Bersin & Associates Announces Industry’s Most Comprehensive Study of
Oakland, CA – June 22, 2004 – Bersin & Associates, the only research and consulting firm solely focused on What Works® e-learning research, today announced the availability of its newest report, “Learning Management Systems 2004: Facts, Practical Analysis, and Trends.” Targeted to corporate buyers, LMS suppliers, and learning-related consultants, the 126-page report is the most exhaustive study of the $380 million market, which is expected to grow approximately 16% over the next year. The study incorporates feedback from six different surveys of more than 10,000 learning professionals, as well as hundreds of detailed interviews with corporate buyers and LMS users and briefings with 17 LMS suppliers — all conducted between Fall 2003 and Spring 2004.
The Bersin report is different from other studies of this market in several ways:
- LMS suppliers (only those with significant market share are included) are compared using a variety of factors, including revenue, number of clients, number of employees, size of service organizations, key industry segments served, and service offerings.
- The report includes Bersin & Associates’ Market Map™, a visual view of the LMS market based on documented feature sets and solution scopes. The LMS Market Map offers corporate buyers a way to determine which available solutions they should consider based on required functionality sets and the scope of the planned implementation.
- The report analyzes issues impacting the purchase and ongoing use of LMSs, including reporting and analytics capabilities, integration with HR systems, blended learning program management, performance management, and content management.
- Different implementation models are outlined, with discussion on the challenges, costs, and time requirements associated with each.
“Our ongoing research into the LMS market has yielded some significant findings that are valuable to buyers and vendors alike,” said Josh Bersin, president and founder. “For instance, this year’s study shows that 55% of buyers surveyed purchased an LMS in order to implement corporate-wide skills and competency initiatives. However, after asking this same question over the last several years, we’ve observed that competency initiatives are always ‘one to two years away’ from completion. This shows a huge disconnect between purchase expectations and the actual, practical use of the systems.”
“When we input all data related to realizing value of investment, we find that corporate buyers give a B- to their LMS investments. Other gaps between expectations and actual benefits include integration with off-the-shelf content and reporting capabilities.”
“This report is thorough and objective, in keeping with Bersin & Associates’ unbiased approach to covering the e-learning market overall,” said Nancy Campbell, vice president of marketing for SumTotal Systems. “Reading this one document will measurably improve your odds of success when selecting and deploying your own LMS.”
The 2004 LMS study is part of Bersin & Associates’ What Works series, primary research that offers learning practitioners factual and practical insights that improve program effectiveness and results, reduce costs, and avoid time-consuming and costly mistakes. The report is available at $695 per copy through July 15 and $795 subsequently. Vendors can purchase the report for $2,495, with unlimited distribution rights. Buyers also have the option of applying 100% of the study’s purchase price toward a one-year subscription to Bersin & Associates’ e-Learning Research Center within 90 days of purchase.
Bersin & Associates will conduct a free webinar highlighting results from the study on Thursday, July 15, from 11:00 a.m. to noon, PDT. To register for the event, go to http://events.interwise.com/index.cgi?do=event_description&pid=1&prodid=299&s=id299jb
.For more details on the study, including a table of contents and a list of LMS suppliers profiled, go to http://store.bersinassociates.com/bersinassociates/lms-2004.html.
About Bersin & Associates
Bersin & Associates is the only research and consulting firm solely focused on e-learning with a comprehensive research program targeted to the needs of learning professionals and executives. In 2001, Bersin & Associates introduced the What Works series, primary research that offers learning practitioners factual and practical insight that can improve program effectiveness and results, reduce costs, and avoid time-consuming and costly mistakes. The company specializes in five research areas: blended learning, content development, LMSs and infrastructure, measurement and analytics, and planning and strategy. The company develops industry-leading research studies, assists in corporate implementations, and provides support and services to corporations and e-learning vendors.
Diane Siroky
Apollo Associates
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