I’m excited to be starting a new chapter in my 25-year career in the fascinating world of learning technology. After more than a decade with Brandon Hall Group (formerly Brandon Hall Research), a leading research and advisory services firm in the areas of learning and talent management, I’m now a member of the Absorb LMS team. My years at Brandon Hall, first as an analyst and since 2007 as CEO, have given me the opportunity to attend a lot of learning management system briefings and see many products. The Absorb solutions have always stood out for their innovation and ease-of-use. Here are some of the reasons I’ve joined the Absorb LMS team: Technology This company is doing things that I’ve never before seen as a learning management system analyst. For example, content from the Absorb LMS can be embedded as widgets into Web pages. So, if you wanted to present learning content to, say, your customers, you could do so right from your Web site. Update the content within the content management section of the LMS and your Web site will immediately display the new information. Here’s an example of this approach implemented for financial guru, Dave Ramsey. The video displayed, which resides within the Absorb LMS’s content management system, has been published to the Dave Ramsey site.
The Absorb LMS is being implemented in ways where the technology doesn’t look at all like a traditional learning management system. A lot of software companies say that their product can be branded for their customers. What this often means is that the company logo can be added and colors modified to reflect the corporate look and feel. The Absorb team takes this much further. Here’s an example of the Absorb LMS as implemented for Specialized Bikes:
Does this look like your LMS? Likely not. The two examples above illustrate revolutionary thinking about the role of learning management systems. In both cases, learning content is integrated into organizations’ infrastructures in ways that reflect their cultures and project their brands. Learning content isn’t something on the periphery. It’s central to the organization. Client loyalty Absorb is growing quickly and adding high-profile customers across all industries. Some well-known clients include:
- Adobe Software Systems
- Elsevier
- Indiana University
- New York University
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- Virgin Mobile
- American Medical Systems
- Dannon
Getting new clients is a sign of a company with a great sales force. Retaining clients, on the other hand, is a sign of a very well-run company where all team members across all departments work together to create a rewarding customer experience. Absorb LMS presently boasts an enviable customer retention rate of more than 95 per cent. In an industry where about 35 per cent of organizations are looking to replace their existing LMS, the Absorb LMS team are clearly meeting the needs of their customers. To all my old friends in learning and development, I look forward to continuing our conversations in my new role as VP, Enterprise Learning Solutions, Absorb LMS. To those of you meeting me for the first time, I look forward to discussing how these revolutionary technologies can help transform your workforce into high performers.
