Press Release Source: Citrix Online
Tuesday March 6, 2:30 pm ET
Executive Presents Certificate of Completion to Returned Soldier for "Boston-to-Baghdad" Entrepreneurship Program WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today at a congressional reception sponsored by the Small Business Task Force of the American Legion Economics Commission, Citrix Online, a division of Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CTXS - News), is being recognized for providing technology that lets U.S. soldiers and veterans in virtually any location worldwide - including Iraq - attend business training using Citrix® GoToMeeting® online Web conferencing service. Senator John Kerry, who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, is also being cited for his work on important issues and programs benefiting American veterans.
GoToMeeting enabled retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant-turned-entrepreneur Louis Celli to conduct live classes - for the first time in history - to soldiers deployed in a combat zone overseas. From his Boston office, he led 44 soldiers based in Iraq through an interactive 11-week online training course requiring them to develop viable business plans to be implemented when they returned home. The soldiers created their own makeshift classroom inside a utility tent which allowed Celli to deliver detailed course content and assist with development of Web pages for their proposed new ventures.
Now, Celli's company is using the same Web-based GoToMeeting technology to lead courses for veterans residing at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
"The beauty of bringing this program to Walter Reed is that GoToMeeting gives convalescing soldiers easy access to the coursework simply by using a PC and the Internet," said Celli, president of the Northeast Veterans Business Resource Center. "GoToMeeting allows me to easily and reliably conduct courses by displaying the contents of my computer screen to up to 300 soldiers at a time."
"We are honored to be part of this historic initiative for delivering business skills training to U.S. soldiers and veterans," said Brett Caine, general manager of Citrix Online. "On behalf of our company whose own technology was originated by entrepreneurs, I offer our sincere thanks to Louis Celli and the American Legion's Small Business Task Force for this recognition of GoToMeeting's role in helping to train and inspire future business leaders."