E-learning Market Update - June 2013:
Vocational Learning - learners rewarded, employers awarded

This month we are celebrating vocational education. June has seen a range of awards that celebrate vocational learning including VQ Day and the Lion Awards.

Over six million vocational qualifications were awarded in the UK in 2012 and at City & Guilds we were pleased to award over 2m of these certificates to vocational learners.

E-learning Market Update - May 2013: Is Corporate
Learning in Crisis?

This month we look at a thought provoking article on Making Corporate Learning Work by Shlomo Ben-Hur and Nik Kinley in which they pose a number of difficult questions for those responsible for corporate learning. They question why the satisfaction of business leaders with their learning functions has remained as low as 20% for over 10 years; and why such leaders believe half of their spending on learning may be wasted.  

None of us in the learning business want to believe that half of our efforts are going to waste – so you can imagine why this article is getting a lot of interest. We highlight the key points below.

E-learning Market Update - April 2013

As we look forward to attending the UK HRD conference on 24/25 April 2013 we reflect on what the event tells us about the learning and development market.

E-learning Market Update - March 2013:
Badge up - Why Open Badges are the future proof of learning

When the New York Times and Harvard Business Review are talking about a learning technology trend, you know it’s got merit. We’ve written about them before, but we’re just back from an event in Chicago that was focused on the future of badges and it’s very much front of mind. Here’s why Open Badges are one of the most disruptive learning technologies in trend right now.

E-learning Market Update - February 2013

This month we take a look at a couple of new market research reports which highlight the need for a more sophisticated approach to blended learning solutions. They call for an approach which reinforces continuous learning, incorporates informal learning and has a renewed emphasis on quality standards.

E-learning Market Update - January 2013

The ability of companies to innovate, to improve productivity, to react to change and to increase capacity is directly related to their investment in learning. For these reasons the training industry is one of the most important industries in driving economic growth. The nature of the industry is changing significantly though, and this month we look at how the learning solutions demanded by larger companies are reshaping the training industry.

E-learning Review of 2012

2012 saw some significant developments which all point to the growing maturity of the elearning market. Our monthly market updates covered the key developments.

E-learning Market Update - November 2012

This month saw the publication of a major Learning Insights 2012 report from e.learning Age and Kineo which highlights how learning and development departments are responding to business pressures and technology changes. The report highlights 10 key things that successful L&D departments are doing differently and the emergence of a new learning architecture.

E-learning Market Update - October 2012

Last month Ambient published their latest update on the market for self-paced elearning in Western Europe. We report on the headline findings and whether these might change with the rise of mass online open courses.

E-learning Market Update - September 2012

Kineo was launched seven years ago next month. So we have been in a reflective mood and looking back at the market since the launch of Kineo. There have been many changes in the market over that time including lots of consolidation and acquisitions. Such acquisitions continue to take place with the recent news of SkillSoft’s proposed acquisition of Mindleaders.

E-learning Market Update - August 2012: 
The Future's Bright, The Future's RED

Summertime in Europe means an escape to a quiet corner of France for this author and time to research and reflect on key trends in the learning technologies market. One particular trend which has got us all excited in the last six months has been responsive web design (RWD). If you haven’t heard about this yet, don’t worry you will, as it is potentially the future if you are delivering content to multiple devices. 

E-learning Market Update - July 2012

Proving business benefits is driving up learning technology budgets. Last month we reported on research from Trainingindustry.com in the US and Keynote in the UK that both highlighted increases in training expenditure despite the recession. This month we look at further research confirming the growth in learning technology budgets as the business benefits become clear; and why there has never been a better time to prove the value of your learning.

E-learning Market Update - June 2012

This month we take a look at the impact of the recession on training, and explore the concepts of training floors and smarter blends.

E-learning Market Update - May 2012

Yesterday once more or a radical future?

What does the future of e-learning hold?  An increase in blended learning?  Resources not courses? An increase in social learning? Greater mobile delivery? Faster creation of content? Arguably these are all ideas that have been around for many years and which are simply being delivered through advances in technology. This month we look at how these advances might radically change our thinking about e-learning. For example, in ten years will all e-learning scripts be written by computer algorithms not instructional designers?

