SSI Investments II Limited Announces SkillSoft Acquisition of Element K Business from NIIT

October 19, 2011

 

ELEMENT K COMPLEMENTS SKILLSOFT’S CAPABILITIES FOR SERVING THE GLOBAL CORPORATE TRAINING MARKET

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!

 

SSI Investments II Limited (the “Company”), a parent company of SkillSoft Limited (formerly SkillSoft PLC) (“SkillSoft”), a leading SaaS provider of on-demand e-learning and performance support solutions for global enterprises, government, education and small- to medium-sized businesses, today announced that its indirect subsidiaries, SkillSoft Corporation and SkillSoft Ireland Limited (the “Buyers”) have acquired the Element K business from NIIT Ventures, Inc., a subsidiary of NIIT Limited. Under the terms of the agreement, pursuant to which the transactions contemplated by the agreement closed effective today, the Element K business was acquired for $110 million in cash, subject to adjustments.

The acquisition adds to SkillSoft’s existing offerings in learning content and learning platform technology through the addition of Element K’s complementary offerings in e-learning content, virtual labs, ILT print materials and custom development services. Also, the addition of Element K employees in sales, customer support and product development strengthens SkillSoft’s long-term ability to compete for a greater share of the $48 billion global corporate training market that includes many larger players with more comprehensive product offerings.

“As our enterprise customer organizations are increasingly connecting their learning strategies to their overall business objectives, we find those organizations looking for a greater range of products and services. Our enterprise customers have many choices of suppliers to meet their ever-expanding needs, and we continuously look for ways to expand our capabilities to sustain and increase our competitiveness,” said Chuck Moran, CEO of SkillSoft. “The acquisition will immediately bring a wider range of solutions to the customers of both SkillSoft and Element K. In addition, by combining the two organizations we will be able to expand our investments in the technology, service and content solutions delivered to customers. This is key to increasing our ability to compete with the many larger players in the global corporate training market.”

Element K offers many of the same financial and operating characteristics as SkillSoft’s business model, including an annual recurring subscription-based licensing model for access to its learning resources library, a direct sales force distribution system complemented by resellers and telesales support, and a Global 2000 client base offering visibility through multi-year contracts. As a result, over time the acquisition is expected to support both SkillSoft’s revenue predictability and growth.

Morgan Stanley and Barclays Capital acted as financial advisors to SkillSoft on the transaction. Ropes & Gray and WilmerHale provided legal counsel to SkillSoft on the transaction.

 

 

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leave a Comment » | HCM, HR, HR Technology, Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata

Kenexa and SkillSoft Announce Alliance to Integrate Next Generation Talent Management Solution with Leading Learning Content…from Kenexa

September 30, 2011

 

Addresses Growing Market Demand for Combination of Performance with Learning Management

HRchitect featured Kenexa in our release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Acquisition Systems and top Talent Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. Derek Bluestone, VP Product Marketing appeared on the HRchitect WebMingle on June 17, 2010. HRchitect’s Matt Lafata, one of the industry’s leading talent management systems analysts, attended the Kenexa Analyst Day in May, 2010 and the Kenexa World Conference in 2009 and 2010.

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!

 

Kenexa (NASDAQ:KNXA), a global provider of business solutions for human resources, and SkillSoft, a leading SaaS provider of e-learning content, technology and services, today announced a strategic alliance to  integrate and market Kenexa’s Global Talent Management solutions with SkillSoft’s learning content and platform technology.  This collaboration uses SkillSoft’s Open Learning Services Architecture (OLSA), which utilizes web services technology, to provide richer content and user experiences for the enterprise market.

Under the alliance, the companies will bring together SkillSoft’s learning content and underlying SkillPort platform capabilities with the Kenexa 2x Integrated Talent Management platform and 2xPerform performance management suite. Joint customers will benefit from the unique combination of Kenexa Recruiting, On boarding, Performance Management and its  competency libraries, which are used to identify candidates’ skill sets and gaps with SkillSoft’s learning management platform for delivery and tracking of content and courseware, as well as streamlined access to SkillSoft’s high quality content libraries.

“Kenexa has been an admirer of SkillSoft for a number of years and we are delighted to now be a strategic partner with a company so universally recognized for its learning content and platform technology.  We have already partnered with SkillSoft on a number of new opportunities and our existing customer base is extremely excited by the potential of seamless access to content directly from Kenexa platforms. Our customers recognize the need to identify, launch and manage learning solutions through their Performance Management solution,” Kenexa’s Eric Lochner, President, Global Talent Management commented.

