ChinaCast Education Corporation (CAST)
News and Research on ChinaCast Education Corporation (CAST)
Business Description
ChinaCast Education Corporation provides e-learning products and services in the People’s Republic of China. The company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ChinaCast Language Training Education Technology Limited (CLTET), provides English language training services in China. CLTET has the right to use the Modern English brand name for their language training products and services.
Products and Services
Post Secondary Education Distance Learning Services
The company enables universities and other learning institutions to provide nationwide real-time distance learning services. Its packages include the hardware, software and broadband satellite network services necessary to allow university students located at remote classrooms around the country to interactively participate in live lectures broadcast from a main campus. It services 15 universities with approximately 128,000 students in approximately 300 remote classrooms.
K-12 Educational Services
The company broadcasts multimedia educational content to 6,500 primary, middle and high schools throughout the PRC in partnership with major educational content companies, and educational institutions such as the Beida Middle School and the Middle China Normal University High School. The educational content packages assist teachers in preparing and teaching course content.
Vocational/Career Training Services
In partnership with various ministries and government departments, the company has deployed approximately 100 training centers throughout China providing job-skills training to graduates, employees of state-owned enterprises and the unemployed. Its vocational e-learning project for the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MLSS) provides job skills training for recently laid off workers from state-owned enterprises.
Enterprise/Government Training and Networking Services
The company provides training and networking services to corporations, government agencies and multinational companies that require data, video and voice communications between their head office and branch offices throughout China. It provides these services to such customers as energy companies, post offices, insurance/financial institutions, retailers and manufacturers.
Significant Events
In 2005, the company established Beijing Tongfang Digital Education Technology Limited, a 50% owned joint venture with Tsinghua Tongfang Co. Ltd. to own 51% of Beijing Tongfang Chuangxin Technology Limited, a provider of university distance learning services, and 100 percent of the operating rights of Tsinghua Tongfang Education Training School, a training center that CCH intends to use to expand its educational content offerings and recruit students directly for the vocational training programs it acquires or develops with partners.
In 2004, the company launched an enterprise sector broadband satellite service for private networking, business TV, and multicast streaming/delivery applications. In 2005, the company, together with Hunan Copote Science & Technology Co., Ltd. and Hunan Neng Tong High Tech Development Co., Ltd., created GuoYou Communication Network Co., Ltd., a joint venture to build and operate a post office communication network, based on its satellite technology, for approximately 5,000 post offices in Hunan, Guangxi and adjacent provinces.
In 2005, the company acquired a 20% stake of Teacher.com.cn. Teacher.com.cn utilizes Ministry of Education specified material to provide training to principals, schoolmasters, teachers and administrators via an Internet portal, and intends to widen its offerings to include non-degree courses for the same target market
Competition
In its business segments, the company competes with China Telecom, China Netcom, China Unicom, China Railcom, China Satcom, China Orient, Guangdong Satellite Telecom and China Educational TV, as well as private educational service companies such as ChinaEdu, Beida Online, Ambow, Tengtu and China-Training.com.
History
ChinaCast Education Corporation was founded in 1999.
