December 13, 2011
Technology Veterans John Winkenbach and Kimberley Kasper Join Social Recruiting Innovator
If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, don’t rely solely on “recommendations” or published reports. Do yourself a huge favor and talk to HRchitect first. After 14 years, HRchitect has unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is always available to help!
Jobvite, the leading recruiting platform for the social web, announced the appointment of two executives to its leadership team: John Winkenbach as the company’s Chief Financial Officer and Kimberley Kasper as Chief Marketing Officer. Winkenbach will oversee Jobvite’s finance, accounting, human resources and legal departments. Kasper will be responsible for all aspects of corporate marketing, including branding, messaging, corporate communications and demand generation.
The executive hires come as Jobvite continues its rapid expansion: the Software-as-a-Service innovator has grown its customer base more than 600% in the past two years. Earlier this year, Jobvite raised a Series C funding round of $15 million to support sales acceleration and continued technology innovation.
“The widespread adoption of social media is changing how people find jobs and reshaping the multi-billion dollar recruitment market,” said Dan Finnigan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Jobvite. “John and Kimberley have proven track records of driving growth at successful companies; their leadership will help us scale Jobvite to take advantage of the large and growing market opportunity for recruiting technology innovation.”
Winkenbach joins Jobvite from Technorati Media, an online media company, where he was Vice President of Finance and Administration. There he oversaw the launch of the company’s leading social media ad network, contributed to a tenfold revenue increase and led three acquisitions. At Yahoo! Inc., he managed the financial planning and analysis team for the Search Business Unit.; and prior to that served various senior finance roles at Inktomi Corporation.
“Market leading companies chose Jobvite for technology that solves a critical problem – how to find and hire the right talent,” said John Winkenbach, Chief Financial Officer. “I am delighted to work with the talented team here to continue developing a strategy for innovation and business operations that scale to support our growing customer base.”
Kasper most recently served as Vice President of Small-Medium Business and Talent Grid Marketing at Taleo, a talent management provider. In that role, she oversaw all aspects of marking for the Taleo Business Edition product line, including product marketing, messaging, communications, demand generation, and customer marketing. Prior to Taleo, Kasper was Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at SumTotal Systems, a human capital management solutions provider. She has also held marketing leadership positions at Salesforce.com and WebEx.
“From the start, Jobvite has positioned itself as a forward thinker focused on meeting the needs of a new generation of job seeker and recruiter,” said Kimberley Kasper, Chief Marketing Officer. “There’s an incredible amount of opportunity to redefine the concept of the ‘job search’ and I’m happy to be a part of Jobvite’s extremely smart team at the forefront of this industry.”
For more information on Jobvite, please visit www.jobvite.com
To learn more about HRchitect’s expertise in HR technology strategy, selection and implementation services, and how HRchitect can help your organization, please visit www.HRchitect.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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HCM, HR, HR Technology, Human Capital Management, Recruiting, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management | Tagged: Applicant Tracking, Dan Finnigan, HRchitect, Jobvite, John Winkenbach, Kimberley Kasper, Matt Lafata, social recruiting, Talent Acquisition | 
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Posted by mattlafata
July 29, 2009
Addition of ResultsOnDemand Talent Development Suite Brings Improved Enterprise Performance Management to APT’s PerformMetrics Platform
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems participated in the Learning Management Systems panel on June 10, 2009 as part of theHRshow. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing, and Jon Ciampi, VP of Product Management with SumTotal Systems appeared on the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009. SumTotal Systems also competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner.
If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, talk to HRchitect first. We have unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation.
SumTotal Systems, Inc. a market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced a partnership with APT, Inc, in which the company will offer SumTotal’s ResultsOnDemand Talent Development Suite as the foundation for APT’s online performance management solution: PerformMetrics. This integrated talent development suite will help customers employ legally defensible, streamlined HR processes to build and retain high-performing talent.
“SumTotal is thrilled to have a partner like APT that combines best-in-class expertise in organizational psychology with our comprehensive talent development platform to provide APT’s customers with a turnkey solution to manage and develop their workforces,” said Jon Ciampi, vice president, product management at SumTotal.
APT is well known for building job-specific, legally defensible talent management solutions for organizations of all industries. The joint solution will integrate APT competencies and best practices to provide world-class performance management and succession planning services.