“SkillSoft believes this collaboration with Kenexa, a leader in integrated talent management, will provide substantial value to our mutual customers and will open up entirely new opportunities with companies who share the vision for making learning content more fluidly available throughout the talent management process.  Kenexa’s vision and enthusiasm around OLSA, not just for learning platform support but more seamless content access, raises the bar for the industry and improves the overall experience for enterprise clients,” said John Ambrose, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Corporate Development and Emerging Business for SkillSoft.

The Kenexa 2x platform was designed to integrate all talent management functions and data, including a unified talent record, mobile tools and robust analytics, into one single system that provides a consistent user interface, security features and reporting engine while allowing for a customer’s future global expansion. The powerful performance management software gives companies the information they need to make strategic decisions based on a holistic view of their workforce. Kenexa’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model is complemented by its drive to deliver extreme service with a commitment to accuracy, timeliness, responsiveness, and mutual learning.

Kenexa 2x Perform is available now for annual subscription. For more information, visit http://www.kenexa.com/performance-management.

SkillSoft’s OLSA is a suite of web services that seamlessly integrate multiple types of content resources and learning application services, as well providing a means for integration with third-party systems faster and more efficiently.

For more information on Kenexa, please visit www.kenexa.com

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leave a Comment » | HCM, HR, HR Technology, Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Recruiting, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata

SkillSoft Announces Agreement on the Terms of a Recommended Acquisition for Cash by Private Investor Group…from SkillSoft

February 13, 2010

 

SkillSoft Shareholders to Receive $10.80 Per Share in Cash

Jim Ray from SkillSoft appeared on the HRchitect WebMingle on February 27, 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.

SkillSoft PLC (NASDAQ:SKIL), a leading Software as a Service (SaaS) provider of on-demand e-learning and performance support solutions for global enterprises, government, education and small to medium-sized businesses, today announced that it has reached agreement on the terms of a recommended acquisition of the Company by a new company formed by funds sponsored by each of Berkshire Partners LLC, Advent International Corporation and Bain Capital Partners, LLC (together, the “Investor Group”). Under the terms of the recommended acquisition, SkillSoft shareholders will receive $10.80 in cash for each SkillSoft ordinary share or American Depositary Share (“ADS”), representing a 26% premium to the average closing price of SkillSoft’s ADS over the one-year period ended on February 11, 2010 and a 49% premium to the average closing price of SkillSoft’s ADS over the five-year period ended on February 11, 2010. The fully diluted equity value of the transaction is approximately $1.1 billion.

“Skillsoft is pleased to announce this transaction, which is being unanimously recommended by the Board of Directors,” said Chuck Moran, CEO of SkillSoft. “We believe the transaction is good for our shareholders as the offer represents an attractive premium relative to our trading history and, as an all cash offer, provides liquidity for shareholders. We view the transaction as an endorsement of SkillSoft’s leadership and success, which has been achieved through the commitment of a dedicated team over many years.”

“We are delighted to have reached agreement with the Board of SkillSoft on this recommended transaction,” said Michael Ascione, a Managing Director of Berkshire Partners, speaking on behalf of the Investor Group. “We believe the acquisition represents a compelling opportunity for SkillSoft and its shareholders that maximizes value and certainty, reduces execution risk and provides immediate liquidity. Berkshire, Advent and Bain Capital Partners look forward to supporting Chuck Moran and the SkillSoft team in creating long term value for SkillSoft’s customers and pursuing the opportunities for growth that we see in existing business lines and new products and customer solutions.”

SkillSoft will continue to be headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and led by the current management team, including Chuck Moran as CEO.

The acquisition has been unanimously approved by SkillSoft’s Board of Directors and a committee of independent directors, and the Board intends to recommend to SkillSoft shareholders to vote in favor of the acquisition.

For more information on SkillSoft, please visit www.skillsoft.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata

Halogen Software Continues Strong Performance…from Halogen

September 1, 2009

 

Halogen Software Continues Strong Performance with a Focus on Innovation and Client Needs   —   Talent Management Leader’s revenue growth reflects focus on brilliant customer experience and consistently delivering best to market solutions.

HRchitect featured Halogen Software in our 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. 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.

Halogen Software Inc., a leading provider of on-line talent management software announced that revenue during the second quarter of 2009 continued its historically strong growth. Halogen achieved 52 percent year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue. This strong growth is marked by the company’s commitment to providing a world-class customer experience and its consistent delivery of best to market solutions.

