We are all over the country this week! From our offices in Camas, WA, to the northeast and all the way down to Orlando, FL.

Orlando, FL
Randy and Bjorn are representing Convergence Training at AGG1. Here are a couple shots of our booth with our MSHA Part 46 Products on display:

Alabama
Roman has been meeting with prospective customers in Alabama. After a few days on the road with sunny and moderate weather, he’s on his way back to cold rain here in Camas.

Northeast US
A couple of our technical writers are on-site with a new customer on the East Coast. They will be spending the week out there getting trained and gathering technical information. In addition, Matt and I will be headed out to the same location next week to install Convergence Server and provide administrator training.

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I recently added some features to our Safety-DVD website. In addition to selling our complete EHS Training DVD ($399 for 8+ hours of training), we are now promoting our individual titles. In this library, we have 28 titles to choose from starting as low as $49.00. If you want multiple copies or multiple topics, we even offer discounts. Our DVDs can be used to present to groups, during safety meetings, or in a classroom setting.

Our courses focus on key topics for OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration), the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and other regulatory agencies. We have almost 10 total hours of training that you can use to fill in the gaps for your OSHA 10, OSHA 30, or HazWoper certifications. So, if you need your OSHA card, why not supplement your training with engaging, contemporary training that won’t put you to sleep?

Our individual topics are listed below:

Aerial Work Platforms $49.00
Asbestos Awareness $49.00
Bloodborne Pathogens $49.00
Confined Space Awareness $49.00
Electrical Safety General Awareness $49.00
Ergonomics $49.00
Escape Respirators and SCSRs $49.00
Fall Prevention and Protection $49.00
Fire Extinguisher Safety $49.00
Fire Safety $49.00
First Aid for Common Injuries $49.00
First Aid for Emergencies $49.00
First Steps in All First Aid Situations $59.00
Formaldehyde Awareness $49.00
Hand and Power Tools $49.00
Hand Safety $49.00
Hazard Communication $49.00
Hearing Conservation $49.00
Hydrogen Sulfide Awareness $49.00
Ladder Safety $49.00
Laser Safety $49.00
Lead Awareness $49.00
Lockout Tagout $49.00
Pedestrian Safety $49.00
Personal Protective Equipment $49.00
Radiation Safety $49.00
Respirators $59.00
Storm Water Pollution Prevention $49.00

To see all of our titles, get more information and full product descriptions, visit our store at http://www.safety-dvd.com. For more information about Convergence Training, visit our website at http://www.thinkconvergence.com or send us an email at info@thinkconvergence.com.

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After being in the queue for almost a month, we’ve finally been approved! Convergence Training Viewer can now be downloaded from Download.com.

To view the details about the requirements for software featured on Download.com, view their software policies here.

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In order to provide better service and product fulfillment, we have upgraded our DVD processing. We are now using a company called Acutrack who have better tracking and shipping methods, and they also offer higher quality printing and burning capabilities. I’ve been working with Raj Barman and Daphne Persis to get our DVD projects setup and tested and they have provided truly exceptional service as well as high-quality products. We have complete faith that Acutrack will continue to provide exceptional fulfillment services.

Keep reading to see new or upgraded features.

Tracking Numbers
Upon ordering, customers receive an email with a tracking number to track exactly when their products will arrive.

Accurate Processing
Orders are tracked during production using a barcode on the disc and on the cover of the DVD. This ensures your orders are processed accurately.

Improved Reliability
We’ve been provided with a dedicated account manager who will quickly respond to any questions or concerns.

So, if you’ve thought about ordering either our Surface Miner Training DVD, or one of our Environmental, Health, & Safety DVDs, you’re experience will be better than ever before.

We’ve also upgraded our merchant account to include American Express credit card processing. In the next few days, the account will be ready to process. In the mean time, give us a call if you want to order and only have an American Express card.

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Convergence Training will be hosting a booth at AGG1, the 2009 Aggregates Forum and Expo. The conference will take place March 9-12, 2009 and will be co-located with the World of Asphalt 2009 Show and Conference in Orlando, FL.

We will be displaying our suite of MSHA Part 46 compliancy solutions ranging from Surface Miner Training Basic ($349) up to our Surface Miner Training Advanced with MSHA Compliancy Tools ($1,399). If you would like to stop by and visit us, our booth number is 426. See a map of our booth at the convention.

For more information about AGG1, visit the official AGG1 site here.

For more information about the World of Asphalt 2009, visit the official World of Asphalt site here.

For more information about our Surface Miner Training products that offer MSHA Part 46 compliancy solutions for Surface Mines and Mining Contractors, visit our MSHASafetyTraining.com website.

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We’ve almost finished updating the user interface for our contractor management software. We’ve added a lot of details to our “Convergence Skin.” We plan to offer custom skins that feature your company’s logo and colors. I’ve just chosen a few screenshots to display here so you can get an idea of what our system looks and feels like. If you’re interested in seeing more, please contact me at kdellavalle@capstonetechnology.com.

For now, here are some screenshots of our default skin:

Image 1
The image on the left is the “Training Plan” – contractors/visitors/vendors see the training they are required to complete when they login. It can be grouped into “Activities”, and when you hover the mouse over a module, it displays a thumbnail of the contents.

Image 2
The image in the center is the “Activities” management screen. Activities are just a way to group training.

Image 3
The image on the right is the “Session History” management screen. This is a way to get a window into the activities of the users. Here, you can see tests taken, their passing score, and even the answers that were given.