E-learning Market Update - April 2012

Last week we saw further consolidation in the Learning Management System market. This time through the acquisition by Blackboard of Moodle partners Moodlerooms and Netspot. These latest acquisitions have generated a lot of debate and emotion in the market. The main discussion has been why Blackboard, with their proprietary LMS product, have set up their own open-source division and acquired two Moodle partners. We believe there is no secret, this is just a natural progression and the development of an active commercial open-source market.

E-learning Market Update - March 2012

One sector that has had a long-time focus on e-learning and LMS is financial services. This month we take the temperature in the financial services sector with our review of the current challenges, and an invitation to take part in our own market survey.

E-Learning Market Update - February 2012

This month we report on major e-learning events held last month in London and Las Vegas. Attendance at both events was higher than ever. This growing interest in e-learning solutions and a buoyant e-learning market, has meant HR and talent management companies are keen for a piece of the action. Looks like some people were doing a little shopping at the show too. This week we saw another acquisition of an e-learning company by a talent management vendor keen to expand its reach into the e-learning market.

E-Learning Market Update - January 2012

As it is January we are looking ahead to see what might happen in the world of e-learning in 2012. Unlike many of the commentators who start with technology changes, we have started by looking at what businesses need to do and how they may deploy e-learning to help.

E-learning Market Update December 2011

This month we report on further consolidation in the learning technology market as SAP buys SuccessFactors; and we look forward to Learning Technologies, the main European e-learning event in January.

E-learning Market Update November 2011

This month we take a look at Ambient Insight’s new research report on the mobile learning market and key trends.

E-learning Market Update October 2011

Lots of market activity to report this month. Kineo’s Steve Rayson has been taking the temperature at recent events in the US and Europe. His eye was also taken by recent acquisitions and he came across a refreshing challenge to e-learning vendors. Also we share an update on the relative size of UK players based on most recent published accounts.

E-learning Market Update September 2011

Earlier this summer the UK Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development published their latest survey on e-learning trends. The survey was based on responses from over 600 learning practitioners, we take a look at the survey results...

E-learning Market Update August 2011

Summertime; and living is not so easy. A turbulent time on the stock markets, credit downgrades, European debt and even riots in London.  Are there implications for e-learning? 

This month we take a look at E-learning Magazine’s 2011 User Survey and also some of the recent market reactions.

E-learning Market Update July 2011

Mobile learning:  do you really need to go native?

This month we look at the fast changing nature of the mobile content development market. We have previously highlighted the debate around developing native apps for specific devices such as the iPhone or web apps which work across multiple devices. This debate heated up recently with the Financial Times snubbing Apple and the App Store by launching a new mobile web app that runs entirely out of a Web browser.

E-learning Market Update June 2011

This month we look at the latest e-learning market update from Ambient Insight and assess some key trends.

E-learning Market Update May 2011

A few months ago we asked people in our global LinkedIn e-learning professionals group what trends they were seeing in the e-learning market.  Ask a big question, get a big answer...
In this month’s market insights, we share the top six trends to keep us moving forward this summer.

E-learning Market Update April 2011

This month we are talking bubbles and a tale of very different learning markets.  The corporate market for face to face training appears to be declining at the same time as we are seeing a boom in the e-learning and higher education markets. Steve Rayson gets into the bubble.

Market Update March 2011 - Scandanavian Market

With the opening of our new office in Sweden this month, we thought we’d take a look at the Scandinavian e-learning market. With around 20 million people in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and some of the highest internet usage and IT maturity in the world, these are our kind of people. So what’s their take on learning technology? Bengt Gustafsson, director of Kineo Sweden, takes us on a tour.

E-learning Market Update February 2011

Just when we thought we could rest after the busiest ever Learning Technologies show in January, along comes February. So much happening, so much to report, what do we cover? Let’s start with mobile learning, are you moving too fast?

