Bridges.com will produce a regional version of CX Online for schools in West Virginia, beginning this fall. The state has also commissioned the company to provide a daily career news service. More than 50% of 330 secondary schools in the state currently use CX. Kathy Boone, Project Leader for the West Virginia Department of Education, said, "Given the rural nature of West Virginia, not all students have access to a wide range of career experiences. Bridges.com fills the gap by bringing the world of work to every school wherever it is located." Doug Turton, Bridges.com's regional sales manager for the state added, "West Virginia is establishing itself as a leader in the integration of online career information services into middle and secondary schools. We'll likely see increased usage of Career Explorer in West Virginia as a result of this initiative."

300 Sales in August, Summer Sales Increase 46%

616 new site sales were recorded in June, July and August of 1999, a 46 per cent improvement over last summer's record sales quarter of 420 sites. Resubscriptions were also strong in the quarter, with the balance of resubscription revenue to be recognized in Q4. Career Explorer is now used in 4,266 schools, representing 11.9 per cent of the North American middle and secondary school market.

Innovative Pennsylvania Pilot Promotes CX Use

The School-To-Work office in Pennsylvania will work with Bridges.com to promote use of Career Explorer (CX) in at least 400 of the state's 1,200 middle and secondary schools. The Pennsylvania S-T-W team will endorse CX and provide regional training for the 400 schools. In return, Bridges will provide free access for a limited time period to authorized schools. "We want more Pennsylvania schools to evaluate the service," said Mike Martin, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Bridges. "This initiative is a unique new opportunity for us to work with a state agency to support use of CX by increasing numbers of young career planners."

Bridges Boosts Sales Staff

In support of Bridges.com's plan to more aggressively distribute Career Explorer to North American middle and secondary schools, eight new sales staff have joined the company. This boosts the number of internal sales people from 10 to 18. Direct selling has proven to be the most effective way to market CX to new subscribers -- sales revenue per internal seller has increased in each of the last three years.