“Implementing an online system for managing your workforce will only be successful if the content is tailored to specific job competencies and performance goals for individual employees,” said Dr. John C. Scott, chief operating officer at APT. “Through our partnership with SumTotal, we are now able to extend the value of our performance management offerings so that our customers can better guide and develop their talent effectively.”
For more information on SumTotal Systems, please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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Posted by mattlafata
July 22, 2009
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems participated in the Learning Management Systems panel on June 10, 2009 as part of theHRshow. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing, and Jon Ciampi, VP of Product Management with SumTotal Systems appeared on the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009. SumTotal Systems also competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner.
If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, talk to HRchitect first. We have unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation.
SumTotal Systems, a market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced that Barbara Stinnett will assume the newly created position of President, effective immediately, as well as join the board of directors. In this role, she will be responsible for leading the company and all of its operations with the mission of advancing SumTotal’s integrated talent development strategy, while continuing to build best-in-class solutions around learning management, performance management and compensation.
Stinnett brings more than 25 years of enterprise software, services and solutions expertise to Sum Total, most recently as a co-founder and managing partner with Timmaron Capital Advisors. Prior to Timmaron, Stinnett was Executive Vice President and Chief Customers Officer (CCO) for i2, and previously held executive positions at Sybase and Hewlett-Packard. She has domain expertise across multiple functions, geographies, segments and industries, and is known for her customer-centric approach.
“I welcome the opportunity of building upon SumTotal’s established leadership in the talent development market, and am energized by the company’s stellar customer base, innovative and robust product offerings and strong management team,” said Barbara Stinnett, President of SumTotal. “SumTotal is truly a pioneer in the talent development space, and I look forward to expanding our expertise by further addressing the unique issues faced by each vertical industry to provide the most value to our customers.”
”Barbara is an industry veteran with a strong track record of managing transformations within organizations,” said Robert Smith, managing partner of Vista Equity Partners and SumTotal board member. “We are excited about the opportunity to work with Barbara and the management team to create a sustainable business that delivers the most value for SumTotal’s customers.”
As part of this announcement, SumTotal’s current CEO, Arun Chandra, will be stepping down as CEO, effective immediately.
“I’d like to thank Arun for his leadership and service to the company during his tenure, and in his effort to bring the company through the transaction of becoming private. His contributions are appreciated, and we wish him well in his new endeavors,” said Stinnett.
For more information on SumTotal Systems, please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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Posted by mattlafata
July 8, 2009
Market-Leading Integrated Talent Development Solution Improves Workforce Development, Meets Needs of Joint Commission
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems participated in the Learning Management Systems panel on June 10, 2009 as part of theHRshow. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing, and Jon Ciampi, VP of Product Management with SumTotal Systems appeared on the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009. SumTotal Systems also competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner.
If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, talk to HRchitect first. We have unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation.
SumTotal Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced that Memorial Healthcare System (MHS) has selected its newly-launched Healthcare Solution Set for Talent Development.
“SumTotal’s Healthcare Solution Set will have an immediate, positive impact on our business processes,” said Ray Kendrick, chief human resources officer at MHS. “It will make our clinical competency and annual review processes more efficient, provide automated workflows and online availability of documents, and allow us to align our learning programs to target competency gaps.
The Solution Set allows healthcare providers to manage goals, perform clinical competency assessments and year-end reviews, create targeted learning and development programs that correct competency gaps, meet audit requirements of the Joint Commission, manage compensation and better track and manage continuing education credits required for regular license renewal. Through a partnership with Integrated HR Solutions (IHRS), the Solution Set enables customers to create and manage job descriptions and competency data in its DataManager software.
“Our healthcare customers tell us they have an immediate need to get their job descriptions and competencies cleaned up, and streamline the competency assessment process to be better prepared for Joint Commission surveys,” said Ray Pitts, vice president of professional services at SumTotal. “By using our solution, MHS will be able to create actionable recommendations that cultivate internal talent, continue to offer high quality of care for its patients, and continue to achieve high industry ratings.”
To learn more about SumTotal Systems’ Healthcare Solution Set for Talent Development Suite, please visit: http://www.sumtotalsystems.com/hc.