E-learning Market Update January 2011

This month we take a look at the e-learning market in China - an area of particular interest for us with the opening of Kineo China this month. In case you hadn’t heard: it’s massive.

E-Learning Market Update December 2010

As we enter the last month of 2010, two new reports on the e-learning market have been published, one from the American Society of Training & Development and the other from the UK’s Learning Light.

E-Learning Market Update November 2010

This month we take a look at the LMS market and the reasons we decided to create Totara LMS, a distribution of Moodle for corporate organizations.

E-Learning Market Update October 2010

A new report by Global Industry Analysts forecasts the global e-learning market will reach $107.3bn by 2015. We are often sceptical of such global forecasts but the detail makes interesting reading and appears to reinforce trends that we are experiencing ourselves.

E-Learning Market Update Sept 2010

This month we take a look at the recent survey of e-learning companies carried out by IT Training Magazine, the British Computer Societies' (BCS) quarterly magazine. We are pleased to see that Kineo is notable in growing strongly despite a generally flat e-learning market.

E-Learning Market Update (July 2010)

Are learning and development departments earning their keep?The latest UK survey from Capita entitled “Learning to Change”  suggests not.  It argues there is a worrying lack of alignment between corporate strategy and delivery by learning & development departments.

The research undertaken by Capita is the result of independent opinion research among senior decision makers at 100 of the UK’s largest 500 firms by turnover.

E-Learning Market Update (June 2010)

This month we take a look at the recent UK Training and Development Factbook 2010 and CIPD’s UK  Learning and Talent Development 2010 survey. We have been digging through the statistics to see what trends are emerging and the implications for e-learning. It's all good news, if you look at it the right way...

E-Learning Market Update (May 2010)

This month we were at the ASTD show in Chicago taking the temperature of the e-learning market. The good news is that we are seeing a lot of buzz and excitment about the potential for e-learning.

E-Learning Market Update (April 2010)

When visiting the Kineo Chicago office this month, Kineo’s UK Managing Director Steve Rayson couldn’t resist picking up one of the new iPads. After a few weeks he reflects on the potential of the iPad for shaking up the learning market.

E-Learning Market Update (March 10)

This month we are in sunny Orlando at the E-Learning Guild’s E-Learning Solutions conference checking out the latest market trends and why rapid e-learning is still the core growth area in the US.  We share some key market research findings on rapid e-learning from Forrester and news from Atlantic Link, Mohive, Suddenly Smart, Captivate and a potential tool newcomer Zebra. Busy times...

E-Learning Market Update (February 10)

What price an e-learning company? $1.1bn sounded good to us. Oh, don't worry. We haven't been bought. If we had $1.1bn you might find these pages get updated a little less often. But that was the price that a private equity company paid to acquire Skillsoft last week.Why?

What can we expect in 2010?

It is the first month of a new decade. Here at Kineo we have been doing some strategic thinking (and a little crystal ball gazing) on what changes the next 12 months will see. We outline here our top 5 e-learning predictions for 2010.

E-Learning Market Update (December 09)

This month we take a look at the UK E-Learning Market Report for 2009 from Learning Light.

E-Learning Market Update (November 09)

This month we report on the latest survey of the market for self-paced e-learning by Ambient Insight. We are pleased to see that they now include a section on open source e-learning solutions and the rise of Moodle. We are also pleased to be name checked in their report as a key player in this space.

E-Learning Market Update (October 09)

This month we take a look at the latest learning market surveys and the impact of the recession on learning and development strategies.

E-Learning Market Update (September 09)

This month we take a look at developments in the world of learning management systems; and explore key trends and pricing.

E-Learning Market Update (August 09)

This month we look at a major new research study by the US Department of Education which concludes that, on average, students using e-learning performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.

E-Learning Market Update (July 09)

This month we take a look at the e-learning market from an offshoring perspective and the growth in e-learning in China.

E-Learning Market Update (June 2009)

Is the business model of the future one where the customer no longer pays? This is the idea put forward in a new book by Chris Anderson. We explore his ideas in our market update this month and the implications for e-learning.

