Learning Management Systems (LMS) have come a long way since the invention of the first teaching machine by Sydney Pressey.

An LMS is no longer a one-size-fits-all prospect. Modern learners now have many options to choose from depending on their needs.

Examples of LMS in the market today include.

• Open-Source
• SaaS Cloud
• Proprietary

You’ve probably experienced different types of learning management systems without even realizing it. If you’re still unsure what an LMS is, here’s a definition from TechTarget:

“An LMS is a software application or web-based technology used to plan, implement, and assess a specific learning process.”

Essentially, an LMS is software that facilitates online learning and enables you to track an employee’s learning progress.

How Does an LMS Facilitate Online Learning?

• An LMS allows an instructor to deliver personalized courses to students over the Internet.
• It enables students to log into the course and study when it’s convenient for them, even when they’re on the move.
• A good LMS allows for safe communication within the system. Non-participants aren’t privy to any correspondence among participants.
• Because all course-related materials can be found in one place, the student can go back to refresh their memory and in time become an expert on the subject.
• The LMS delivers information in small chunks (micro-learning) so that the student retains information easily.
• A quality LMS incorporates features such as self-marking tests, gaming, and social tools to provide an engaging learning experience.

Comparing Different Types of LMS

Enterprise vs. Individual

• Enterprise

Enterprise LMS solutions are usually for larger companies or those that are growing rapidly. As companies expand operations and hiring, an enterprise solution is easy to scale and can accommodate a virtually unlimited number of users and courses.

• Individual

An Individual LMS, on the other hand, is more appropriate for smaller organizations. It is usually sold via a subscription model and may come with fewer features and a lower price point.

Free vs. Commercial

• Free LMS

There is a plethora of open-source software with great features that trainers can use for free to create courses and train employees.

However, free LMS requires that you have the knowledge to deploy it. If not, you’ll have to bring on a consultant to implement it for you. Also, the free LMS may not have the best customer support, if it has any at all.

• Commercial

A commercial LMS is intended to be used by an organization or institution. In contrast to the free LMS, the commercial version is easier to implement, provides better customer service, and more sophisticated features. The other differentiator, of course, is that it’s not free. Generally speaking, the capabilities and features that you require will determine how much you pay.

SaaS vs. Licensed Product

• Software as a Service (SaaS)

The SaaS LMS is one of the most user-friendly models on the market. It lives in the cloud, is easy to deploy and scale, and can accommodate rapid growth. And because it can be accessed 24/7 via mobile device, it is extremely flexible.

One of the reasons why the SaaS LMS is so popular in the finance, technology, and insurance industries, to name just a few, is that they don’t have to concern themselves with technical aspects such as loading software, data backup and server maintenance. All of that is handled by the SaaS LMS vendor.

• Licensed Product

A licensed product can offer many benefits, including customization and different options for deployment and having it hosted in the cloud or at your headquarters. The main difference is the license fee.

Cloud-based vs On-premise

• Cloud-based LMS

An LMS that is hosted by a vendor on their server is what we call a cloud-based LMS. This is the “no mess” solution for companies that may not have the servers and technical expertise in-house. Rather than get into the weeds of the technology, they’d rather have their LMS hosted off-site.

• On-premise LMS

An on-premise LMS is built to order at your corporate location and usually with multiple servers. It requires a more hands-on approach and the expertise to operate it and maintain data security. One disadvantage is that it tends to be more difficult to scale than a cloud-based LMS and may be more expensive.

Discover why these world-famous brands use World Manager for online training. Ask us

What is Open-Source LMS?

Have you ever heard people describing the software as ‘free’? Because it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can download it at no cost.

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What it really means is that the copyright holder has provided the rights to modify the software’s source code to developers and users.

Since there are no licensing fees, an anonymous entity can modify the software for any purpose and distribute as many copies of it as possible.

It’s collaborative, so any member of the tech community may also add new features to the original source code.

Some of the most popular open-source software include:

• Firefox
• WordPress
• Chrome
• Android
• Joomla

So an open-source LMS is one that makes its source code available to any user.

And you can scrutinize and customize the source code according to your business learning needs.

Small businesses with few employees to train generally prefer an open-source LMS. This is because it gives you core software features without the overhead of purchasing costly licenses.

So what are some examples of an open-source LMS?

Moodle

Moodle prioritizes social learning – its interface can be customized to resemble popular social tools.

For instance, you can add features such as posts and a timeline of learners’ activities as well as comments, votes, and other calls to action.

