ABOUT CAPDM - a history

CAPDM Ltd was incorporated on the 11th October 1996 by Martin Smith, Duncan Hothersall, Richard Kirby and Ken Currie and based in Edinburgh, UK. The goal of the founders was to create a company that would apply the new international SGML/XML information standards, and internet and electronic publishing technologies, to improve the quality of materials provision in education.

The company name came from a generic model of information publishing, the CAPDM Model, that emerged in the late 1980s to address the technical manual publishing needs of aircraft companies and automotive manufacturers.

During its early years, the company was fortunate to be heavily involved in the development and growth of the highly successful distance learning MBA programme at Edinburgh Business School, which today is the largest MBA programme in the UK and the second largest in the World.

Our company development highlights have been:

• 1996: incorporated in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
• 1997: launched the City of Edinburgh on the Web with EdWeb - bringing over 1 million web visitors to virtually visit the official guide to the city online.
• 1998: produced innovative, interactive learning materials in finance that helped to launch Unext.com in Chicago.
• 1999: awarded new eMBA production contract for the Edinburgh Business School.
• 2000: developed series of innovative reusable learning objects and simulations in finance and mathematics.
• 2001: moved into new head office in central Edinburgh; awarded substantial programme development contract by Pearson Education.
• 2002: awarded Deloitte & Touche's 5th fastest growing technology company in the UK, and 30th fastest in Europe.
• 2003: developed distance learning “Business English” programme for the Interactive University.
• 2004: developed accredited eLearning course units for West Lothian Council's new Business Learning Network portal.
• 2005: developed and delivered a national programme in finance for UK schools.
• 2006: helped our customers achieve more than £10 million of global education business in one year.
• 2007: developed on-line workshop environment for British Council's Global Schools Partnership programme. Using a Digital Workbook concept the implementation delivered a simple, flexible and highly innovative, eportfolio solution.
• 2008: licensed our first custom XML production environment to ifs School of Finance, and succeeded with European production partnership bids for the TIES (Iceland) and TENEGEN (Hungary) Leonardo da Vinci projects.
• 2009: licensed custom XML production environment to College of Estate Management; re-launched Coaches Information Limited as an online education provider in sports science; succeeded in open tender to win £150K contract to develop three new Masters programmes for Liverpool John Moores University
• 2010: awarded new contracts to develop Advanced Diploma programme for Chartered Institute of Auditors and more online workshops for the British Council's Global Schools Partnership programme; and three new online Certificate modules in Sports Science for the University of Edinburgh.

With many other developments delivered for commercial learning providers such as Computeach, the Institute of IT Training, OKI Europe and the British Computer Society, CAPDM is continuing to develop its presence and reputation in the market as a capable production partner for education providers intent on developing successful businesses in education.