups that consist of students, such as sports teams and clubs, but also organizations that are specific to teachers, parents and administrators, such as school boards, curriculum & operational departments and PTAs. Like other eChalk features these can be set up on the school level or district-wide."
eChalk's Version 5.0 release includes updated and expanded Professional Development and Training programs to ensure a smooth and custom implementation of the service. Programs have been enhanced to reflect the many new features within 5.0 and also expanded to include training options for instructional and operational departments on how to best use eChalk GroupsTM to their advantage. In addition, eChalk SyncTM has also been updated to allow for better integration and updates from a school or district's Student Information System (SIS). The combination of the online service coupled with eChalk's Implementation, ongoing support and professional development has lead to successes for all of eChalk's clients. Version 5.0 affords the very best of services for K-12 education.
About eChalk
eChalk is the leading provider of customized, Web-based communication networks for K-12 schools and districts. eChalk was the first online communication company in K-12 to offer Student Safe EmailSM, Digital Lockers, Class ArchivesTM, a Service Level Agreement, a Privacy Contract, provide ongoing support, guarantee uptime, be eligible for E-rate under Internet Access and offer group functionality like that found in eChalk GroupsTM. eChalk offers schools and districts their own secure, affordable, easy to use and entirely advertising-free platform to enhance the educational process through effective use of the Internet. As an Application Service Provider (ASP), eChalk leverages schools' existing technology infrastructure, providing a premium yet affordable solution that facilitates interaction within the school, between schools, and within the larger educational community. eChalk works on any computer that has a connection to the Internet and a browser of 4.0 or higher. To learn more, visit www.eChalk.com or contact Heather Norian at 212-809-8400 or HNorian@eChalk.com.