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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Posted by mattlafata
June 11, 2009
Multi-Lingual Online Learning Platform Deployed Across 31 Countries for Sharing of Best Practices and Actionable Career Development
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems participated in the Learning Management Systems panel on June 10, 2009 as part of theHRshow2009 event. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing, and Jon Ciampi, VP of Product Management with SumTotal Systems appeared on the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009. SumTotal Systems also participated in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems on February 19, 2009, where they were crowned the winner.
If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, talk to HRchitect first. We have unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation.
SumTotal Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced that Alcoa has selected SumTotal TotalLMS to provide a common platform for training administration and delivery, particularly of online learning to its global employees located in 31 countries around the world.
“The SumTotal solution will provide more online learning opportunities in a variety of languages to assist employees in their growth and development, aligned with the business needs,” said Jean Larkin, Director, Talent Management at Alcoa. ”It will also interface with our HRMS, enabling strategic integration of learning across our human resource systems. We see several advantages, including a cost effective means to deliver, track and report on mandatory compliance training and a common system to aid in sharing best practices across our operations.”
TotalLMS enables companies to increase employee engagement through actionable career development. The cost-effective solution simplifies the learning process for all users, regardless of their roles or location.
“TotalLMS will allow Alcoa to standardize its multilingual learning program onto a single platform over time,” said Jon Ciampi, vice president, product management at SumTotal. The easy-to-use solution will provide the company’s employees with better access to learning and development opportunities.”
For more information on SumTotal Systems, please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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Posted by mattlafata
May 27, 2009
Terminates Merger Agreement with Accel-KKR
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February, 2009, where they were crowned the winner. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing, and Jon Ciampi, VP of Product Management, participated in the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009. If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, talk to HRchitect first. We have unparalleled knowledge of the HR and Talent Management vendor community and can save you time and money in selection and implementation.
SumTotal Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Vista Equity Partners Fund III, L.P. (“Vista”) under which Vista will acquire all the outstanding shares of SumTotal common stock for $4.85 per share in cash (the “Vista Agreement”), or approximately $160 million. The Vista Agreement was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of SumTotal.
The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 141.3% over SumTotal’s closing share price on April 3, 2009, the last trading day prior to the public announcement of Vista’s proposal to acquire SumTotal for $3.25 per share in cash, and a premium of approximately 196.9% over SumTotal’s average closing share price for the 30 trading days ending on April 3, 2009.
SumTotal also announced that, concurrent with entering into the Vista Agreement, SumTotal terminated its previously announced amended merger agreement with affiliates of Accel-KKR (the “Prior Agreement”) following the expiration of the negotiation period granted to Accel-KKR under the terms of the Prior Agreement. In accordance with the terms of the Prior Agreement, SumTotal paid a termination fee of $6.67 million to affiliates of Accel-KKR.
Jack Acosta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SumTotal, said, “Our agreement with Vista provides an increased all-cash premium to our stockholders and reflects Vista’s strong commitment to the transaction. Throughout this process, our Board has been steadfastly committed to maximizing stockholder value and we are proud of the value we have delivered to our stockholders. We look forward to working with Vista to ensure a smooth transition and complete the transaction as expeditiously as possible.”
“The transaction with Vista validates SumTotal’s strategy and is a testament to our leadership position in the marketplace,” said Arun Chandra, Chief Executive Officer of SumTotal. “This transaction is compelling for our company, our customers, and our employees and we look forward to benefiting from Vista’s expertise as we continue to deliver innovative solutions to our customers and execute to win in the markets around the world.”
Robert F. Smith, Managing Principal of Vista Equity Partners, said, “We are pleased the SumTotal Board of Directors concluded that Vista’s agreement maximizes value for all SumTotal stockholders and provides the best path forward for all of the Company’s constituents, including its valued customers. We believe strongly that SumTotal is an outstanding company with a competitive advantage and bright future, and that, together with Vista’s operational expertise and experience in enterprise application software, we can continue to build on the Company’s market-leading position. We very much look forward to working closely with SumTotal’s management team, employees, customers and suppliers upon completion of the transaction.”
For more information on SumTotal Systems, please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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Posted by mattlafata
May 11, 2009
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner. Kimberly Kasper, VP of Marketing, and Jon Ciampi, VP of Product Management for SumTotal Systems participated in the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009.
The Board of Directors of SumTotal Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, last week confirmed that it has received a proposal from Vista Equity Partners (“Vista Equity”) to acquire all of the outstanding shares of SumTotal common stock for $4.50 per share in cash, subject to the conditions set forth in Vista Equity’s proposal.