Just a few of the new customers that joined Halogen during the second quarter of 2009 include: Anchor QEA, Atheros Communications, Community Health Center, I2U Solutions SDN BHD, Iogen Corporation, K&N Management, Northern Arizona Healthcare Corporation, Northern Credit Union, NorthStar Financial Services, Rocky Mountain Health Management Corporation, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, and Vermont Electric Cooperative.

“Halogen has provided us with brilliant support from day one and we have great faith in the company’s ability to consistently and effectively provide us with a world-class user experience,” said Alyson Young, HR Director at K&N Management. “Without this level of service even the greatest solution with all the bells and whistles would be of little use to our organization.”

Halogen’s dedication to providing great value and addressing the specific talent management needs of its clients has been demonstrated in its launch of two industry-first features at the SHRM Conference in June -– the Halogen Talent Profile feature and Activity Tracker. Both are designed to help HR with real-world issues they face in the deployment and ongoing administration of their talent management systems.

With the first customizable Talent Profile, Halogen helps solve low usage, limited security, and flexibility problems associated with conventional employee profiles. Halogen’s Activity Tracker provides the industry’s first consolidated real-time “status update” feed of all talent management activity for users of the system. Using a familiar social networking interface, the feature is built to drive user adoption of talent management within the organization and deliver time savings for HR, management and employees. Both the Talent Profile solution and Activity Tracker feature will be delivered at no additional cost, fully integrated with Halogen’s talent management suite 9.1, currently scheduled for release in September.

In addition to these unique features, Halogen teamed with an industry leader, SkillSoft, announcing an agreement to deliver 10 SkillSoft e-learning courses as a standard component of Halogen eLearning Manager. The agreement provides outstanding value to corporate learning centers and a truly seamless user experience for performance-based e-learning.

Each of these milestone product innovations has been well received by industry analysts and customers.

For more information on Halogen Software, please visit www.halogensoftware.com

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata

Halogen and SkillSoft Team…from Halogen

July 4, 2009

 

Halogen and SkillSoft Team to Deliver Seamless Performance Based Learning Experience

HRchitect featured Halogen Software in our 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Talent Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider. 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.

Market leader Halogen Software and e-learning provider SkillSoft (NASDAQ:SKIL) recently announced that they will deliver 10 SkillSoft e-learning courses as a standard component of Halogen eLearning Manager, providing outstanding value to corporate learning centers everywhere. In addition, organizations will benefit from the truly seamless user experience for performance-based e-learning.

“We know that for e-learning initiatives to be truly successful, they have to be easy to use and produce a measurable return in the areas they are targeting,” said David Mallon, senior analyst, Bersin & Associates. “The Halogen and SkillSoft partnership gives users an experience in which the whole process is completely seamless – the first we’ve seen of its kind. From assigning a development plan during the performance appraisal process, to registering for and completing courses, and signing off on learning activities, HR, learning leaders, managers and employees should find this closed loop experience to be extremely efficient and effective.”

The combination of Halogen’s performance-based approach to learning with SkillSoft’s targeted and effective courseware helps organizations of all sizes get up and running quickly with e-learning – with no additional work required. All courses are fully integrated and pre-mapped to competencies in the Halogen library, eliminating tedious and time consuming tasks for training administrators. The tight integration also means users can select an appropriate development activity to address a particular skill gap, and even launch an e-learning course right within the employee’s performance appraisal or development plan, without ever having to login to another system, or switch between user interfaces.

“We chose Halogen eLearning Manager because of the way it tightly links performance and developmental plans with learning,” said Michael Schott, Vice President Human Resources, Swank Audio Visuals. “This will make it much easier for managers and team members to address career progression during their mid-year and annual reviews. In addition, the accessibility of the appropriate training resources from within the team member’s appraisal section will be a viable tool for all. The SkillSoft courses will be a great addition to our learning portfolio.”

The SkillSoft courses included with Halogen eLearning Manager have been specially selected and vetted by business experts to help develop key competencies. Industry-specific e-learning bundles have also been created for healthcare, professional services and financial services organizations. Customers will also be able to purchase additional SkillSoft courses that will map seamlessly into the application.

“The Halogen-SkillSoft integration provides organizations with an immediate way to derive value from their e-learning investments,” said John Ambrose, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Corporate Development and Emerging Business, SkillSoft. “Learning is a critical component of any successful talent management strategy, and this combined offering levels many of the hurdles companies traditionally face.”

