CHENNAI, INDIA: consumer Internet and enterprise services provider Sify Technologies Limited today announced that it received the Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning award for the third consecutive year.

Sify's entry, a 3D online training program developed using Second Life, won the Gold award in the 'Best Use of Virtual Worlds for Learning' category, said a press release. 

The Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Award is annually presented by the Brandon Hall Research, a leading research firm in training and development.
The award acknowledges exceptional work in the development and application of innovative learning technology.

Sify won Gold for the project titled "3 Hours – Execution of Forced Outage" developed for GE Contractual Services.

The objective of the training program was to elicit time-critical strategic behavior in response to a forced outage situation. Sify, using Second Life (SL)- the virtual 3D world, created an innovative online training environment with secured access, and provided the ability to closely mimic a virtual power plant in 3D, the release added.

CVS Suri, chief operating officer, Sify Technologies, said, "We are delighted to win a Gold Brandon Hall Award for the third time in a row. This award is a validation of our commitment to innovation, and high recognition of our meticulous design effort to provide our customers with the best of learning outcomes."

"The online 3D Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) was Sify's answer to the growing need among global organizations to combat the twin training issues of reaching out to the vast geographical spread of intended learners and providing constant observation by a training coordinator. This award is also a validation of the huge potential of the online training games market," he added.
Brandon Hall, Ph.D., chairman of the awards program, said.

"We are so impressed with the quality of this year's winning entries. These winners set the standard for what innovative learning looks like today."

The statement reported that it received a total of 246 entries and independent judges from around the world evaluated the entries.

This year's winners of the Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards were honoured at the 2008 Innovations in Learning Conference, held in San Jose, California, the release added.