E-Learning Market Update (May 2009)

This month we examine trends in the LMS market. We look at recent evidence of a significant shift towards Software-as-a-service (SaaS) and how this combined with the growth of open source solutions could change the face of learning management systems as we have come to know them.

E-Learning Market Update (April 2009)

In a few weeks Kineo will launch our US operation at the ASTD event. As part of our market research we examined trends in e-learning development and comparisons with Europe. This month we set out the findings from our market research.

E-Learning Market Update (March 2009)

The latest research report from Ambient insight confirms what we have felt for some time, that the recession is a growth catalyst for the sales of learning technology products and services. The U.S. demand for learning technology products and services is estimated to be growing by a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3% and revenues reached $30 billion in 2008.

E-Learning Market Update (February 2009)

This month we take a look at the findings of the latest e-learning survey undertaken by Towards Maturity. The full report published at the end of February 2009, is the 3rd in a longitudinal research series looking at trends in the use of learning technologies in the workplace. The work is supported by Becta as part of the Next Generation Learning @ Work campaign.

E-Learning Market Update (January 2009)

If you’re responsible for a training budget, odds are you’ve had quite a sobering start to 2009. Training budgets are being scrutinised carefully along with all other budgets. ASTD’s latest online survey (January 2009) of its members asked how their learning function was being affected by the current economic climate. The most common response (53% of respondents) was that they are being asked to do more with less. This month’s market update looks at reducing training expenditure, how organisations are doing more with less and the longer term impact.

E-Learning Market Update (December 2008)

Boom time for ideas?

There was an interesting article in the Financial Times recently which suggests that the long term effects of a recession can be very positive on work and working habits because they give rise to innovation. This month we ask if we will see this effect in the e-learning market?

E-Learning Market Update (November 2008)

Doom and/or Boom - depending on what you read...

Following Ambient’s rather downbeat report on the e-learning market last month, there is more caution from professional investment advisers, mixed news from the 2008 US Training Market Report but also some optimism this month from a survey by Online Educa.

E-Learning Market Update (October 2008)

A new report from Ambient Insight shows that the elearning growth rate has slowed significantly to 8% from previous forecasts of 18% and 21%. However, the report also highlights some key growth sectors in a slowing elearning market, most notably rapid elearning and open source learning software.

E-Learning Market Update (September 2008)

The world economy was a bit bumpy this month, shall we say. Banks are coming and going, and as I write this the US House of Representatives have just turned down the $700bn funding bail out of US banks. So what are the implications for e-learning? Perhaps it’s not as bad as the rest of the economy would suggest.

E-Learning Market Update (August 2008)

In July 2008 Becta (the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) published a report on Next Generation Learning. The report’s findings contrast strongly with the perceptions of trainers surveyed earlier in the year by CIPD. We take a look and ask if we are seeing a generational change.

E-Learning Market Update (July 2008)

Doom and boom

In 2001 Elearnity published a paper entitled “Recession bites, e-learning marches forward”.  Seven years on we have oil prices at record highs, energy prices rising, food prices rising and a major credit crunch. How will e-learning fare this time around?  Steve Rayson takes the market temperature.

E-Learning Market Update (June 2008)

This month we reflect on the rise of open source software and the implications for the e-learning market.

E-Learning Market Update (May 2008)

This month we have taken a look at e-learning trends in the US. The US is the single largest eLearning market worldwide with revenues exceeding $17.5 billion in 2007, as stated in a report published by Global Industry Analysts. In 2007 the US represented over 60%. Europe is the second largest e-learning market with a share of less than 15% but the Asian market is reported to be growing faster.

We had a look at Bersin’s latest research into the US market which is contained in their 2008 Corporate Learning Factbook. The good news is that, like in Europe, e-learning continues to grow each year as a proportion of all training expenditure.

E-Learning Market Update (April 2008)

E-learning surveys - Lies, damn lies and statistics.

