Rackspace solution takes Headgear e-learning system across the globe

The ability to conduct corporate training and skills development on-line is critical in a world shrunk by communications technology and in which the acquisition of skills by individuals is of paramount importance.

"To be most effective, today`s training and skills development services simply have to be centred on an on-line system specifically designed to promote not only learner uptake efficiency but also improve business stakeholder engagement," says Andrew Gold, founder of Cape Town-based Headgear Strategic Communications.

As Headgear`s on-line services are accessed by businesses and learners across the globe from Asia Pacific to Latin America and Europe as well as locally, server and system downtime cannot be tolerated. Gold says the necessity for extremely high uptime and significant bandwidth for application responsiveness, were major factors in the company`s selection of Rackspace Managed Hosting to host the on-line system.

"Rackspace is also clear about its values and is prepared to be held accountable on the commitments it makes to customers. The services are offered at reasonable cost, particularly when compared to local South African offerings where the infrastructure is such that our particular business model might not even be feasible."

Headgear was formed out of a desire to provide a paradigm shift away from the typical IT industry training available in the market and to close the gap between on-site training and the energy expended in delivering the training without compromising on learner interaction or support. This led Gold and a partner to develop an on-line system, after which Headgear was formed.

"The system now provides multinational services and additional tools have been developed to refine the overall process. After all, training is a very strategic tool for businesses but has historically been difficult to quantify in terms of the success of the training and the return on investment.

"We therefore developed a matrix for on-line pre-assessment that gives us feedback on the kind of individuals we will be training. It helps us understand who is committed, and who is indifferent and those that lie in between. We can then adjust our individual training approach accordingly.

"Other matrices can be used to measure and quantify the success and overall impact of the training. Our system and processes package the actual training within a variety of activities that monitor and measure elements applying to each trainee, including current state of knowledge, commitment, attitude, actual transfer of knowledge, application of knowledge post-course and ultimately the value delivered back to the company."

Gold says that as a small company, the energy of the staff is completely focused on training methodology and ongoing software platform development to support further innovation.

"We cannot afford to be diverted from this focus and hence it made excellent business sense to outsource our entire on-line needs to Rackspace, who provide the server on a rental basis and a hardware break-fix turnaround time of a maximum of one hour.

"Rackspace provides the entire framework within which we operate on-line, guarantees our uptime and provides considerable bandwidth for our streaming video and audio at a fair price. The experience of our customers going onto our training site is critical and the high bandwidth and uptime ensure that experience is most positive."

Distance learning is a growth area. Gold says technology now makes it possible to support many different kinds of media to convey and co-ordinate educational information in ways that it will be best assimilated. "We can also co-ordinate on-line training with hands-on in-country training courses conducted by local training personnel on the other side of the world."

Rackspace spokesman for the South African market, Geoff Dowell, says key aspects of managed hosting remain skilled, committed people and service levels. "We continue to focus on services and service levels, enthusiastic support, utmost reliability and the delivery of totally outsourced, highly effective managed hosting solutions. Our `fanatical support` programme, reliability and bandwidth are major differentiators for us."