One of the biggest hurdles in bringing training technology into the workplace has always been bulky desktop computers and their need to be hooked up, networked and maintained.

The food service industry is a good example. Rarely is the quiet corner where that new computer will sit free from the potential contamination of flour and grease splatter (not to mention access to inappropriate Internet sites and the siren song of endless sessions of solitaire to distract employees).

During the mid-1990s, Phillips CD-I players were popular training devices because the portable decks could be plugged into any TV and provide full interactivity with full-screen video.

Hospitality industry franchisor Motel 6 wisely chose to invest in this training technology platform, as it was a natural fit with the company's needs. Any unoccupied guest room with a TV could be used as a temporary training room.

Despite the widespread adoption of this technology by a number of large companies both inside and outside franchising (including Pepsico), Phillips dropped the ball with this product line through expensive and proprietary software, unpredictable product support and conflicting reports about its plans to discontinue production of the players-which eventually came to pass.

Then came the brief but golden age of the CD-ROM. Interactivity was the most obvious benefit, but there were two major drawbacks to the technology.

First, the disks were not big enough to hold video files of sufficient length to meet the training needs of many franchisors. Second, developers were constantly struggling with the underlying computer operating system (most often Windows) for permission to install and run programs or to store information on the user's hard drive.

The Web seemed like it might provide the answer to all those problems when the build-out of bandwidth began picking up steam in the late 1990s. However, those undergoing training still needed a networked PC, a Web account and a quiet area in which to concentrate-all expensive requisites.

So outside the legion of those whose daily toil was confined to cubicles, the rest of the working world-those involved in most franchise businesses as well as industries such as food service, construction and transportation-had to get by with print-based and classroom training.

Today we have the DVD format, which solves a number of the most pressing interactive training challenges. Some say the acronym stands for "digital video disk." Others say it stands for "digital versatile disk," which is a more accurate description.

A DVD can hold up to 4.7 gigabytes of information-more than six times the capacity of a CD-ROM. That means more than two hours worth of high-resolution full-screen video can be stored on a single DVD disk

Because the most common use of DVDs to date has been as a replacement for VHS tapes as a rental format, the DVD is often overlooked as an interactive training medium. That's too bad, because its potential in that application is significant.

By simply using a remote control, the viewer can easily select content options-much as he or she might select different scenes while watching a movie on DVD. With the right navigation, a DVD interactive training program can be designed to have multiple learning paths on the same disk.

The DVD format can also accommodate up to eight separate audio tracks, making alternative languages an easily available option. That can be particularly useful for franchisors with multinational operations and for franchisees with a need to train workers whose first language may not be English.

One downside of this approach, however, is that the generally lower resolution of TV screens makes it difficult for users to read a lot of text. As a result, this may be an application that is better-suited to training delivered through a higher-resolution video device.

Another potential downside is that the application lacks the ability to store user-generated data. Every user experience becomes a new one, with no "remember me" facility, test results or previous progress details to help move the learner along.

But that's the worst of it; from here on in it gets better. For instance, the system is completely standalone. It requires only a DVD player and a TV. No Web connectivity is required, there are no operating systems to tangle with, and no computer support services are needed.

Almost everyone is familiar with how a DVD player works. The device has been the most quickly adopted consumer electronics product in history. That makes it very well-suited as a training medium in a broad range of diverse applications.

And now for the best part: The costs of distribution with DVD platforms are ridiculously low compared to past platforms. The cost of the DVD players can be less than $50 per unit in some cases, depending on the quantity in which they are purchased and the features required.

For users who want to get rid of their boxy TV monitors, compact portable DVD players are now widely available for less than $150 at retail. Most can be plugged into a conventional TV monitor if a larger image is needed.

Besides a very low cost that fits nicely with franchisees' start-up budgets, another advantage of the compact DVD player is portability. Plugging a set of earphones into the audio jack allows the players be used with a high degree of privacy just about anywhere.

Portable compact DVD players can be booked out by employees for evening or weekend training.

The cost of creating DVDs-authoring, as it is called-is also very low, especially for franchises that have existing video that can be re-delivered in the new format.

The costs of creating totally new training video have declined significantly in recent years. Even greater cost-containment is possible for franchise companies that can resist the creeping elegance often encouraged by training video producers who are really frustrated Hollywood "wannabes."

So what do we do with this new gadgetry? Consider the following scenarios.

An automotive technician is about to install an aftermarket accessory, something he has limited experience doing. He puts his compact DVD player on the dashboard of the car, selects the product in question from the DVD's menu and follows the step-by-step video instructions on the screen.

A new hostess starts work at a full-service restaurant. The day before her first shift she is given a DVD to take home. She pops it into her home player and receives a full orientation to the restaurant, her job responsibilities, quality standards, etc. She shows up for her first shift the next day fully prepared to begin work immediately.

A sales rep is traveling out of town to make a presentation. Before she leaves, she signs out a compact DVD player and a copy of the new sales training program her company is implementing. She reviews the DVD on the plane and takes advantage of the quiet time to absorb the program's content.

Portability, interactivity and low cost all combine to make DVD a very attractive platform for training and development in franchising.

DVD has the potential to play a significant role in helping franchisors provide both initial and ongoing training to franchisees. It can also be a useful and valuable tool for franchisees to train their own employees.

Looking back to the promised future of a few years ago, the benefits of technology-based training have taken a long time in coming.

Who could have predicted that it would be the entertainment industry, not the training industry, which would drive the adoption of DVD players and, in so doing, create an efficient training mechanism that is universally available?