Learning Resources has signed a partnership agreement with Click2learn whereby it will exclusively sell and support the latter`s Aspen range of products in this country. These include the Aspen Learning Management Server (LMS), Learning Content Management Server (LCMS), and Virtual Classroom Server (VCS).
Ricky Robinson, MD of Learning Resources, says the move represents a "special leap for us". The company has been LMS vendor-independent for years, and this is the first time it has signed a partnership agreement with a supplier.
The decision to go with Click2learn was based on the quality of product. "We`ve been researching the market and investigating partner opportunities for three years now," says Robinson. "Click2learn is ranked one of the top four in the world by all credible sources, and has an impeccable record as the largest provider of LMSes in the US, with two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies using the Click2learn products as their preferred solution."
Click2learn was established in 1984 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and has been involved in the e-learning movement for many years.
Robinson says the addition of the Click2learn range to Learning Resources` stable, together with its content (Harvard, SkillSoft and NETg) and "consulting expertise around e-learning strategy, integration and service to ensure that e-learning works, gives us a great value proposition for our clients. We`re in a position now to offer a lifelong e-learning solution to government, educational institutions and businesses of all sizes," he says.
"The biggest benefit for the market is the issue of collaborative applications," says Robinson. "A client can start with a very small component of the software that operates independently of the others (the LMS, the LCMS and the VCS) and can build a cohesive solution on the back of successful iterations."
In addition, Learning Resources is offering a rand-based pricing model for the Click2learn range that offers "tremendous value", says Robinson. The products can also be customised to South African requirements for workplace skills plans (WSPs), National Qualifications Framework (NQF) reports, industry standards and other reports, which can be written and integrated into the software.
The range of products is standards compliant to AICC and SCORM and integrates with XML. They have a customisable look and feel and deliver personal home pages for every user.
"Learning Resources and Click2learn share the philosophy that the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn will be the critical factors separating winning organisations from the rest," says Robinson. "An organisation`s ability to effectively leverage technology in learning will be integral to that success. Integrated learning solutions enable organisations to achieve real, measurable results that map to business goals and impact the bottom line. "Learning thus becomes a tangible asset and a strategic enabler," concludes Robinson.
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