As previously announced on April 24, 2009, SumTotal entered into a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Accel-KKR (“the Accel-KKR Agreement” or “the Agreement”), under which affiliates of Accel-KKR will acquire all of the outstanding shares of SumTotal common stock for $3.80 per share in cash. The Accel-KKR Agreement contains a provision under which SumTotal may solicit alternative proposals from third parties during the 31 calendar days following announcement of the Agreement.
Consistent with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, SumTotal’s Board will review Vista Equity’s proposal and inform SumTotal’s stockholders of its position. The Board advises stockholders not to take any action at this time with respect to the Vista Equity proposal and to await the Board’s recommendation.
For more information on SumTotal Systems, please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Accel-KKR, Employee Performance Systems, HRchitect, HRchitect Beauty Pageant, Integrated Talent Management, Jon Ciampi, Kimberley Kasper, Learning Management Systems, Matt Lafata, SumTotal Systems, Talent Management Systems, Vista Equity Partners, WebMingle | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata
April 29, 2009
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing, and Jon Ciampi, VP of Product Management, will participate in the HRchitect WebMingle on May 2, 2009.
SumTotal Systems (Nasdaq: SUMT), the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2009.
First Quarter 2009 Results
On an unaudited Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) basis, total revenue for the first quarter 2009 was $23.7 million compared to $36.0 million for the first quarter 2008. Unaudited GAAP net loss was $5.2 million, or $0.17 per share on a basic and diluted basis, compared to net income of $1.5 million, or $0.05 per share on a diluted basis, for the first quarter 2008.
For the first quarter 2009, cash flows from operating activities were $4.1 million compared to $3.6 million in the first quarter 2008.
Deferred revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, was $35.6 million compared with $33.2 million at the end of the same quarter the previous year.
Non-GAAP revenue for the quarter was $23.7 million compared to $36.1 million for the same quarter the prior year. Non-GAAP net loss for the quarter was $2.1 million, or $0.07 per share on a basic and diluted basis, compared to non-GAAP net income of $4.6 million, or $0.14 per share on a diluted basis, for the prior year.
Non-GAAP results exclude the impact of certain charges primarily related to restructuring activities and non-cash charges related to acquisition accounting, stock-based compensation, and any related income tax effects. A reconciliation to the GAAP results is provided in the attached statements.
As previously announced on April 24, 2009, SumTotal entered into a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Accel-KKR, under which all of the outstanding shares of SumTotal common stock will be acquired for $3.80 per share in cash. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of SumTotal’s stockholders. There is no financing condition to the transaction. For further information about this transaction, please see the Company’s April 24, 2009 press release and the Merger Agreement filed with the SEC on Form 8-K.
SumTotal will not host a conference call to discuss financial results for the first quarter 2009.
For more information on SumTotal Systems, please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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Posted by mattlafata
April 24, 2009
SumTotal Stockholders to Receive $3.80 per Share in Cash
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing with SumTotal Systems will participate in the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009.
SumTotal Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Accel-KKR, a technology-focused private equity firm, in a transaction valued at approximately $124 million.
Under the terms of the agreement, affiliates of Accel-KKR will acquire all of the outstanding shares of SumTotal common stock for $3.80 per share in cash. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 89% over SumTotal’s closing share price on April 3, 2009, the last trading day prior to the public announcement of an unsolicited proposal from another party to acquire SumTotal for $3.25 per share in cash, and a premium of approximately 133% over SumTotal’s average closing share price for the 30 trading days ending on April 3, 2009.
SumTotal’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved the agreement and recommends that SumTotal stockholders approve the transaction.
Jack Acosta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SumTotal, said, “After thorough and extensive analysis, and in consultation with our independent advisors, our Board has unanimously endorsed this transaction with Accel-KKR as being in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders. We are pleased that this transaction appropriately recognizes the value of SumTotal’s innovative software products and category leadership, while providing our stockholders with an immediate and substantial cash premium. Our Board has been steadfastly committed to maximizing value for our stockholders, and we believe that this premium, all-cash transaction with Accel-KKR is the best way to accomplish that goal.”
