Create Training and Knowledge Management Programs that Offer Excellent ROI, are Efficient, Engaging and Fun.

Today knowledge management requires much more than searching text database while sitting behind a desktop computer. Absolutely!™ is a new type of knowledge management system (KMS) that combines benefits of a traditional KMS (organization and distribution of knowledge), with collaboration and engagement of wiki and social networks, and added ability to use Google Apps, immersive environments, and rich media such as flash, video, interactive flow charts and diagrams. You can use it both on a desktop computer and on a smart phone.

Integration with Google Apps provides immediate access to the power of cloud computing, collaborative synchronous work on the documents, sophisticated sharing options and powerful editing interface. Absolutely!™ allows employees to collaborate on creating flow charts and diagrams, and include them into a common knowledge base. Thus, employees become not just passive recipients of information, but active contributors. Everybody helps prevent knowledge loss and avoid "re-inventing a wheel" within organization.

As smart phones become increasingly common, and workforce becomes more and more mobile, spending significant fraction of the time on-the-go and away from the office, it is important that employees have access to vital information regardless of their location. That is why we made Absolutely!™ available both on desktop/laptop computers and on smart phones. Now employees can access and contribute information from anywhere.

Virtual collaboration becomes increasingly important for the enterprise as more and more projects are completed by geographically dispersed teams and travel becomes increasingly difficult, tiring and expensive. Organizations with effective virtual collaboration programs have competitive edge as they decrease product time to market at a lower budget compared to companies that do not use collaborative technologies.

AHG addresses this challenge by providing a series of immersive environments / virtual worlds products that foster collaboration and teamwork, as well as by providing customized virtual worlds solutions, consulting and virtual worlds training courses. Newly published book authored by AHG's CEO -- Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds: How to Create Cost-Saving, Efficient and Engaging Programs (McGraw-Hill, 2010) -- provides a good foundation for corporate management to learn about the virtual worlds in corporate setting, decide whether and how the company can use the new medium and what are the best implementation paths.  

