Bersin & Associates Research Projects Global Spending on Learning Management Systems Will Grow 10.4 percent to More Than $1.8 Billion in 2013

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bersin & Associates, the leading provider of research-based membership programs in human resources (HR), talent and learning, today announced new research that estimates global spending on Learning Management Systems (LMS) will grow 10.4 percent to more than $1.8 billion in 2012-2013 – down from the growth rate of 14.7 percent in 2011-2012. More detailed findings are included in Bersin & Associates' new comprehensive research report, Learning Management Systems 2013: The Definitive Buyer's Guide to the Global Market for Learning Management Solutions, available now to Bersin & Associates WhatWorks® members and for sale to non-members. 

Summarized in a Bersin & Associates complimentary WhatWorks brief, "Learning Management Systems: Finding Your Way Through the Maze," the findings also show that despite on-going consolidation in the market, customers find it an increasingly complex and difficult market to navigate. The Learning Management Systems 2013 report, a foundational part of Bersin & Associates' Learning & Development Practice, is an indispensable market guide for both buyers and sellers. It delivers a host of facts and statistics about the market, information on primary product functions and key features, product architectures and roadmaps, and a view of the competitive landscape that highlights key differentiators.

"The LMS market continues to be one of the most complex and dynamic in the industry and, with over 500 providers, buyers need help more than ever before," said Josh Bersin, chief executive officer and president, Bersin & Associates, who will present on "Learning Systems: Where Are We Now?" at 11 a.m. Central on October 9 during the HR Technology Conference in Chicago, Illinois. "This annual study delivers a combination of detailed data and practical wisdom that makes it the definitive guide through this market maze."   

This report analyzes and compares more than 50 providers and offers in-depth profiles on 19 key players. The study found that as features commoditize and providers multiply, with growing numbers of easy-to-implement Software as a Service (SaaS)-based systems and flexible pricing models, LMS buyers face an extensive number of available choices and differentiating providers grows harder even though basic functionality is fairly common.

JetBlue Airways Corporation is among the many Fortune 500 companies that rely on Bersin & Associates' Learning Management Systems reports to guide its understanding of the solution provider landscape.

"With more than 500 learning management solution providers to choose from worldwide, the task of finding the right solution for our needs is overwhelming," said Jason Lei, Senior Analyst – Assessment, Measurement, & Evaluation, JetBlue Airways Corporation.

"By providing independent analysis of this huge market, Bersin & Associates' LMS research has reduced the time needed to review and select providers."

Learning Management Systems 2013 delivers critical insights that leaders need to consider:

• Slower market growth and the commoditization of LMS features make this a buyer's market. Much of the overall growth of the 2012 global LMS market is coming from outside of North America and in small and midsize companies. Between 2012 and 2013, the study predicts relative growth will slow to 10.4 percent from a relative growth rate of 14.7 percent in 2011-2012. Slow growth of the global economy, saturation of the market for large and global enterprises, a proliferation of providers with easy-to implement SaaS-based systems and flexible pricing models will contribute to a slowing of growth. These factors, along with the commoditization of LMS features, will give buyers an edge in this market.
• This is a global market with no clear leaders. With more than 500 providers worldwide, none of whom has greater than nine percent market share, emerging providers may have similar or greater capabilities than market leaders. A buyer no longer needs to stick with a major global provider. A buyer may find the right solution in their own backyard.
• New social capabilities are reinventing the learning management market. Nearly half of large organizations are purchasing social platforms at the departmental level to learn about them and to test their effectiveness. These social capabilities are not yet integrated into mainstream platforms. Organizations that understand the most effective social applications for their strategy will be best equipped to evaluate next-generation providers as they integrate these capabilities.

The full report, Learning Management Systems 2013: The Definitive Buyer's Guide to the Global Market for Learning Management Solutions, is available for $1,995 for a PDF. For more details go to: www.bersin.com/lms

Josh Bersin speaks on "Learning Systems: Where are we now?" at 11:00 a.m. CT on October 9 at the HR Tech Conference, McCormick Place, Chicago.

Register to join Senior Analyst Janet Clarey for her online webinar at 2:00 p.m. ET/19:00 GMT on November 27 for "Learning Management Systems: Finding Your Way through the Maze."

Those interested in learning more about Bersin & Associates or its WhatWorks® membership may email [email protected] or call (510) 251-4400.

For media queries, email [email protected] or call (415) 465-2711. 

About Bersin & Associates

Bersin & Associates is an award-winning provider of proven people strategies that leaders and their organizations need to deliver exceptional business performance. Our WhatWorks® research membership gives Fortune 1000 and Global 2000 HR professionals the research-based information and tools they need to drive bottom-line impact for their organizations.

Members use our insights and tools to design and implement best practice solutions, benchmark against others, and select and implement systems. A piece of Bersin & Associates research is downloaded every minute during the business day. More than 5,000 organizations worldwide use our research and consulting to guide their HR, talent and learning strategies.

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