Software creates tailored learning solutions.
Press Release Summary:
Supporting all levels of organization, Enterprise Learning Connection is comprised of 5 Connections modules that contain content, technology, and services necessary to implement various kinds of organization-specific learning solutions. Modules can be used separately or together to address specific learning needs, whether targeted portal, formal blended learning program, or individualized learning plan based on competency analysis.
Original Press Release:
From Boardroom to Desktop: SkillSoft Connects Corporate Strategy to the Performance Needs of Individual Learners with New Enterprise Learning Connection
System simplifies the process of creating powerful, tailored learning solutions, such as learning portals and competency driven learning programs
MIAMI, May 2 / -- SkillSoft PLC (NASDAQ:SKIL), a leading provider of comprehensive e-learning content and technology products for business and IT professionals within global enterprises, unveiled at its annual "Perspectives" user conference the Enterprise Learning Connection (ELC), a system for creating effective integrated learning solutions aligned with business initiatives and learner needs. The SkillSoft ELC is designed to support all levels of the organization, and can easily be adapted to meet strategic business initiatives, on-demand information needs, and individual job roles across the enterprise.
"Today's learning organizations are playing an increasingly strategic role, supporting key business objectives. In order to maximize learning's effectiveness they're striving to place corporate initiatives in context of the needs of individual employees," said Lee Ritze, senior vice president of marketing and corporate development, SkillSoft. "Learning is, in essence, becoming the intersection of the corporate mission and the employees charged with carrying it forward. SkillSoft's Enterprise Learning Connection was created specifically to meet the diverse requirements necessary for organizations to achieve this new, organization-specific 'Connected Learning.'"
The SkillSoft ELC is comprised of "Connections" -- five modules that contain content, technology and services necessary to implement various kinds of organization-specific learning solutions. The Connections can be used separately or together to address specific learning needs -- whether a targeted portal, a formal blended learning program, or an individualized learning plan based on competency analysis.
The Connections include:
o KnowledgeCenter Connection -- a series of learning portals containing pre-packaged content to address critical needs of targeted groups of learners; SkillSoft has launched two KnowledgeCenters to date, the VB.net and Project Management KnowledgeCenters, and plans to release fourteen additional portals this year based around key business and technology areas.
o Blended Learning Connection -- a technology framework for building complex blended learning programs, the Blended Learning Connection will also come with content and best practices information to enable the creation of customized formal learning programs to support specific business initiatives, including critical business and technology areas such as certification and compliance; this Connection will be available in Q3 of this year.
o Content Development Connection -- a suite of technology and tools based on SkillSoft's courseware development and content hosting environments that organizations can use to author, customize and assemble content into standards-based formats that can be published on their platform of choice; this Connection is currently available.
o Dialogue Connection -- SkillSoft's web collaboration system that includes rapid content assembly and virtual classroom capabilities for creating and delivering both live and on-demand online learning sessions; the Dialogue Connection is currently available.
o SkillView Connection -- a software application enabling companies to connect learning solutions to competencies aligned with a wide range of job roles that exist in most of today's business enterprises; this Connection will be available in June of this year.
"A major challenge that learning professionals are struggling with today is how to place the great abundance of content that is available to them into context for the needs of many different learners," said Elliott Masie, founder and president, The MASIE Center, an international e-lab and think tank dedicated to exploring the intersection of learning and technology. "The simple concept of courses on an LMS is no longer sufficient to address this challenge of dealing with great abundance of content. Today, the issue is much more about how to bring the learning into the flow of daily work and support the unplanned learning needs of fast moving organizations."
The Enterprise Learning Connection can be used with SkillSoft's learning management system, SkillPort, as well as with other standards-based LMS and corporate portals through SkillSoft's Open Learning Services. This set of web services will allow SkillSoft to provide the functionality in the ELC to any customer, regardless of platform. "One of our goals was to provide new functionality in a form that would be usable by all customers, not just the ones using our SkillPort LMS," Ritze said. "The ELC is designed to complement and extend any customer's learning environment whether delivered via an LMS such as SkillPort, or virtually any corporate learning portal or enterprise application."
One of the early adopters of the KnowledgeCenter Connection is Deloitte, a global consulting giant with more than 100,000 employees worldwide. "Project management is an essential skill for us as an organization," said Candy Haynes, director of learning consulting. "Through the KnowledgeCenter approach, we are able to provide a wealth of learning assets in a very intuitive and efficient form to our consultants who may have varying learning needs. By empowering them, we can provide an even higher level of service to our clients around the world."
The Enterprise Learning Connection is a comprehensive framework including technology, tools and resources for business learning that provides benefits for organizations and individuals. By embracing the ELC model for Connected Learning:
Organizations have the ability to:
o Respond more quickly to the demands of the market;
o Make employees full stakeholders in achieving the corporate mission;
o Increase productivity, performance and innovation at both the individual and organizational level.
Learning professionals have the ability to:
o Create and deliver learning programs of various kinds targeted at specific organizational and employee needs;
o Respond more rapidly to evolving organizational needs;
o Integrate their own organization's proprietary content and commercial off-the-shelf content to create learning solutions that are both cost-effective and tightly aligned with the business;
o Leverage learning as a strategic tool for achieving organizational objectives.
Learners with an organization have the ability to:
o Obtain the learning resources they need, when they need them;
o Participate in learning programs that are designed for their needs;
o Better understand their role in achieving the corporate mission;
o Expand their knowledge base and competency level within their assigned job role.
About SkillSoft
SkillSoft is a leading provider of comprehensive e-learning content and technology products for business and IT professionals within global enterprises. SkillSoft's multi-modal learning solutions support and enhance the speed and effectiveness of both formal and informal learning processes and integrate SkillSoft's in-depth content resources, learning management system, virtual classroom technology and support services.
Content offerings include SkillSoft's business, IT, desktop and compliance courseware collections and BusinessPro(TM), ITPro(TM), OfficeEssentials(TM), FinancePro(TM), EngineeringPro(TM), GovEssentials(TM), ExecSummaries(TM) and ExecBlueprints(TM) collections from Books24x7(R). SkillSoft's complementary technologies include SkillPort(R), the company's learning management system with its powerful Search-and-Learn(TM) technology and premium add-on modules, and SkillSoft(R) Dialogue(TM) virtual classroom, a tool that allows customers to create and deliver effective blended learning programs using custom content and off-the-shelf learning resources. For more information, visit http://www.skillsoft.com/.
SkillSoft, the SkillSoft logo, Ahead of the Learning Curve, SkillPort, Search-and-Learn, SkillChoice, Books24x7, Referenceware, ITPro, BusinessPro, OfficeEssentials, GovEssentials, EngineeringPro, FinancePro, ExecSummaries, ExecBlueprints, Express Guide and Dialogue are trademarks or registered trademarks of SkillSoft PLC in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Donna Keenan of SkillSoft, +1-603-821-3211, donna_keenan@skillsoft.com