A Moodle user has a profile that looks like this:

Features:

• Customizable site design and layout
• Single sign-on module
• Easy integration with video conferencing software, CMS and CRMs
• Multilingual capability
• Supports third-party add-ons and over 500 plugins such as Office 365 and OneNote

Open edX

Open edX enables you to host and deploy your own branded course instead of creating a new one. Open edX has two components:

• The studio, is used by the administrator and instructor to design and manage courses
• The LMS, through which the learner accesses the course

Features:

• Self-paced learning
• Online discussion groups
• Wiki-based collaborative learning
• Right to left language support
• Course and learner analytics
• Supports video, HTML, and text

This is how the student dashboard looks on Open edX

ATutor

ATutor is a unique LMS fashioned for learners with disabilities. It’s renowned for two things:

Accessibility

ATutor has features that make the LMS suitable for visually impaired learners, such as:

• Text alternatives for visual elements and a screen reader which enables the user to listen to the LMS interface
• Keyboard access, which makes it easy for the learner to use ATutor without a mouse

Adaptability

The themes, tool modules, groups and privilege sections make ATutor adaptable in the following ways:

• You can customize the layout of the system, adding categories to fit your teaching needs
• You can assign management roles to certain course members so they can author parts of the course or use some of the LMS tools within the system
• A learner can set up a profile with personal information and profile picture
• Learners can collaborate and communicate with other participants through a private mail inbox or chat room.

What is Proprietary LMS?

Proprietary LMSs are built and hosted by a single company or entity. They are based on software development known as closed-source.

A proprietary LMS comes with a copyright license that restricts users from changing the source code.

In fact, violating these copyright laws can be classified as cybercrime.

A copyright license keeps other businesses from modifying the source code to create a competing product.

Unlike an open-source LMS, you can’t demand software changes or improve its design – the owner decides what features and upgrades will be made.

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Fortunately, you have self-help options such as a user manual and a dedicated FAQ in case you encounter any problems.

A proprietary LMS also invariably offers customer support.

What are some examples of proprietary LMS?

Blackboard Learn is a self-host LMS that caters to K-12 users, higher education, businesses, and government institutions.

Features:

• Custom branding
• Custom layout
• Exam engine
• Student portal
• Skills tracking
• Grading
• Discussions
• Analytics (Restricted to companies and government institutions)
• Data import and export
• Easy integration with Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox

Schoology

Schoology LMS allows for virtual learning for K-12 and higher education students. They can share academic content within the LMS and collaborate on different subjects.

The website is hosted by the vendor but instructors can upload content and assignments into the LMS and use the rich text editor and other tools to create lessons.

Features:

• Customized branding
• Online grade book
• Homework Dropbox
• Audio and video recording
• Data integration with student information systems
• Color-coded workload thresholds
• Third-party software integration
• Performance tracking
• Analytics

This screenshot shows how Schoology uses color-coding to indicate student performance and mastery.

What is SaaS Cloud LMS?

SaaS stands for Software-as-a-Service. It’s also known as hosted software and is delivered to approved end users only.

A SaaS Cloud LMS is hosted on the vendor’s servers or on the cloud.

The source code is the same for all clients. When upgrades are rolled out, all clients benefit from the new features.

Since it’s housed in the cloud, upgrades are done centrally, which makes maintenance easier and more cost-effective.

What are some examples of leading SaaS Cloud LMSs?

World Manager

The World Manager LMS is one of the best cloud-based training, communications, and compliance platforms on the market.

Firstly, you get product upgrades and customer support for free.

Secondly, its user-friendly platform features three crucial components that keep users engaged:

• Communication suite: Enables an employee to communicate with participants through chat forums, calendar and image galleries
• Training suite: Mobile-first so it delivers training on any device in real-time
• Education suite: Allows companies to deliver accredited courses to their employees through a customized training academy

Features:

• • Custom branding
  • Integrates with third-party SCORM content
  • Varied test options such as multiple-choice, tick boxes and written test
• Optimized for mobile use
• ACTIV presentations
• Checklist sign-off
• Policy sign-offs
• Achievement awards tool
• Real-time analytics
• Employee surveys

EthosCE

EthosCE LMS delivers continuing education to health professionals. Learners can use the LMS to share their learning experience on their social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Features:

• Customized branding
• Single sign-on module
• Bulk import of learner registration details and transcripts
• Multimedia tests
• Learner follow-up assessments
• Course completion certificates
• Customized resources for poorly performing learners
• Course data and performance analytics

Do I Really Need an LMS?

A thriving business needs well-trained staff.

An LMS can help you train your employees in a fun and engaging way – from onboarding new employees or training newly promoted staff.

LMS analytics identifies communication gaps and weak spots in your team.

And these actionable insights can help drive business growth and give you a competitive advantage.

Are you ready to change how you do business? Book a customized demo today.

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At the most basic level, a SaaS LMS is a cloud-based learning management system that is hosted online instead of being installed on your device.

So you can access content on your browser from any device, at any time.

Think of it as using a reference book in the library. You’re not allowed to check it out of the library but you can read it as much as you like.

Here’s the best part of using a SaaS LMS:

You leave the complex and often intimidating process of installation and maintenance to the experts.

If you encounter a glitch, the LMS vendor will avail IT staff to fix the system at no additional cost to you.

And they show you how to use the LMS effectively, reducing your learning curve.

You probably know what a learning management system is.

Learning and development enthusiasts like yourself are already using an LMS to create and deliver courses to enrolled employees.

An LMS not only facilitates learning, but it also enables you to track learners’ progress to find areas of improvement.

