Many of these newer LMS systems use a Web browser as the primary interface, whether they're running over an intranet or the Internet. The challenge facing a training professional who seeks to compare systems is the fact that they each emphasize a different functionality. Indeed, any two LMS products can seem as different as night and day. Another LMS provider, Saba Software, trumpets its system's ability to serve as an extended enterprise learning platform that will manage training of employees, customers, and suppliers. Various research firms have compiled comparative analyses of different LMS systems that are worth exploring.
Scalability is an important issue, particularly for large or multifacility organizations.
The network uses the TrainingServer LMS as the basis for a courseware portal. The alliance phenomenon is a strategy to assure customers that they're not heading up a blind alley in the absence of strong interoperability standards, says Aldrich. In any case, he says, the industry is heading toward fully integrated learning systems as major vendors coalesce in a maturing market. LMS systems serve as the anchor for these turnkey systems, and a key success variable will be their ability to provide knowledge management capabilities. The ASP model is hastening the era of integrated learning systems as vendors compete to offer turnkey hosted services.