SumTotal Confirmed as a Market Leader with Largest Global Market Share in Learning Management Software…from SumTotal Systems

December 23, 2010

 

Latest Industry Report Recognizes Company for its Complete Learning Management Capabilities

HRchitect featured SumTotal Systems in our 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. 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. Dave Watkins, Softscape’s CEO and Co-Founder appeared on the HRchitect WebMingle on June 19, 2009.

If you are looking for a new Talent Management System, or any HR system, talk to HRchitect first. 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!

SumTotal® Systems, Inc., the global leader in complete talent management solutions, today announced it was positioned as a market leader in latest industry report from Bersin & Associates, “Learning Systems 2011: The Definitive Buyer’s Guide to the Global Market for Learning Management Solutions .” SumTotal continues to lead the market with ongoing growth, expansion, and product innovation delivering real value to customers and helping organizations around the globe better manage their workforce.

The in-depth report from the industry’s leading authority on Learning Systems contains a detailed review of the learning management systems (LMS) and related markets, including an evaluation of market trends, profiles of the top providers, and Bersin’s proprietary Market Maps® to help buyers understand the positioning of providers including SumTotal.

“We believe the market has started to segment itself into several broad categories of LMS companies, and as our study indicates, SumTotal with its acquisition of Softscape continues to strengthen its position among vendors offering integrated Talent Management suites,” said David Mallon, principal analyst, Bersin & Associates. “When you look at our study, which calls out the range of features now offered by SumTotal, it’s easy to see that the company is now also a credible and a major new force in talent management software.”

Per the report, SumTotal offers one of the most complete sets of functionality for core learning management and is designated as the global market share leader. SumTotal is further recognized for being “highly configurable” and for its “experience deploying solutions in large, multinational organizations.” The report concludes: “We believe SumTotal’s product is best-suited to large, global organizations. The company also offers full-featured products targeted to the midmarket and delivered on-demand in the SaaS model.”

“As an industry expert, Bersin & Associates has a clear perspective of the learning management market and customer needs,” said John Borgerding, CEO of SumTotal Systems. “We are honored to have been included in their market report and positioned as a leader. With our long history in learning and talent management, SumTotal has a deep understanding of what it takes to help make customers successful. Our customers trust and rely on our global expertise in deploying long-term talent management strategies that drive tangible business results.”

For more information on SumTotal Systems, please visit  www.sumtotalsystems.com.
Matt Lafata, HRchitect


SumTotal Systems Announces New Executive Team…from SumTotal Systems

April 19, 2010

 

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. 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. Simply put, do not invest in any kind of HR technology without consulting with the experts first. HRchitect is here to help!

SumTotal Systems, Inc, a market leader and a global provider of talent development solutions, today announced that John Borgerding is joining the company as President and board member, effective immediately. In his role as president, Borgerding 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.

SumTotal also announced the appointment of executive team members Gregg Monastiero and Nadeem Syed. Monastiero joins the company in the role of Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing and will be responsible for managing all of SumTotal’s customer and partner relationships as well as the company’s marketing initiatives. Syed joined the company earlier this year as Senior Vice President of Product Management and Development and is responsible for overseeing the worldwide engineering organization as well as the company’s product strategy.

Prior to joining SumTotal, Borgerding served as Executive Vice President for Global Operations at Ventyx, the leading provider of software and data solutions to the utility industry. In this capacity he was responsible for development, implementation, support and consulting for all Ventyx solutions globally. Additionally, Borgerding was also responsible for the Advisory solutions and consulting practices, and the Intelligence software products at Ventyx. Prior to this role, he served as Vice President of International Sales at Ventyx. Before joining Ventyx, Borgerding held several positions in sales, marketing and product management with Xerox.

Gregg Monastiero joins SumTotal from JDA Software where he was Vice President of Sales for Manufacturing, Wholesale and Distribution. With more than 25 years of proven leadership experience, Monastiero brings a core understanding of enterprise software sales, consulting, and solution development to SumTotal. Prior to JDA, Monastiero was the Senior Vice President of Sales for Torex, one of the world’s leading integrated supply chain providers of retail systems. Monastiero has also held key sales positions at Infor including Senior Vice President & President for Strategic Solutions.

Nadeem Syed comes to SumTotal from Oracle where he spent over 19 years in numerous positions. Most recently, Syed was Group Vice President of Products with the responsibility of leading a large, multicultural, and globally distributed team. While with Oracle, Syed significantly evolved the Supply Chain Management suite to the position of the second largest Supply Chain solutions provider. In addition, Syed has held pivotal positions on the acquisition and integration executive team for several key acquisitions.

