
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
University of Texas at Austin, Enspire Learning, Agree to New License Terms for Leadership Simulation Game
AUSTIN, TX - Oct. 31, 2007 - The University of Texas at Austin and Enspire Learning, a leading provider of learning simulations, have agreed to new licensing terms for Executive Challenge™, a multiplayer leadership simulation created at the university's McCombs School of Business.
The new terms reflect Enspire Learning's significant additional contribution to development of the game and were structured to accommodate the business requirements of the parties. Terms were not disclosed.
"We're very excited about the new licensing terms," said Shon Bayer, vice president of product development at Enspire. "The university has been a great partner to Enspire Learning throughout the development of Executive Challenge™ and the licensing process."
"This is a good outcome for the company and the university," said Neil Iscoe, director of the university's Office of Technology Commercialization. "There are many ways to measure the success of technology commercialization and the ability to convert The University of Texas at Austin's research capacity into commercial activity. This success story reflects a strong licensee relationship and allows the results of research to fulfill the needs of society."
Executive Challenge™ was conceived as a board game by Steven Tomlinson, a former McCombs professor, and Allan Varney, an independent game designer. The goal of the simulation is to help business professionals and students develop their leadership and communications skills and build business acumen.
In the multiplayer simulation, members of teams are assigned specific roles within a simulated company. They come together as a group to take the organization through multiple quarters of business processes across research and development, manufacturing and marketing.
The simulation has been successfully deployed at leading organizations, including Alltel, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Applied Materials. The McCombs School of Business continues to use the simulations and recently included it in its Master of Business Administration orientation program where it was deployed for more than 250 students simultaneously.
"Since the original licensing agreement, we have added a sophisticated business layer on top of the great leadership development core of the simulation, to reflect feedback we received from our customers," Bayer said. "This new agreement gives us a great incentive to continue to make Executive Challenge™ even better."
About Enspire Learning
Enspire Learning was founded in 2001 with the mission to create effective online learning. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Enspire Learning develops e-learning courses, simulations, and blended learning programs that motivate learners with interactive multimedia and engaging scenarios. Our Interactive Case Studies™ and award-winning simulations are relevant, immersive, and fun - driving real business results.
CONTACT:
Emily Straus
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emily.straus@enspire.com
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