2009-11-17 17:49:04 -

Cbeyond, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBEY), a provider of communications and IT solutions to more than 48,000 small businesses across the country, is proud to announce that it has been honored in the American Society for Training & Development’s 2009 BEST Awards program. Cbeyond is among 39 organizations from Canada, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, and the United States to receive an ASTD BEST Award. All winners are recognized in a special section of Training + Development : (T+D), ASTD’s monthly magazine.

Cbeyond University, Cbeyond’s learning and development program, was established in 2008 with the mission to encourage all Cbeyond employees to learn continuously. The program was created to not only foster learning throughout the organization, but also to be a

catalyst for growth, opportunity and advancement within Cbeyond and individual career paths.

Cbeyond University has had a significantly positive impact on the organization in several ways. Not only is the program developing leaders in a variety of business areas such as sales and customer support, but it’s also feeding a healthy appetite for ongoing learning outside of one’s daily functions. In addition, Cbeyond University has uncovered new talents among current employees giving them new opportunities to grow and succeed. The University has also enhanced Cbeyond’s culture by promoting cross-functional interaction and team-work.

“Cbeyond is honored to be recognized with this award,” said Susan Mitnick, Cbeyond’s Senior Director of Training. “Our vision for Cbeyond University was to give each and every employee an opportunity to learn, improve their skills and advance in their careers. As we continue to grow and enhance our University program, one thing will remain – to develop leaders through continuous learning.”


The ASTD BEST Awards recognize organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through employee learning and development.
According to Tony Bingham, ASTD’s president and CEO, “The ASTD BEST Award winners set the standard of excellence for exceptional learning practices, and demonstrate that a skilled workforce is vital to achieving results. They use learning as a strategic tool and have the support of senior leaders who champion a learning culture.”

Through an online application, the 2009 BEST Awards received entries from 93 organizations in 10 countries. These organizations submitted quantitative and qualitative information to ASTD about their learning and development practices and programs. Their applications were assessed by members of the BEST Awards advisory committee, a group of experts in the learning and development field.

This is the seventh year of the ASTD BEST Awards. More information about the 2009 ASTD BEST Award winners may be found in the October 2009 issue of T+D magazine and online: www.astd.org/best : .



About Cbeyond

Cbeyond, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBEY) is a leading provider of IT and communications services to more than 48,000 small businesses throughout the United States. Recently named as the sixth fastest growing technology company by Forbes magazine, and added to Standard & Poor’s Small Cap S&P 600 Index, Cbeyond offers more than 30 productivity-enhancing applications including local and long-distance voice, broadband Internet, mobile, BlackBerry(R), broadband laptop access, voicemail, email, web hosting, fax-to-email, data backup, file-sharing and virtual private networking. Cbeyond delivers these services over a 100 percent private all IP network. For more information on Cbeyond, visit www.cbeyond.net :



About ASTD

ASTD (the American Society for Training & Development) is the world’s largest association dedicated to the training and development field.

ASTD’s members come from more than 100 countries and connect locally in 130 U.S. chapters and with 30 International Partners. For more information, visit www.astd.org : .

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Cbeyond, Inc.Shana Keith, 678-384-8304 shana.keith@cbeyond.net : mailto:shana.keith@cbeyond.net