Learning & Talent In The Cloud

Deep insights, pragmatic advice

Learning & Talent in the Cloud
David Wilson, Managing Director
davidw@elearnity.com

© Copyright Elearnity Limited All Rights Reserved Deep insights, pragmatic advice

Focus for Today

• What is the Cloud and
why is it relevant to L&D?

• How is the Cloud
impacting learning and
talent solutions and supply options?

• What are some of the barriers to Cloud solutions and how
can you address them?

• What impact does the Cloud have on total cost of
ownership, integration and innovation?


Cloud Computing - A definition

• Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware
and software) that are delivered as a service over a network
(typically the Internet).

• These services are broadly divided into three categories:
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

• The name comes from the use of a cloud-shaped symbol as an
abstraction for the complex infrastructure it contains in system
diagrams.

• Cloud computing entrusts remote services with a user's data,
software and computation.

(Wikipedia)


Software-as-a-Service

“Software that is owned, delivered and managed
remotely by one or more providers“

• Where:
– The application is based on a single set of common
code and data definitions
– It is consumed in a one-to-many model by all
contracted customers
– It uses a pay-for-use model or a subscription model
based on usage metrics
Source: Gartner


Single or Multi-Tenancy

Shared Tenancy

Single Tenancy

Multi Tenancy


Reasons for Cloud Adoption

Source: Cloud Adoption and Trends for 2012, Cloud Industry Forum



So what about …

Learning & Talent?


Elearnity Research

“SaaS will have a significant impact on the
Learning & Talent Systems market, and is a
relevant and viable option for Enterprise
customers as well as the Mid-Tier market.”

“Software-as-a-Service:
Impact on Learning & Talent Systems”

Elearnity Core Insights
December 2008


Specific Drivers

• Learning & Talent often not viewed as strategic
or mission-critical targets for IT
– Significantly reduces entry costs and resources
– Reduces IT resource and overall investment

• Learning & Talent Organisation able to control
innovation choices directly
– Not dependent on IT to enable
– Always on the latest version (versionless) with the
latest functionality
– Avoids version lock-in


Specific Drivers

• Cloud/SaaS may be a better fit in a fragmented
function – especially relevant to Learning
– Lower cost of entry for sub-units and in total
– But automatically running on a common system
– Allows a Federated operating model

• More than Software
– Pre-integrated 3rd Party e-learning catalogues
– Global distribution infrastructure
• e.g. content acceleration services (such as Akamai)


Conflicting Pressures
Learning and Talent Systems Orientation Model
The Pressures that contribute to polarities of
On-premise or Cloud/SaaS implementations

Level of Direct Control Ease of Innovation

Cultural / Process Conformity Cultural / Process Diversity

Centralised L&D Fragmented L&D

Functionality Orientated Service Orientated

CapEx Focused OpEx Focused

IT Dependency IT Independence

On Premise © Copyright Elearnity Limited All Rights Reserved
Cloud/SaaS


Cloud/SaaS Force Field Analysis
The pressures for deciding On-Premise or Cloud implementations

The
Tipping
Point Barriers
Benefits
•Security
•IT Costs & Economies of Scale
•Data Protection
•Lower Overheads
•Scalability and Performance
•Faster Innovation
•Integration with On-Premise Apps
•Community of Interest
•Controlling Upgrades
•Customer Satisfaction
•Inability to Customise

Drivers © Copyright Elearnity Limited All Rights Reserved
Obstacles
Pressures for Cloud/SaaS Pressures Against Cloud/SaaS


Reality Today

• All major Learning & Talent Management Vendors now
lead with Cloud based solutions
Recent L&T Cloud Acquisitions
– Estimated to be 75% plus of Taleo buys Vurv
new business Kenexa buys BrassRing
Taleo buys Learn.com
SuccessFactors buys Plateau
• Pure play L&TM Cloud vendors Lumesse (StepStone) buys MrTed
growing fastest at SumTotal buys Softscape
40-60% per annum SAP buys SuccessFactors
Lumesse buys Edvantage Group
SalesForce.com buys Rypple
• Huge market consolidation = Cornerstone buys Sonar6
Kenexa buys OutStart
Oracle buys Taleo
ADP buys Workscape
IBM buys Kenexa
…



Questions for
adopters


Questions – for Corporate

• Is my organisation seeking to have one centralised solution
used in a common way by all operating units, or do we need a
federated or distributed approach?

• What are the major barriers to hosting our Learning & Talent
solution outside our firewall, if this can be done securely?

• What is the attitude of my IT function to the use of Cloud/SaaS
business applications? Are there existing applications in use
elsewhere in the business?

• What resources do I have to properly manage an On-Premise
solution on an ongoing basis?


Questions – for Corporate

• What is the true cost of implementing and managing
systems internally?

• What other systems do I need to integrate with to make
a Cloud/SaaS solution viable? Are these located On-
Premise or externally? Are multiple systems in use
throughout the business?

• Is there unique functionality that is very specific to your
organisation or industry? Which are unlikely to be met by
out of the box (On-Premise or Cloud/SaaS)?


Questions – for Suppliers
• How many customers and users? What is size of customer
organisations? Can you give me examples of similar
customers? How long have they been on your service?

• Do you provide a multi-tenant solution or single system per
customer?

– If multi-tenant
• How do you handle new releases? What warning do I have of changes to
the system? Can I choose not to activate changes in functionality?
• What configuration limitations are there for individual customers?
• How can I test the changes prior to live implementation?
• What happens if platform updates are incompatible with our client estate?

– If single tenant
• How scalable is each customer instance? What is the largest customer
instance you have currently?
• How do you handle upgrading customer instances? Can I choose not to
upgrade?
• What settings cannot be changed at individual customer level?


Questions – for Suppliers
• What experience do you have of integrating with my HR
System(s), and my Learning & Talent Systems or content?

• How do you handle customised requirements? Is customisation
possible and how? How might I be impacted by customisations
from other customers?

• What proportion of your revenue comes from Cloud/SaaS? What
proportion comes from Professional Services?

• What is your customer retention percentage on a year on year
basis? Is this information independently audited?

• What is a likely implementation outline for a customer of my
requirements?

• What resources do I need to implement and to run the system
thereafter?


In Summary

• Cloud/SaaS is now the de facto “go-to” model for
Learning & Talent Management systems
– For all sizes of organisations SME to Enterprise
– High adoption shift

• There are many advantages/benefits from Cloud as a
deployment model
– Lower cost of entry, better TCO, less IT dependency, faster and
greater innovation, global reach, ….

• But there are also some barriers and issues
– concerns on data protection and security, lack of customisation
– Also some geographic variation



Thank You
Any Questions?

davidw@elearnity.com

@dwil23


Learning & Talent In The Cloud

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (7)

Similar to Learning & Talent In The Cloud

Similar to Learning & Talent In The Cloud (20)