Last month we reviewed Survey Money and as part of this review we set up a survey on future e-learning trends for our community to take part in. Whilst our ours was just a small sample of a few hundred people from our community of readers we thought we would compare it to the original E-learning Guild survey from which we took our questions to see how things compared. We then also compared the findings to the latest CIPD survey on learning developments which highlighted the difficulty of analysing and interpreting surveys.

E-Learning Market Update (March 2008)

 
This month the Financial Times published a special supplement on online learning and business education. The supplement was headed “Distance learning boosted by downturn.” It seems in all the doom and gloom of the credit crunch that the e-learning market could be a major beneficiary. We have highlighted some of the key messages from the Financial Times research and set out below why we have reason to be optimistic.

E-Learning Market Update (February 2008)

Time for e-learning?

As we reported in our review of the Learning Technologies Conference there is a lot less hype surrounding new technologies and a lot more positive adoption of e-learning and great case studies.  Are we seeing a growing maturity and integration of e-learning into the mainstream? This month we review some key industry reports.

E-Learning Market Update (January 08)

This month we take a look at Ambient's new e-learning market report. Overall they predict growth of 22% in the e-learning market and some great opportunities for nimble suppliers. If you are an enterprise installed LMS provider or software tools vendor though you may want to look away now.

E-Learning Market Update (December 07)

Not our usual market update this month, as it is nearly the end of the year we thought we would do a quick round up of the last 12 months. So if you missed our updates this year (and you have no excuse, as they’re all still on the site…) read on for a quick overview of 12 months in the world of e-learning and Kineo.

E-Learning Market Update (November 2007)

It’s a tale of two markets this month, as Steve Rayson explains in his review of who’s fighting fit and who’s holding onto the ropes.

E-learning Market Update (October 2007)

October has been a traditionally busy month for e-learning companies and this one has been no exception.

E-learning Market Update (September 2007)

This month we report from recent conferences and supplier events where the demand for more cost-effective e-learning is coming over loud and clear.

E-learning Market Update (August 2007)

This month we are taking a look at news from the authoring tools market and the end of the road for Authorware.

E-learning Market Update (July 07)

This month we take a look at publicly quoted e-learning companies. The last few months have been interesting times for publicly quoted e-learning companies.

E-learning Market Update (June 2007)

This month we decided to focus on developments in the e-learning authoring tools market. There have been a number of new tool releases and some key decisions in the e-learning tools market.

Market Update (May 2007)

Our round up of e-learning news this month includes:

• UK Company News
• E-learning industry trends
• Cool open source tools 

E-learning Market Update (April 2007)

What is happening out there?

No, it’s not a posthumous release by Marvin Gaye – but rather one of the more interesting sessions from the E-learning Guild Annual Gathering. Steve Rayson was in the audience and files this report for this month’s market update.

We heard it on the blogline…

You’ll know from previous Kineo insights that you can find a lot about what’s really going on by reading the blogs of the well-informed, inside or outside your own organisation. So, this month we decided to look at the e-learning market from a different perspective, by firing up the blog scanner to see what, and who, is driving the debate. And there’s no shortage of debate:

UK E-learning Market Update (February '07)

The Learning Technologies event at London’s Kensington Olympia at the end of January was one of the best yet. There were a lot more people, or at least it certainly felt that way, maybe they had really just reduced the exhibition and floorspace to make it feel crowded. A good party trick…

UK E-learning Market Update (Jan 07)

Another year over and another one just begun. Looks like interesting times ahead for e-learning following the various mergers and developments last year. We reflect on the current e-learning market at the start of 2007.

UK E-learning Market Update (Nov 2006)

With Christmas fast approaching and the end of our first full year (and do we mean full) as Kineo, we decided to look back at 2006 and pick out some of the key events and trends. We also look at the latest market news.

UK E-learning Market Update (Nov 2006)

Last month we pondered whether consolidation was finally happening in the e-learning market. It is now the word on everyone's lips this month after the Skillsoft Netg merger. Steve Rayson has a look at the latest trends.

UK E-learning Market Update (Oct 2006)

A new Research Report (Oct 06) from Ambient Insight says the e-learning market is growing but prices are falling fast.