“This transaction with Accel-KKR is a great opportunity for both our Company and our customers,” said Arun Chandra, Chief Executive Officer of SumTotal. “We are proud to partner with Accel-KKR, which has a strong reputation and a proven track record of success in guiding technology companies. Accel-KKR understands our industry and our business well, and will be a valued partner as we build upon our momentum and continue to implement our strategic plan to deliver superior solutions to our customers globally. SumTotal’s success is driven by the hard work and dedication of our employees and this transaction is a testament to their ongoing efforts. We look forward to working closely with Accel-KKR to quickly complete the transaction.”
Ben Bisconti, Managing Director at Accel-KKR, said, “We are excited to make this investment in SumTotal, an exceptional company with a clear vision, market leadership, and a strong commitment to its employees, partners, and customers around the world. Accel-KKR shares this vision and commitment, and strongly supports the Company’s long-term business goals. We look forward to working closely with SumTotal’s talented employees and highly experienced management team, who have built a solid foundation from which we can drive further growth and enhance value. We look forward to working collaboratively with the SumTotal team and ensuring a smooth and expeditious transition, and continued success in the execution of the Company’s strategy going forward.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of SumTotal’s stockholders. There is no financing condition to the transaction.
The agreement contains a provision under which SumTotal may solicit alternative proposals from third parties during the next 30 calendar days.
RBC Capital Markets Corporation is acting as financial advisor to the Board of SumTotal, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, is acting as SumTotal’s legal advisor. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as legal advisor to Accel-KKR.
For more information about SumTotal Systems, please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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Posted by mattlafata
April 22, 2009
LMS and Learning Platforms 2009 Report Positions SumTotal as a Provider Capable of Scaling to Meet the Demands of Global Organizations
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing with SumTotal Systems will participate in the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009.
SumTotal Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced that the company has been positioned as the market leader with the ability to scale for global organizations in a new report by Bersin & Associates titled, LMS and Learning Platforms 2009. Calling SumTotal a pioneer in the enterprise learning management market, the report cites the company’s strength, sophisticated domain management and open activity architecture as key differentiators.
“SumTotal Systems continues to be a dominant player in the LMS industry with the ability to scale for global implementations,” said Josh Bersin, President and CEO of Bersin & Associates, a leading industry research firm. “With a focus on the SaaS delivery model, mobility and a consolidated HR systems platform including talent management, SumTotal is positioned for success in the changing environment of strategic HR and workforce management.”
The Bersin & Associates report references SumTotal’s experience and long-term, financial viability; the company has more than 18 million users across all industries. The study also references SumTotal’s sophisticated domain management, where administrators are able to manage multi-domain models with flexible group memberships, and open activity architecture that lets administrators define, group and name anything into a package or program, as key factors to position the company at competitive advantage over other vendors in the industry.
According to the report, SumTotal’s “product offerings span the complete range of needs, from compliance to customer training, and from global e-learning deployments to learning analytics. SumTotal also offers integrated development tools, a full-function, development-centric LCMS and a best-of-breed integrated performance management system.”
“The Bersin & Associates report underscores SumTotal’s leadership position and strength in the learning management market,” said Arun Chandra, chief executive officer of SumTotal Systems. “Organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to global enterprises, rely on SumTotal’s learning management and talent development platforms to develop their most valuable resource and ultimately gain a competitive advantage.”
SumTotal learning management solutions combine comprehensive, best-of-breed functionality with simple configuration to help organizations easily administer a variety of learning activities for both internal and external audiences. Organizations who implement SumTotal learning management solutions can benefit from increased productivity, improved compliance and audit readiness, stronger customer and partner relationships and a more engaged workforce.
For more information, please visit: http://www.sumtotalsystems.com.
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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Posted by mattlafata
April 18, 2009
HR Industry Leaders will Gather at Annual User Conference to Navigate today’s Workforce Challenges and Share Best Practices
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems competed in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner. Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing for SumTotal Systems will participate in the HRchitect WebMingle on May 1, 2009.
SumTotal Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, this week unveiled three keynote speakers for TotalConnection 2009, the company’s annual global user conference: Kevin Oakes of the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), Angela Rose of the American Cancer Society and Ann Hackett of H&R Block. Scheduled for May 11-14, 2009 in Orlando, Florida, the four-day event will include panels and customer-led breakout sessions across seven learning tracks, including talent development, performance management, metrics & reporting, learning and content authoring.
