Looking for an eLearning Vendor like Skillsoft

Mar 28, 2014

Hi All - I am looking for recommendations for an eLearning vendor like Skillsoft.  We are looking for off the shelf content specifically focusing on leadership development and soft skills.  Thanks!

10 Replies
PJ Babcock

Hi Christy,

Our company is a SkillSoft customer and we are very very focused on leadership skills and soft skills.  It seems they have the largest offering of courses all in one place.

Not sure if you are aware of their Leadership Advantage?  A TON of courses and leadership tracks, along with videos and simulations, etc.  They have also created a partnership with  Jack Welch, The Welch Way, for leadership training that I am currently evaluating.

I have not found another vendor that is at the price point or quality of service of SkillSoft.

Please contact me directly if you have any questions or to discuss our deliver of leadership and soft skills training. I would be glad to share.  We also combine some custom training, of course - created in Storyline to promote and introduce the SkillSoft courses.

Virtually,

PJ

Bob S

Hi Christy,

Some alternatives and how they compare to SkillSoft...

Harvard Manage Mentor - Fewer titles but richer content and much better resources

Franklin Covey - Fewer titles but richer content, better/equal resources, clear ties to "classic" programs you may already be using (or will in the future)

Biz Library - More titles (7k+!!!) but shorter less rich content, video-based modules, equivalent resources

Other considerations.... For some organizations SkillSoft can represent some techy challenges as the content spools from their OLSA server and require Java Runtime to be pushed to, and kept up to date on, all learner's computers.

I've used, administered, and reviewed content from all four of these vendors (and more), so feel free to message me if you want some personal opinions. Good luck!

Steve Baker

Hi Christy,

I think one of the worst things you can do is select an LMS company based on content. Why do I say this? Because that is what we did the first time we purchased an LMS. What we have learned over the years is to select a robust LMS system that supports both SCORM and AICC content. (Any good LMS that is worth its salt will support both formats)

Content companies sell and license content to work with any LMS. We have a number of Skillsoft and other vendor courses in our LMS. If you buy a system based on content offerings you will be verydisappointed in 1 to 2 years when you go to use their "Less then Robust System" Iarguedthis point for years at my company and it took 3 LMS changes before people would heed my advice. After anexhaustivesearch we selected a company called Simplydigi. Their customer service, support and feature sets are amazing and we have been very happy. In fact they should pay me for plugging their products, I love working with Bruce there. Now they are not the only LMS vendor out there but I would recommend you use them as a basis for comparison when looking at other products.

When you select a learning platform basedsolely on their content offerings you really limit yourself. Whileskill-softmay have a really good course on one topic their course offering on another topic may not be as good. Therefore you will find yourself creating your own course or buying one from another vendor. This is the mistake we made and it is why I try to warn people not to make that mistake and save yourself a ton of grief.

I hope this helps

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