Mountain View, Calif., August 17, 2010 — Organizations are realizing that the ability to work anywhere, anytime, via a mobile device dramatically increases workforce productivity, especially with the ability to deliver learning content that keeps workers more active and on-task. They also recognize that certain emerging technologies — including web-based knowledge sharing, blended self-paced and instructor-led learning, and immersive experiences — can foster a high-performance work culture in which employees are driven, engaged, skilled, fairly compensated, and successful. SumTotal is investing heavily in these emerging technologies to provide HR managers with the tools and solutions to meet this user demand for better talent management.
Emerging technologies, like all new ideas, promise the possibility of significant benefits; however, in the initial stages of adoption, those benefits can be difficult to fully reveal. Real success comes only when the factors that drive emerging technologies grow strong enough to outweigh any existing limitations. While the past year has seen the rise of several new technologies, few have had the strong user demand and drastic impact of mobile technologies. No matter where you go on the globe, you can’t escape mobile devices, and the sheer number of mobile users has clearly set off a chain reaction.
“While mobile technologies are proving valuable and continue to become more and more ubiquitous, companies are still struggling to marry the vast benefits of mobile devices with the drawbacks, including the vast discrepancies in what types of content each different mobile device can handle,” said John Borgerding, President of SumTotal Systems. “HR managers are looking to the leaders in the talent and learning management technology industry to take a step ahead in developing tools that can fully harness the power of mobile technologies.”
Even as mobility has clearly moved to the forefront, other emerging technology trends that are top of mind for HR managers include:
• Blended learning environments — Programs that combine different modalities of training, such as self-paced and instructor led, into a singular program can be more effective and engaging than discrete ones.
• Talent development suites — Suites that centralize community/informal learning, measurement, formal learning, mobile access and compensation often show value by simplifying administration, cutting cost and boosting efficiency. Talent development, through its cyclical stages, seems to lend itself naturally to integration and can build a real competitive advantage.
• Web-based knowledge sharing — While the first generation of Web technology was about pushing content, today’s web-savvy employees have already grown accustomed to online community experiences, and organizations are beginning to recognize how much value exists in the knowledge sharing that takes place in these communities.
• Immersive technologies — Simulated worlds, where users can be completely submerged in a particular environment, are growing rapidly as an effective tool for learning simulations and skills practice. A survey from eLearningGuild found that 95% of respondents that have implemented immersive solutions agreed that they offered a “somewhat better” or “much better” learning environment than provided by other forms of rich skills practice.
While no one can guarantee that these emerging technologies will become widely accepted, the trends are clear, and user demand for improvements in learning management continues to push the field into new technology territory. SumTotal remains dedicated to investing in emerging technologies in order to provide HR managers with the tools and solutions needed for quality and effective talent and learning management solutions.
About SumTotal Systems, Inc.
SumTotal Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of proven talent development solutions that automate and integrate learning, performance, and compensation management to drive business results on a daily basis. Our solutions strengthen and develop employee skills to accelerate time-to-market, close skill gaps, and reduce the risk of business disruptions. With more than 1,600 customers and 18 million users worldwide, we have increased the performance at some of the world’s best-known companies, organizations and government agencies. Our category leadership and applied insight help us understand the critical success factors for businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
SumTotal and the SumTotal logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of SumTotal Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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