During the three keynote sessions, conference attendees can expect to learn from industry leaders who are successfully navigating today’s challenges of keeping a workforce engaged, developing the most valuable resources and maintaining maximum levels of performance within an organization. More specifically, Kevin Oakes, CEO of i4cp, will explore workforce trends uncovered from the firm’s research, as well as solutions to keep a workforce engaged, productive and profitable. Angela Rose, director of talent process and strategy at American Cancer Society, will present how the Society has implemented SumTotal ResultsOnDemand talent development solutions to organize nationwide teams, take an elective system approach and utilize automatic intranet login for easy accessibility. Lastly, Ann Hackett, assistant vice president of organizational effectives at H&R Block, will provide critical tips for improving talent development through a better understanding of employee competency data.
SumTotal also announced the call for customer award entries in three categories: Vision, Innovation and Achievement. All SumTotal customers, from small businesses to global enterprises, are eligible to submit for the awards, and interested customers can nominate themselves.
SumTotal Vision Award – Will honor a company whose SumTotal project implementation demonstrates superior thought leadership, and whose overall vision proves a commitment to strengthening talent development throughout the organization.
SumTotal Innovation Award – Will honor the greatest innovation in the implementation and usage of SumTotal Talent Development solutions.
SumTotal Achievement Award – Will honor the company that can demonstrate a serious and substantial return on its investment in SumTotal products.
In addition to three keynote speakers and “ask the expert” sessions, SumTotal customers will present their stories in breakout sessions, allowing users to share best practices and first-hand experiences with their peers.
Additional information regarding TotalConnection 2009, including the full agenda and registration details, can be found at www.totalconnection2009.com/
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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April 7, 2009
Vista Is Nominating Three Directors For Election To SumTotal’s Board of Directors
HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems and top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. SumTotal Systems also participated in the HRchitect Beauty Pageant on Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner. On May 1, 2009, Kimberley Kasper, VP of Marketing with SumTotal Systems, will participate on the HRchitect WebMingle.
Vista Equity Partners Fund III, L.P. (“Vista”), a private equity firm focused exclusively on equity transactions involving enterprise software businesses and technology-enabled solutions companies, has proposed to acquire SumTotal Systems, Inc. (“SumTotal” or “the Company”) (Nasdaq: SUMT) for $3.25 per share in cash in a transaction that values the Company’s outstanding equity at approximately $103 million. The proposal represents a 62% premium to the closing market price of SumTotal’s Common Stock on April 3rd, and a premium of 103%, 109%, and 91% over the past volume-weighted 20, 30, and 60-day trading periods, respectively. Vista, which owns approximately 13% of SumTotal’s outstanding Common Stock, is the Company’s largest stockholder.
Vista also announced that it is nominating three directors for election to SumTotal’s Board of Directors at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 12, 2009 (including any adjournment, postponement, continuation or rescheduling thereof). The nominees are: Robert F. Smith, John N. Staples III and Charles R. Whitchurch. SumTotal’s board consists of eight directors. Vista is seeking to replace the following directors: John W. Cone, Donald E. Fowler and Ali R. Kutay. SumTotal is the market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions. Based in Mountain View, California, SumTotal has offices across Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Vista’s offer was detailed in a letter from Robert F. Smith, Managing Principal of Vista Equity Partners III, LLC, to Arun Chandra, SumTotal’s Chief Executive Officer, on April 3, 2009.
Mr. Smith said, “We have concluded, based on our exhaustive work and that of our advisors, that the Company’s ability to realize significant value for its stockholders as a standalone public company during a lengthy and highly precarious business model transition is, candidly, subject to significant risk and uncertainty. As a result, we believe that a compelling, high-premium, all-cash offer is the most effective way to maximize value for all stockholders.”
Mr. Smith added, “We are confident SumTotal’s stockholders will find that this proposal reflects an exciting value for their shares, both in light of the Company’s current and recent trading history, as well as any realistic assessment of the
Company’s standalone prospects, whether in the near or long term. As SumTotal’s largest stockholder we took particular note that over the past four quarters Wall Street research analysts following the Company have been forced to revise their financial forecasts for the Company downward and, more troubling, the Company stated in its fourth quarter 2008 earnings release that it was unable to provide guidance for full year 2009 financial results.”
Matt Lafata, HRchitect
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