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Microsoft just released new Windows updates that will significantly reduce the time it takes to download our software and courses!

Because we used the latest technology to develop our software, some of our customers have been missing the required components. Our installer recognizes this and downloads the required components – this can take a long time! If you’ve installed all the latest updates (specifically Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1), downloading CTV should take less than 5 minutes on a broadband connection. For more details on how to make sure you have the required components, see the documents below:

Upgrade Guide for Vista Users

Upgrade Guide for XP Users

Email us with questions.

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Our Vision

When we set out to create our free training viewer software, we wanted a platform that was fast, stable, and provided a rich graphical interface to our customers. We believe that an application should work well and be easy on the eyes. The technology we chose was Windows Presentation Foundation, or WPF. For those unfamiliar with WPF, it allows us to create applications that behave more like Flash animations (animated menus, glowing button highlights, interactive interface, etc.), and are built around a powerful and stable core (earlier frameworks have a number of known bugs). Which would you choose – older technology that most people have, but contains known bugs, or newer technology that might take longer to download but would be more stable and perform better?

Required Components

We chose the latest technology and refused to compromise on the quality of our product which means that users of our product must have the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 (service pack 1) installed on their system. Currently, this is an optional windows update, but is scheduled to be a required update on Windows XP and Vista users early this year (2009). For more information about getting the framework via windows updates, check out this Microsoft blog posting:

When will the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 be pushed to windows update?

Long Download/Install Time

We’ve designed our installation process to work for everyone, regardless of what software the users may or may not have installed – it will download and install necessary components, including the .NET Framework. This can be helpful, but it can also increase your download time if you don’t have the required components. If the necessary components are already installed on your computer, then the installation of Convergence Training Viewer is typically as short as a few minutes. If you can bear with the long Microsoft download/install, we promise the CTV install will be quick and painless.

Other WPF Applications

Convergence Training is not alone in embracing the new Microsoft technology to build software. Visit the Microsoft Community Showcase to see other applications using this new and innovative technology.
Visit Microsoft’s WPF Showcase

Worth the Wait

We appreciate the patience of our users who have experienced longer installation times and less than elegant installation. We’ve investigated several techniques to shorten download times, such as using older versions of controls, including the components in the download file, and more. All of these approaches have had their own unique drawbacks forcing us to choose the least problematic solution. For those of you wanting to claim your free course, please contact us and we will be happy to send it to your physical address on a CD-ROM. For everyone else, we will gladly send you the necessary Microsoft .NET components on a CD-ROM which will help alleviate long download time.

Given the quality of our training products, we believe that our software and training courses are worth the wait. Once you are finished with the installation process, you will be glad you took the time. If you would prefer to receive the files on a disk, send us an email.

Again, we apologize for any difficulties you may have experienced and appreciate your patience while technology catches up with our innovative approach to training. We are committed to supporting our product and ensuring your ongoing satisfaction by helping you build a successful training program.

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Last week, we launched our newest website, MSHASafetyTraining.com, which focuses exclusively on helping surface mines and surface mine contractors become compliant with MSHA’s Part 46.

This new site simplifies the requirements and directs viewers to exactly what they need. We even provide free resources to help you complete your Training Plan and Records of Training.

Here are some of the things we hope you’ll find useful:

• A visual overview of MSHA Part 46 training requirements
• FREE samples of Training Plan and Record of Training templates
• FREE Part 46 resources including downloads and links to make compliance easier
• And of course, our award-winning line of Surface Miner Training products

Visit MSHASafetyTraining.com and let us know what you think. And if you still have questions, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to help.

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Chris Wilson, our Lead 3D Designer, has been working on putting the final touches on our 3D Virtual Mill. A number of our other Meda Designers have had a hand in creating specific pieces of equipment. Among other areas, the mill features chip yard, digester, evaporators, recovery boiler, recaust area, bleach plant and paper machine. Our 3D Virtual Mill enables us to create training in the same fashion as our custom training, but for sites that need to cover fundamentals before focusing on site-specific processes and procedures.

This is one of the preliminary renders and still has some more equipment to add. This will be the basis for our upcoming Pulp and Paper Fundamentals courses.

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I just published the last 9 modules in our EHS Training curriculum. These modules have been updated with new regulatory information, updated graphics and animations, and improved test questions.

• Aerial Work Platforms
• Ergonomics
• Hand and Power Tools
• Hand Safety
• Hazard Communication
• Lead Awareness
• Pedestrian Safety
• Radiation Safety
• Storm Water Pollution Prevention

To get more information, you can visit our website ThinkConvergence.com. There you can download free trials of any of our titles using Convergence Training Viewer. In addition, these new and updated courses are also available as SCORM packages that will work with any SCORM conformant LMS.

This screenshot shows the 9 new modules which brings our catalog size up to 32 training modules with one module to come next week.

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Earlier this week, we launched a new micro-site dedicated to our Surface Miner Training DVD. Our Surface Miner Training DVD boxed-set provides 8 hours of MSHA Part 46 compliancy training. When purchasing the DVD, you’ll get:

• Over 8 hours of training
• 27 training modules based on MSHA’s Part 46 requirements
• A quick and easy way to deliver required training
• Access to printable tests and answer guides
• Award winning training (1st Place at MSHA’s 2008 TRAM Conference)

Click here to visit our new site

Of course, our Surface Miner Training can also be packaged with Convergence Training Viewer, or it can be sold as a SCORM package that can be used in any SCORM conformant LMS.

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