  Site & Other News: July 21, 2010. Slideshow for SALT Conference: http://www.slideshare.net/alexheiphetz/knowledge-management-meets-collaboration-and-social-media-4798813 June 23, 2010. New review of "Training and Collaboration ..." "It's 'Game On' for Training in Virtual Worlds." Review by Garry Kranz, Workforce Management -- http://www.workforce.com/section/11/feature/27/21/47/ May 20, 2010. Two new reviews: The Next Wave: Enterprise 2.0, Immersive Workspaces and Virtual Worlds By Len Rosen -- http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-20/the-next-wave-enterprise-20-immersive-workspaces-and-virtual-worlds-007573.php and Where Have All the Avatars Gone? by Pam Baker TechNewsWorld -- http://www.technewsworld.com/story/69965.html?wlc=1277832110 March 1, 2010. ASTD reviewed "Training and Collaboration ...": http://www.astd.org/TD/Archives/2010/Apr/Free/1004_Books.htm February 24, 2010. Another positive review: Margery Weinstein Editor's Corner, Training Day Would It Be Better If the Boss Were a Cartoon? http://vnutravel.typepad.com/trainingday/ February 5, 2010. First review of "Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds" by Jenn Forager -- http://epochinstitute.blogspot.com/2010/01/review-training-in-virtual-worlds.html February 2, 2010. Glenn Fisher, Director of Business Programs at Linden Lab will join us at the book launch on February 26th to discuss latest developments in Second Life and their Enterprise program that allows you to install Second Life server directly on your network. January 20, 2010. Nothing could be a better venue for launching a book about corporate use of virtual worlds, then a virtual world itself. On Friday, February 26th, at 1 pm Eastern Time (10 am PST aka "SL time") Alex Heiphetz and Gary Woodill will present their new book during a speicial launch event to be held in Second Life. For those who will not be able to join us in Second Life, the event will be streamed live on the web. The launch will cover what you could learn from the book plus new developments that happened after the book was submitted to the publisher. More information: www.ahg.com/launch.htm January 15, 2010. We are planning semi-official book presentation in SL with simultaneous video/sound feed to the web. Major topic -- new things that happened since the book was submitted to print. Additional information will be available on the ASTD TechKnowledge (January 27-29). Stop by McGraw-Hill booth for details. December 15, 2009. "Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds" is officially out. We should receive printed copies and start shipping them shortly. October 22, 2009. Review / trailer for the "Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds" is available as a 5-minute video at http://www.TheVirtualWorldsBook.com September 23, 2009. The "Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds / Second Life" wiki is fully up and running at http://www.TheVirtualWorldsBook.com/wiki. The wiki contains important information in categories such as "Best Practices," "HR and Recruiting," "Methodology," "Planning," "Teamwork," "Technology," "Tips and Tricks," "Tools," and others. August 20, 2009. An interesting presentation on a Society for Applied Learning Technology conference. Dr. Heiphetz lead a panel discussion on real results (including financials) of the Second Life projects in corporate world. Most of the panel attended the conference and presented their results via Second Life with only three panel members in the auditorium. Everything worked well (probably to tease nay-sayers who are still complaining about Second Life dependability. In fact, we had not have any problems with it for over a year.) Thanks to Chris Bishop of IBM, David Anotonacci of Kansas U. Medical Center, Russell Miyaki of TMP Worldwide, and Dr. Gary Woodill of Brandon Hall Research for making presentation so successful. August 3, 2009. A new book on use of virtual worlds in corporate environment that is scheduled to be published by McGraw-Hill in December, 2009 now has its official web site: http://www.TheVirtualWorldsBook.com. There is more information on contributors, case studies, authors and content. We continue working on "Virtual Worlds in Corporate Environment" wiki that should be available shortly. February 3, 2009. AHG releases version 2.1 of ICTS -- Immersive Communication Training System. This is the first and only platform that allows instructional designers to create robotic avatar simulations using exclusively graphic user interface, without a single line of code or any need to know programming. November 24, 2008. November, 2008 issue of Training and Development Magazine (T+D) published a feature article on using Robotic Avatars in training. PDF is avalable at the following URL (copy and paste into your browser: http://www.ahg.com/SL/T_and_D_Nov2008.pdf). Novemver 21, 2008. Training Media Review awarded our Robotic Avatar Simulation 3 out of 4 stars noting that "AHG effectively uses the immersive SL technology to place the learner in a specific roleplay setting (e.g., doctor?s office) and offering the simulation asynchronously. The learner can practice the roleplay as often as the instructor will allow... The production quality of the AHG sim is high, and it is easy to use... It appears that you can easily modify the sims and gather data from them." October 23, 2008. In October, 2008 issue Training Magazine published special section on Games and Simulations highlighting, AHG's Second Life training simulations. PDF is avalable at the following URL (copy and paste into your browser: http://www.ahg.com/SL/TrainingMagOct2008.pdf). September 25, 2008. Dr. Alex Heiphetz, Svetlana Liberman (both of AHG) and Tom Werner (Brandon Hall Research) presented paper on Innovations in Learning 2008 conference. Presentation "Using Robotic Avatars in Second Life Simulations" was conducted live in Second Life with Heiphetz and Liberman staying in Pennsylvania, and Werner in Calofornia. This was a first attempt of the sort and it went surprisingly smoothly. The audience accepted new method of presentation and took active part in the discussion. September 18, 2008. Dr. Alex Heiphetz, CEO of the AHG, Inc. discussed best practices in Second Life business implementation with Lindsay Edmonds Wickman of the Chief Learning Office Magazine. It is impossible to talk about all of the tried and tested methods in a short interview, but it might be a good start if you are considering this new immersive, experiential technology and are interested in others' experience. Full Text at: http://www.clomedia.com/executive-briefings/2008/September/2369/index.php. August 8, 2008. AHG, Inc. announced two new sets of courses targeted at corporate users considering Virtual Worlds in general and Second Life in particular for their training programs. Courses are grouped into Instructional Designer / Developer and Executive tracks. More information about the classes, as well syllabuses and registration information can be found at the following page: http://www.ahg.com/courses/second_life_courses.htm (or click on the "Virtual Worlds In Corporate Setting: Training Courses" icon to the right). * * * On June 30, 2008, AHG, Inc. together with Linden Lab ran a round-table discussion "Starting Corporate Training Program in Second Life: Best Practices, Security Concerns and Future Developments". Panelists included Chief IT Architect of Michelin and Business Director of Linden Lab, Senior Analysts from ThinkBalm and O'Reilly, Accenture Internet Channel Lead and Business Director of Royal Philips Electronics, computer and behavioral scientists. We discussed security issues, corporate use and growth patterns, world-wide recruiting project, ways Virtual Worlds help in enterprise mission, and other issues of importance. The audio record of the roundtable is now available as a part of materials for any of the Executive Track classes. An hour and fifteen minutes - long mp3 is full of insightful information from people who have implemented Second Life projects on an enterprise level and now have unique prospective on both strengths and deficiencies of Second Life and Virtual Worlds in general. You can review the classes / syllabus at the following page: http://www.ahg.com/courses/second_life_courses.htm (or click on the "Virtual Worlds In Corporate Setting: Training Courses" icon to the right).