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A Buyer's Guide to LMS Solutions
Learning Management Software Buyer’s Guide
The education system has truly changed within the last two to three decades and it keeps on changing almost every year. From computer-based learning during the 90’s, to e-Learning at the turn of the millennium, here comes now the Learning Management System (LMS). It is more than a wiki platform or forum site where participants can collaborate and share knowledge and information. LMS encompasses content management, talent management, and performance management as a modern tool for students in all facets of the society.
In this Buyer’s Guide, we at ITQlick.com will bring your more ideas and information about Learning Management System. Defined as a software application or web-based technology that is used for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of e-learning education courses or training programs, LMS is a must-sought after software investment for your business. Whether you’re in the business of manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, education, retailing, or business process outsourcing, there is an LMS solution that will certainly help grow your main sources of knowledge – your people.
Types
LMS is the framework that handles all aspects of the learning process. Choosing the right LMS solution requires basic skills in software management and practical understanding of your organization’s learning objectives. So, what are your business objectives when it comes to learning? Answering this question accurately is equivalent to identifying the type of software solution that can deliver the following to your organization.
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centralized and automated administration
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use of self-service and self-guided services
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rapid assembly and delivery of learning content
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consolidated training initiatives on a scalable web-based platform
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strong support on portability and standards
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personalize content and enable knowledge reuse
Here are the more specific types of LMS solution that can deliver the above features to your organization.
Open Source
If you already have your IT programmers and developers, then an open-source platform is the solution to consider. That is, your programmers can access and alter the codes and redesign the default LMS package into a version that will serve your organization better.
Commercial
Included in the implementation process of commercial solutions are software deployment, customization, integration with other system, and the usual upgrade and maintenance routines. Commercial solution often comes in these two types of package: cloud-based and on-premise.
Cloud-based
This is the most popular LMS solution for the average users today. Software as a Service platform changed the way on how e-learning is done. Cloud-based solutions are usually more flexible in terms of scalability. More to that, the solution provider does the upgrade and maintenance jobs and they’re simply a pay-as-you-go service.
On-premise
This is the type of software package that will be installed into your local computer network. On-premise systems are powerful and they offer full customization features that an organization could use on its full advantage. Many on-premise solutions today are integrated with Talent Management System (TMS) that are mainly used by HR departments across different industries.
SCORM Compliant
Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) is a standard set for LMS. If your solution is for international deployment and set to be used by thousands of students, it is advisable that you select a SCORM compliant solution.
Features
LMS solutions, as they are intended for the purpose of facilitating learning at the highest quality possible, have a wide array of features. Take a closer look on these features.
Features base on Functionality
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Course Content Delivery
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Student Registration and Administration
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Training Event Management
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Curriculum and Certification Management
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Skills and Competencies Management
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Skill Gap Analysis
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Individual Development Plan
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Reporting
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Training Record Management
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Courseware Authoring
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Resource Management
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Virtual Organizations
Features base on overall Administration
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User-Friendly GUI
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Classroom Training Management
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Social Learning
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Blended Learning
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User Management
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Assessment
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Multi–lingual Support
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Conformance
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Virtual Classroom Management
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Knowledge Collaboration
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MIS & Reporting
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Online Content Management
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Communication
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Learner Support
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Customisability
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eCommerce
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Mobile Learning
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Client/User License Management
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Instructor/Expert Workflow
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Scalability
Try to examine these features in detail. Together with a learning management expert, determine which features are suitable for your business needs. We at ITQlick.com have a group of software experts who can help you in assessing these features and many other aspects of LMS solutions. Ask our experts today and we will definitely help you in getting the right LMS solution for your organization.
Solutions per Business Size, per Vendor
The Learning Management System industry is a growing market. From the various types of solutions available and features that they could offer, investing on LMS is definitely going to be meaningful for your organization. And whether you’re searching for SaaS, mobile learning, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS), or personal learning, there is a right software solution provider for that.
Here are the lists of software solutions which we from ITQlick.com would like you to carefully examine. You may conduct further research for more information about their offered solutions.
