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Posted by Sravanthi Reddy, Executive - Research & Sales

Fri, Jan 06, 2012 @ 03:17 PM

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Like all the other software, Learning Management System has successfully evolved by adapting itself to the changes in the learning ecosystem.

The role of a Learning Management System has changed dramatically since the times it was first incepted. It began its journey as a software that manages instructor-led instruction delivering core training activities. Today, it has transformed into a system that launches and tracks eLearning, in addition to many other functions.

A year ago, the survival of the LMS had been a point of debate but today it has become an indispensable entity in the learning industry as it has evolved to meet all emerging market demands.

Let’s see some of the key trends in the LMS Market that will help us understand this transformation.

Competition: The market has become more competitive as many players are entering with newer options. More and more mergers and acquisitions are taking place because of the continued consolidation and the incorporation of new features.

SaaS (software as a service): The Software as a Service (SaaS) model is becoming increasingly popular. This model offers many advantages in terms of deployment time and reporting. The possibility to mine and report transactional data is the main reason for this growing trend. More than 50 percent are now opting for externally hosted LMS services.

Web 2.0 and Web 3.0: We are now starting to see many improvements in the usability of the LMS because of the growing demand for Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 advances in LMS user interfaces and functionality.

Social Networking: Integration of social networking into the learning experience has become one of the key trends in the LMS market.

Mobile Training: The demand for mobile learning or mLearning is also increasing. This is particularly visible in the corporate world where applications accessible via mobile devices such as laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cell phones are in great demand to connect employees at multiple locations.

Open-Source: Even though most of the open-source Learning Management systems are designed for educational institutions, more and more organizations are looking for alternatives of open-source solutions and adopting them because of their readability and affordability.

Thus the capability and role of learning management is evolving significantly. Emerging LMSs can offer a comprehensive suite of features and capabilities that will help organizations meet their training needs.

LMSs will probably look more like portals and less like platforms with the incorporation of many new features in the years to follow.

Hope this discussion was useful. There may be a few more trends than these. Please do share your thoughts on the same.

Tags: Learning management System, LMS, LMS Trends, open-source management systems, software as a service, Web 2.0