“SumTotal has best in class products and services and exceptionally talented employees. I’m excited to join the team and contribute to helping the company reach its full potential as the leader in delivering talent development solutions and helping our customers develop and retain their most important assets, their people.” said Borgerding. “I’m also excited to have the opportunity to work with both Gregg and Nadeem, two seasoned industry leaders with top notch experience.”

“John is a proven executive that I’ve personally had the pleasure of working with over the past several years at Ventyx,” said Martin Taylor, Operating Principal of Vista Equity Partners and SumTotal board member. “We are excited about the opportunity to work with John and the new management team to create a sustainable business that delivers the most value for SumTotal’s customers.”

For more information on SumTotal Systems, please visit www.sumtotalsystems.com
Matt Lafata, HRchitect


HRchitect “Beauty Pageants” For Top Vendors in the HR Technology Arena Returns with a Full Schedule for Remainder of 2009

August 19, 2009

 

HRchitect, the leader in HR systems strategic consulting and the premier Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management systems consulting firm, announced the return of the wildly popular and groundbreaking webinar series entitled, “Assessing the Talent Management and HR Systems Landscape, an HRchitect Beauty Pageant.”

HRchitect conducted ten successful Beauty Pageants from November 2008 through May of 2009 and took a short hiatus for the summer months. The events will return on August 21, 2009 with Talent Acquisition Systems followed by Talent Management Systems on September 4, 2009. Best of all, these are free to the HR community and any other interested parties.

Each ‘Beauty Pageant’ focuses on a different category of HR technology such as Talent Management Systems, Talent Acquisition Systems, and HR/Payroll Systems and will feature up to six contestants.  The contestants are all top vendors in each specific category. 

The Talent Acquisition Systems Pageant is up first and will feature Hodes IQ, HRsmart, iCIMS (last year’s winner), SilkRoad, and Taleo. Talent Management Systems follows and at press time the confirmed vendor contestants are Jobpartners, Saba, Salary.com, and SumTotal Systems.

“The world of HR technology continues to puzzle many people,” commented Matt Lafata, Vice-President of Sales & Marketing for HRchitect and the host of the Beauty Pageants, “and what better way to try and help solve that than through a fun and informative beauty pageant? Our continuous mission is to educate the public about HR technology options and we feel that these short, 8-10 minute presentations from multiple vendors, is a great way to do it AND keep people’s attention. The feedback we have received from these Beauty Pageants is absolutely tremendous and we are looking forward to producing many more of these events.”

HRchitect developed a format to help guide each vendor with an outline of what should be covered during each portion of the pageant.  HRchitect came up with pageant categories and a guideline for vendors to loosely follow but of course leaves it up to each vendor to follow their own format:

Evening gown – To start off each portion, we are asking the vendor to come out in their best ‘outfit’ – corporate overview, history, specific identity, financial viability, marquee clients, leadership team, etc. This will be the grand entrance.

Swimsuit – Here the vendors will show some skin in this portion – usability, configurability, etc.

Talent – This portion will cover functionality, technology/integration, global ability, etc.

Interview – This will be the Q & A section from the audience. 

At the end of each Beauty Pageant, the audience votes to determine who walks away with the crown and industry bragging rights.

“These beauty pageants are designed to give the audience a quick overview of the leading vendors and showcase their uniqueness and creativity,” added Tiffany Appleby, Director of Marketing for HRchitect and Production Manager for the Beauty Pageants. “Past participants have gotten extremely creative in their presentations and we thank them for their time and efforts in doing this. We truly believe this is a really great opportunity for anyone who is looking at purchasing any kind of HR technology solution to be able to learn more about several of the top systems in each category in a fun and informative format.”

The upcoming schedule of Beauty Pageants is as follows, and registration is available on the HRchitect web site:

August 21, 2009 – Talent Acquisition Systems

September 4, 2009 – Talent Management Systems

September 25, 2009 – Learning Management Systems

October 9 – Background Screening

October 16 – Mid-Market Talent Acquisition Systems

October 30 – Onboarding

November 6 – Performance Management Systems

November 20 – HR/Payroll Systems

December 4 – Workforce Management

December 11 – Compensation Management

Visit www.HRchitect.com to register for any of these free Beauty Pageants and learn more about some of the exciting educational and innovative events that HRchitect has coming up over the coming months.

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect


SumTotal Systems Partners with APT to Integrate HR Best Practices and Content in its Talent Development Suite…from SumTotal Systems

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


SumTotal Systems Names Barbara Stinnett as President…from SumTotal Systems

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


Memorial Healthcare System Selects SumTotal Systems’ Newly-Launched Healthcare Solution Set for Talent Development Suite…from SumTotal Systems

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


Saba Offers Groundbreaking Learning Exchange Program…from Saba

June 24, 2009

 

Special Offer for SumTotal Customers Makes it Easy to Migrate to Saba Learning and Implement a Solid Foundation for People Management that Drives Organizational Transformation

HRchitect featured Saba 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. Saba participated in the Learning Management Systems panel on June 10, 2009 as part of theHRshow. A.G. Lambert, the VP of Marketing with Saba will appear on the HRchitect WebMingle on August 14, 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.