Open Source Solutions
Invite your IT experts and see if these open source solutions can answer your learning needs.
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Chamilo
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Claroline
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DoceboLMS
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Dokeos
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eFrontLearning
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Moodle
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Sakai
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Stud.IP
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TelEduc
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WordPress LMS
Commercial Solutions
Some of these are offered as cloud-based while others are as on-premise solution. It would be great to explore these LMS solutions that offer different features and benefits.
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CCNet
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Haiku LMS
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Canevas
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FeatherCap
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ProProfs
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KoolLearning
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Blackboard Vista
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Desire2Learn
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Halogen eLearning Manager
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iQpakk
In-demand Solution
Base on the volume of customers, number of active users, and overall online presence, these are the most popular learning solutions provider today.
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Moodle
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Edmodo
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Blackboard
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SumTotal Systems
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Skillsoft
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Cornerstone
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Desire2Learn
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Schoology
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NetDimensions
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Collaborize Classroom
Pricing Considerations
LMS pricing models are usually created base on the number of users, inclusive features, software licensing cost, content storage space requirement, and number of training courses. There is a mix of price offerings but they are not there to confuse you in whatever way. Here, we are going to present to you the different pricing models that could probably help you more on your decision-making process in buying the right LMS solution.
Pricing Model for Cloud-based Solutions
This is the average cost that a client will spend base on the number of users for a period of 3 years. The solution already includes implementation fees and eCommerce capabilities.
Up to 500 users:$45 per user for 1 year, $10 if used for 3 consecutive years
Up to 2,500 users:$15 per user for 1 year, $10 if used for 3 consecutive years
Up to 5,000 users: $10 per user for 1 year, $8 if used for 3 consecutive years
Pricing Model base on Number of Users and Content Space
This pricing model is for a SaaS solution that is offered as subscription-based.
Up to 100 users:$3 to $6 per user per month, with 750MB storage space
Up to 1,000 users:$1 to $2 per user per month, with 4GB storage space
Up to 5,000 users:$0.25 to $1.2 per user per month, with 6GB storage space
In addition, here are the other pricing models offered by various solution providers.
Pay-per-Learner ranges from $0.50 to $5 per user per month. Solution providers that offer this scheme are SumTotal Systems, Skillsoft, Taleo, Latitude Learning and Edvance360.
Pay-per-Course scheme ranges from $0.50-$10 per learner per course. Well-known providers of this model are SuccessFactors, Cornerstone OnDemand and DigitalChalk.
Pay-per-License includes upfront cost to access the software or a fee to access the software for a specific period of time (monthly, annually, etc.), plus annual support fee. The price ranges from as low as $500 up to a hefty price of $20,000 per year. Desire2Learn, Halogen and Meridian offers this pricing model.
Market Trends
This billion dollar industry keeps on introducing new innovations year after year. Here are some of the great things going on today in the Learning Management Software business.
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Massive Open Online Courses is seen to explode this 2014. This is education in the cyberspace and millions of students are already enjoying the benefits of MOOCS.
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The demand for LMS with mobile learning capabilities keeps on growing. More LMS with mobile functionality is expected to be offered by many innovative companies in the following years.
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Talent Management System (TMS) solution providers will continue to integrate LMS into this larger system as a way to the fill the knowledge gaps in many employees.
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Social learning is happening right now and the call for LMS solutions with social collaboration tools is already being answered by many software providers.
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Cloud-based eLearning platforms will continue to dominate the industry over the next five years.
So if you have not chosen your LMS solution yet, there is still an ample amount of time for you and your management team to think about it. The software industry keeps on delivering innovations on LMS solutions and this is the right time for you to also bring better learning experience inside your organization.
ITQlick chart - 2024 best LMS Software
Finding the right LMS software for your business
Proper LMS software selections are the precursor to successful deployment and business growth. Finding the right LMS solutions doesnít have to be complicated, and it doesnít have to take days or weeks of your time.
After researching over 5,000 systems, we can identify the best solution for companies of all shapes and sizes. ITQlick.com is 100% free for software buyers.