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All regulatory training and certification now managed on-line

Dublin, Ireland - February 24th, 2004 - WBT Systems, a global leader in Enterprise e-Learning solutions, today announced that Ryanair, Europe's leading low fares airline has selected WBT's TopClass e-learning suite to manage and track all Flight Training for its 2000 Ryanair & Buzz pilots and crew. By using TopClass to track and record training online, Ryanair anticipates major improvements in workflow through enhanced reporting, tracking and centralised management. It also makes Ryanair one of the first airlines in Europe to have an entirely paperless training environment.

The aviation industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. Pilots and crew must observe extensive training and certification requirements by aviation authorities such as the IAA and the CAA. In addition, the issuance and maintenance of pilot licences in most European countries are governed by the Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR). Meeting JARs are mission critical for Ryanair; if a pilot cannot prove that he/she is JAR compliant in a range of areas, then the pilot will not be allowed fly. Depending on the circumstances, some pilots have to recertify as often as every 6 months. However, ensuring pilots meet all the necessary regulatory training requirements is a major operational challenge for Ryanair given aircrew work schedules and a widely dispersed work force.

TopClass will manage the records for all training events including ground school training, pilot conversion courses, type rating courses, simulator, line checks, command checks and instructor training programmes. Ryanair's decision to move its entire system on-line necessitated the creation of over 100 electronic training documents in TopClass. By using TopClass, Ryanair instructors will be able to access the training system from all its European bases. They can then rate and check all training on-line with instant access to individual training history and status. In addition, TopClass has been adapted to integrate with Ryanair's rostering system, Netline from Lufthansa.

Ryanair looked at a number of options before opting for TopClass."Apart from the superior technical functionality of TopClass, we chose WBT Systems because of their ability to understand our requirements and to deliver a comprehensive solution on a fixed price basis within very tight deadlines" said Warwick Brady, Deputy Director of Flight Operations for Ryanair.

Ryanair also plans to use TopClass Learning Management System (LMS) to manage and record all its CBT training and e-learning programmes for off-site training, and also to track individuals and groups, update student records automatically, create a course catalogue and record and analyse evaluations.

"The delivery of this mission critical solution to Ryanair endorses TopClass as the leading solution for regulatory training delivery, tracking and reporting” said Declan Kelly, CEO of WBT Systems. “Our rapid delivery to agressive deadlines within budget also underlines the strength of our QuickValue rapid implementation methodology. We are also delighted to be associated with such a dynamic and high profile customer".

About Ryanair

Founded in 1985, Ryanair is Europe's No 1 low fares airline. It employs 2200 staff and operates 147 routes to 86 destinations across 16 countries. Ryanair's success is attibuted to its strict control of costs and its "no frills" offering. The company floated in 1997 on the Dublin and New York (NASDAQ) stock exhanges and in the UK a year later. In 2003 Ryanair expects to have shuttled just under 24 million passengers making it one of the top 3 airlines in Europe. In March 2003, it acquired the Dutch carrier Buzz. Ryanair aims to be Europe's biggest carrier within 5 years. For more information on Ryanair see www.ryanair.com.

About WBT Systems

WBT Systems is one of the leading providers of Enterprise e-Learning Solutions in the world. WBT Systems' TopClass e-Learning Suite™ enables the rapid creation, deployment, and management of knowledge delivery across the enterprise. It is a robust, easily deployed, web-based learning platform with over two million users worldwide. Our implementation experience spans a variety of industries, including financial services, healthcare, government, and pharmaceuticals, across blue chip companies such as Alexander Forbes, Allergan, Basler Insurance, Belgacom, Credit Suisse, Husqvarna, Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, Diageo, Dow Chemical, Eurocontrol, Liberty Group, University of Chicago Hospitals, U.S. Department of Defense and Volvo CE.

Established in 1995, WBT Systems is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and has offices in North America in Waltham, MA and in the UK (London) and Germany (Düsseldorf). For more information, see www.wbtsystems.com.

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