“We work very hard to deliver exceptional value to our customers,” said Donna Ronayne, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, Halogen Software. “This partnership and the inclusion of valuable SkillSoft courseware with Halogen eLearning Manager is a perfect example of our commitment to deliver a world class customer experience.”

For more information on Halogen Software, please visit www.halogensoftware.com

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata

SumTotal Systems’ Customers Lead the Pack in Learning Program Satisfaction…from SumTotal Systems

March 11, 2009

 

SumTotal Systems’ Customers Lead the Pack in Learning Program Satisfaction, According to Aberdeen — Seventy-Five Percent of Surveyed SumTotal Customers Satisfied with Learning Program, Compared to Best-in-Class Average of 65 Percent

 

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 Employee Performance Management Systems in February 2009, where they were crowned the winner.

 

SumTotal Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUMT), the market leader and global provider of talent development solutions, received the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any Learning Management System (LMS) vendor in a research study published by independent research firm Aberdeen Group, The Rise of Learning Management Systems in Talent Management. The report highlights SumTotal as the top LMS vendor with 75 percent of its surveyed customers citing satisfaction with their company’s learning program, beating out Plateau, Saba, SkillSoft and other industry vendors.

 

In August and September 2008, Aberdeen surveyed 718 HR, talent management, IT and line of business executives regarding learning and development at their respective organizations. Among the survey respondents were representative samples from customers of four leading LMS vendors: Plateau, Saba, SkillSoft and SumTotal. Seventy-five percent of SumTotal customers reported they were satisfied with their learning program, beating out the other big three firms named in the survey, while only 41 percent of customers who did not use any of these four vendors reported satisfaction with their learning programs.

 

“Our goal is to create a partnership that helps SumTotal customers see true business results from their learning and talent development initiatives,” said Arun Chandra, CEO, SumTotal Systems. “Coupled with our best-in-class software, integrated content and competencies, SumTotal also strives to build a comprehensive solution of best practices, organizational change and business processes that create the most value for our customers.”

 

According to Aberdeen, to address the role of learning with talent management, many of the leading LMS vendors have extended their solution offerings to include performance management, compensation and/or succession management. SumTotal Systems offers all of these solutions, both on-demand and installed, via the integrated SumTotal Talent Development Suite.

 

“Our research shows learning and development’s continued and growing impact across the talent management value chain – in both pre- and post-hire activities,” said Kevin Martin, VP and Principal Analyst, Human Capital Management at Aberdeen. “And, when it comes to learning management systems, our research revealed that organizations that utilize a LMS are not only 76% more likely to be satisfied with their learning program than those that do not use a LMS, but also they are more likely to experience year-over-year performance gains in key areas including compliance, workforce competence, and employee engagement.”

 

For more information on SumTotal Systems please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com

Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata

Learn.com Announces Record Breaking 2008 Fiscal Year For Revenue and Profitability as the Company Enters its 10th Year of Service to Clients…from Learn.com

January 9, 2009

 

HRchitect featured Learn.com in our May 2008 release of The Suite Life of Integrated Talent Management and also includes them in our list of top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider.

 

Learn.com, the leader in on-demand workforce development and productivity, recently announced that the company’s financial performance shattered several records in 2008.  Learn.com not only turned in another record year in revenue, but the fourth quarter was its best ever, and most importantly, December 2008 was the best sales booking month in the company’s history with more than 50% annual growth.  Learn.com was able to achieve this impressive growth while still maintaining positive net income and cash flow. This strong financial performance underscores the value Learn.com brings to its clients and validates Learn.com’s peerless Software as a Service (SaaS) business model.

 

During the year, Learn.com further expanded its unique partnership with ADP whereby ADP customers can seamlessly integrate the Learn.com LearnCenter Platform with the ADP HRB system and other ADP products.  The company also enhanced and solidified its relationships with ElementK, The Matchett Group, SkillSoft, Vivid Learning and other content providers.

 

New relationships were forged with Kronos, Wolters Kluwer, Get Abstract and many others. These relationships further demonstrate that the LearnCenter platform visibly improves business results and prepares organizations for the competitive landscape. Learn.com has become the go-to partner of choice for some of the world’s largest providers of workforce productivity solutions. These well planned partnerships allow Learn.com to penetrate new channels as well as provide Learn.com clients a one-stop-shop for pre-hire to retire®, with unmatched value, depth of functionality and ease of use.

Other 2008 Accomplishments

 

For more information on Learn.com, please visit www.learn.com

 

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mattlafata

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.