LMS deployment can be in-house or web-based (SaaS) and understanding how this is done is crucial.

Accurate information will guide you when you go shopping for the perfect LMS.

What is SaaS?

TechTarget defines SaaS as:

A software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the internet.

SaaS software can only be delivered to approved end-users, who gain access through a login and password.

It would be fitting to label Facebook, Instagram, and Google as SaaS products.

SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS – What’s the Difference?

SaaS, PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) are the three layers of cloud computing.

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IaaS is the most basic layer; PaaS is in the middle, and SaaS sits on top.

Software as a Service: A vendor has already built the software, and you pay a monthly or annual fee to use it. The vendor handles maintenance, upgrades, and any other software-related issues. Think of it as using a passenger train. All you have to do is enjoy the service; schedules, routes, maintenance, and fees are determined by the vendor.

Common example: Google Apps

Platform as a Service: The vendor develops and deploys virtual servers, OS, applications, storage, and security, which saves you time and resources. To use the vehicle analogy, this would be like hailing a cab. The cab driver keeps the car running and takes you wherever you want to go. You must inform him of your destination and the best route to take.

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Common example: Google App Engine

Infrastructure as a Service: Instead of buying servers and expensive hardware, you can rent them from a vendor. Storage, networking, and offsite servers can then be accessed over the internet whenever you want. Think of it as leasing a car. All you have to do is fuel the car (install an OS and apps, in this case); maintenance is the vendor’s responsibility.

Common example: Google Compute Engine

Here’s a brief history of how SaaS came to be:

The 1960s: Computers are huge and too expensive for educational institutions or small- to medium-sized businesses. Instead of owning a computer, people rent power and space from a vendor through time sharing. Every user has a specific time-share in which they can access the computer system.

1987: Pat Sullivan and Mike Muhney released ACT!, the first customer relationship management (CRM) software. It allows businesses to gather and store customer contacts.

Early to mid-90s: Computers become cheaper and employees can now have computers at their desks. Applications are now stored on in-house machines. Data is stored on a central server. IT departments are staffed to manage and ensure the smooth running of this Local Area Network. Hard drive space fills up pretty fast and getting a new one like the one shown in the ad below proves too costly.

Late 90s: Businesses start to explore cost-effective data storage solutions as the internet becomes widely accessible. Businesses store data offsite and access it over the internet through an Application Service Provider (ASP). The client must wait for the vendor to manually input his login credentials from his end. It’s not long before ASPs are replaced by a self-service solution.

1999: Salesforce introduces multiple products and services that are delivered over the internet. They include CRM software, sales cloud, and service cloud. Businesses are attracted to this model, as they no longer have to deal with long-term contracts and licensing. A $50 monthly subscription fee is enough to enjoy the perks.

 

 

The 2000s: Concur, which previously sold packaged software in computer stores, becomes a fully SaaS company. Writing software in disks, packaging, and shipping had become too costly. Concur sells software licenses to businesses directly until 2001, when they go SaaS. As a result, Concur’s gross margins grow to 72%. Soon, Oracle and Sage start to deliver a SaaS version of their products. There’s no turning back.

History of the SaaS LMS

The history of the SaaS LMS can be traced back to 2008 when Eucalyptus software was introduced.

Eucalyptus was open-source, meaning that developers could modify the code.

It was compatible with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) application program interface (API), meaning it would operate with other AWS-based services.

This enabled users to deploy private and hybrid clouds.

As an IaaS, Eucalyptus allowed learning and development professionals to deploy their LMS entirely online. No installation was required.

Today, you’ll come across leading SaaS LMSs such as:

• World Manager
• Open edX
• ScholarLMS

Why is SaaS LMS so Popular?

Businesses are fast adopting SaaS LMS because of these obvious reasons:

• It’s fast and easy to deploy
• It’s cost-effective

Let’s look at other not-so-obvious reasons that have contributed to the rise of SaaS LMS:

Automatic Upgrades

A SaaS LMS is upgraded centrally, ensuring everyone is using the latest version.

Upgrades happen fast, without interrupting ongoing processes.

If you get an advanced LMS such as World Manager, you’ll enjoy free upgrades for the life of your agreement.

Security

Your data is safe because it’s stored in a central location.

All your content is organized so you can find materials easily when creating courses.

That’s a huge time saver.

A credible SaaS LMS comes with user authentication, data encryption, and other safety protocols.

Your employees won’t worry about privacy infringement when they’re logged in.

Scalability

With a SaaS LMS, you can install add-ons or enroll more users as you see fit.

A SaaS LMS evolves according to your business needs. You can start small and add to the breadth of your LMS as you onboard more staff.

If you don’t want to pay for extra features, you can downgrade to a cheaper plan at any time.

How Can I Get a SaaS LMS for My Business?

SaaS is fast replacing on-premise software in modern businesses.

Train your staff with an LMS that allows for self-authored eLearning, policy sign-offs, and real-time reporting.

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The World Manager LMS is exactly what a growing business like yours needs to gain a competitive edge.

Reap the benefits of a leading SaaS LMS by booking a customized demo today.