Saba (NASDAQ: SABA), the premier people management software and services provider, today announced a groundbreaking learning management system (LMS) exchange as a limited-time offer for qualified SumTotal customers. Available now, this offer is designed to provide an option for SumTotal customers to take advantage of Saba’s award-winning people management solutions at attractive prices.

“By electing to participate in the exchange program, customers will be gaining a business partner that is dedicated to continued investment in innovation as well as support for both OnDemand and on-premise customers,” said A.G. Lambert, vice president of marketing for Saba. “We are pleased to provide customers facing uncertainty in their vendor’s product investment and direction with a cost-effective alternative that can mitigate risk.”

By selecting Saba, organizations are partnering with the market leader. Saba’s financial strength, product breadth, and worldwide customer depth have positioned Saba at the forefront of the learning technology marketplace. Saba recently received the Bersin & Associates Learning Leaders Award for Vendor Innovation, where the Saba Knowledge Center was recognized for its ability to deliver Web 2.0 collaboration, recommendation, and search capabilities that improve learning effectiveness. In addition, Chief Learning Officer Magazine awarded Saba with the top prize, Gold, in the “Excellence in LMS” category for the publication’s Learning in Practice Awards.

About the SumTotal Learning Exchange Offer
The exchange program is available to all current SumTotal learning customers irrespective of their deployment model. The exchange program provides participating customers with the ability to select Saba Learning either on premise or OnDemand, with discounts available for each. For customers electing to take advantage of a more complete approach to organizational learning that includes social learning, virtual classrooms, and enterprise-wide knowledge capture, the exchange program also provides additional incentives for Saba Centra and Saba Collaboration. 

In order to streamline the transition to Saba Learning, Saba offers a proven migration methodology and toolset. The Saba migration methodology and toolset was developed and validated in conjunction with converting to Saba Learning more than 100 customers previously using a different LMS.

Qualified SumTotal customers will have until November 30, 2009, to take advantage of the Saba offer. For more information, please visit http://www.saba.com/products/sumtotal-replacement/

 
Matt Lafata, HRchitect


Alcoa Selects SumTotal TotalLMS for Training and Compliance…from SumTotal Systems

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


SumTotal Announces Agreement to Be Acquired by Vista Equity Partners for $4.85 Per Share in Cash…from SumTotal Systems

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


SumTotal Receives Acquisition Proposal from Vista Equity Partners for $4.50 Per Share in Cash…from SumTotal Systems

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


SumTotal Systems Announces First Quarter 2009 Results…from SumTotal Systems

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


SumTotal Enters Into Merger Agreement With Accel-KKR…from SumTotal Systems

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


SumTotal Recognized as Market Leader in Learning Management by Bersin & Associates…from SumTotal Systems

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


SumTotal Systems Reveals TotalConnection 2009 Keynote Speakers and Opens Call for Customer Awards…from SumTotal Systems

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


Learn.com Names New Vice President of Client Success…from Learn.com

April 15, 2009

 

HRchitect includes Learn.com in our list of top Learning Management Systems vendors that businesses should consider.

 

Learn.com, the leader in on-demand workforce development and productivity, announced today that Bill D’Amico, former Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Services at Pathlore Software (acquired by SumTotal Systems in 2005), has been named the companies new Vice President of Client Success.

 

In his new role, Bill D’Amico will assume the oversight of the Account Management and Client Support divisions at Learn.com. Mr. D’Amico has over 25 years of experience in the technology space with an emphasis on client success.

D’Amico worked for a number of technology companies including Pathlore Software, Novell Software Corporation, and Computer Associates.

 

“I am very excited to be a part of the Learn.com team. My passion revolves around client success and I know this is in line with Learn.com’s vision, mission and goals,” said Bill D’Amico, Vice President of Client Success at Learn.com.

 

“As Learn.com continues our growth trajectory we wanted to be sure we had a seasoned professional to shape the client lifecycle and to monitor and ensure client success. We are confident Bill has the passion, leadership, the skill set and the deep experience to allow our clients to leverage the Learn.com product, peer network, collective wisdom and best practices to their economic and business benefit. This demonstrable success will allow our clients to unequivocally demonstrate that their training and HR functions are the most critical functions that ensure their organization’s long term success and competitive advantage,” said JW Ray Chief Operating Officer at Learn.com.

 

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

Matt Lafata, HRchitect


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