Business Professionals' Network, Inc., to Expand Distribution Offerings to Include Live and Archived Web Casts

Business Professionals' Network, Inc. is in the seventh year of production continuing professional education for state CPA societies through its Accounting Professional Education Network (ACPEN). Each year, BPN produces between eight and twelve, full-day programs that provide eight CPE credit hours (400 minutes) in the form of live, interactive video. These programs are beamed by satellite to about 90 to 100 satellite downlinks in about 20 states, sponsored locally by the state CPA society with which BPN has a working agreement. CPAs gather at these downlinks and watch the live program and ask questions of panelists by calling in or faxing questions, which are responded to by panelists.

In 2003, the Accounting Continuing Professional Education Network will expand its options for receiving these broadcasts by the addition of live, interactive, internet webcasts, provided by its Application Service Provider, CPAlearn a department of LegalSpan, Inc. State CPA societies will be able to offer their members two ways to receive the programs live, attend at a group satellite downlink site (usually at a community college or university) or receive it as a live webcast on their own computers in the office.

ACPEN webcasts will have the following production and education characteristics:

Technology Requirements: CPAs who have an internet connection of 56k or higher, broadband or T-1 connection may access the program, the greater the speed of the connection the better the video picture quality. The registration process of the ASP guides the student through the testing process to ensure compatibility.

Written Materials: Students will be able to receive the written materials by downloading them from LegalSpan’s website, in advance of the program, as part of their tuition. They will also be available to be sent to the student in book form, if they prefer, for an additional fee.

Registration and E-Commerce: Students will register through the sponsoring State CPA Society website for the program, invisibly, at BPN’s ASP (Applications Service Provider), LegalSpan’s server.

Pricing Issues: As with all of our online opportunities, the price of this event is up to you. You are closer to the market than we are and therefore better attuned to appropriate fees. We do suggest that you start by charging the same for the live web event as you do for a live registration. Attendee’s will see savings in the cost of travel and in billable hours and value in the convenience of not having to leave the office. 

CPE Credit Status: The viewer, as part of a live, interactive group study, will receive credit for participation at 50 minutes per CPE credit hour. No testing during the program is provided since it is a live, group study. Business Professionals' Network, Inc. has been in contact with all ACPEN state boards of accountancy to confirm this, and documentation to this affect is being provided.

Interactivity: Participating students may ask questions during the program in three ways. They may telephone or fax questions to the numbers provided on the screen, or they may email questions to the address provided on screen. These will be responded to by the live faculty, during the course.

Attendance Verification: During the broadcast, at random times during each quarter of the broadcast, part of a simple, 4 character code will be broadcast that the viewer must recognize and note. At the end of the program, the webcast viewer will be instructed to email this four-part code to the ASP at an email address designated for this purpose. Only those viewers who submit all four parts of the code will receive full CPE credit. Viewers who submit partial codes will receive a certificate granting appropriate partial credit in two-hour increments, for each part of the code submitted.

CPE Credit Certificate: Business Professionals' Network, Inc., the webcast sponsor, will provide a certificate documenting either full credit or some lesser amount, based on the Attendance Verification Code provided by the student at the end of the program. This will be sent as an email.

Technology Help Line: An email sent confirming registration will be sent to each student in advance with technical requirements and providing a help line contact to assist with difficulties that may occur during the set for the program or, if difficulties are encountered during the program itself.

Course Evaluation: Each student will receive an evaluation of the program that they can complete and submit, on line, following the program.

Post Course Study: Each student who attends the program may access the event a second time, archived on the internet, during the thirty days following the program at no additional charge. No CPE credit will be awarded for this event, since it is not live.

Refunds: Business Professionals' Network, Inc., as the webcast sponsor, will be responsible for providing refunds to attendees, should this be requested, based on either substantive dissatisfaction or technical difficulties. Business Professionals' Network, Inc. and the Accounting Continuing Professional Education Network have been producing CPE for the video medium for six seasons and have encountered only infrequent requests for refunds through their partner CPA societies on any basis. While partial credit will be awarded, as noted above, no refunds will be provided for students who register but do not complete the live event. They are entitled, however, to complete the archived program at some later time without credit, as outlined above.

If you have any questions about the Accounting Professional Education Network (ACPEN) webcast program, please contact Business Professionals' Network, Inc. at 972-208-0302 or 360-379-9910.

About Business Professionals Network
Business Professionals Network through their CLE Options product strives to develop, produce and distribute the best in national CPE programs in all derivative delivery formats. Over the past two years, working in conjunction with associations nationwide, they have offered a variety of meaningful CPE programs via live satellite, video for replay, live web casts and archived online in conjunction with their alliance with LegalSpan. More information about their approach and offerings can be found at www.businessprofessionals.net. 

About LegalSpan
Providing online CLE for more than 30 state bar associations and accounting societies, LegalSpan is the nation's leading Business Related Internet broadcasting company. LegalSpan provides a seamless and fully integrated online CPE catalog that enables associations in the legal, accounting and banking professions to provide the highest quality educational content on the Internet.