Contel Service Corporation (formerly Continental Telephone Company) was founded in 1960, and began operations in 1961 with the acquisition of a single Central Illinois company that served 2,100 telephones. Within five years, Continental was providing communication services to more than a half million telephones in 34 states. Ten years later, Contel had acquired 500 companies and integrated them into one of America's largest independent telecommunications networks. Most of the company's customers reside in small towns and suburban areas, but Contel provides telephone service to schools, hospitals, industry and various institutions. In addition to providing regulated telephone services, Contel is also engaged in business communications systems, information services, international consulting and contracting, and network services domestically and overseas. Its Telephone Operations Sector is divided into 3 Regions and 12 Operating Divisions that collectively provide service to more than three million telephones across the United States. The Information Services (IS) Training and Development Department provides training in the areas of computer literacy, personal computers, programming languages, Digital VAX/VMS, and Honeywell DPS8/SP86 technologies. IS recognizes that a properly trained technical staff and a well informed user community are the most important components in any information system. During the past seven years, the training program of professionally developed and delivered data processing courses has reached over 8,000 Contel and external and client customers. The functions of the IS Training and Development Department include the development, evaluation, and revision of the information services training curriculum, classroom instruction, coordination and distribution of multimedia training, and evaluation of student progress. Education facilities at Contel include training rooms, computer terminals, personal computers, audiovisual aids, screen projection devices, overhead projector, slide projector, writing boards, flip charts, network connections, and other learning materials necessary for instruction. Course development and revisions are based on the information services training requirements of Contel's staff in accordance with the overall business plan of the corporation. Instructional staff are hired explicitly for the purpose of developing and teaching IS training courses. Appointment of teaching staff members is based upon their previous experiences as instructor/trainers, their educational backgrounds, ability to communicate effectively, and familiarity with the information services field. Students who successfully complete the courses are awarded the Certificate of Achievement from Contel IS Training and Development.