When I started my e-learning fellowship dorsum inwards 1999 everyone was talking most how all preparation was going to endure online yesteryear 2010. It hasn’t happened at all, too fifty-fifty worse, flagship companies such every bit Saba, alongside a marketplace cap of $142M too SumTotal, which was taken mortal yesteryear Vista Equity Partners inwards 2009 for most $160M didn’t perform every bit expected.
On the other side, companies such every bit BlackBoard, alongside a marketplace cap of $1.45B too SkillSoft, alongside a marketplace cap of $1.05B did much better. There hasn’t been a lot of conception afterward this commencement generation of e-learning startups. However e-learning every bit an manufacture seems to endure making a comeback alongside companies such every bit 2Tor, founded yesteryear Princeton Review’s John Katzman, getting a lot of attending afterward raising a $10M serial Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 inwards June 2009 too $20M serial B late led yesteryear Highland to acquire afterward elite programs at elite schools.
The U.S. of America marketplace for self paced e-learning reached $16.7B inwards 2009, too is expected to grown to $23.8B yesteryear 2014 according to AmbientInsight. What does that mean? That the marketplace chance is huge! The marketplace is begging to endure disrupted too shaken.
Even though most of the spending is done yesteryear corporations, the healthcare, higher instruction too PreK-12 segments are growing faster. What makes it fifty-fifty to a greater extent than interesting is that novel devices such every bit the iPad create interesting opportunities to develop solutions for these growing segments. Imagine if someone could leverage the iPad, Twitter, Facebook, Zynga too other highly interactive too addictive solutions to acquire afterward the preparation market?
UPS had a lot of press lately most the purpose of video games to prepare the younger generations of truck drivers. Gaming is hot too portable devices are much improve inwards treatment multimedia applications. The ecosystem is prepare for a instant moving ridge of innovative e-learning companies too I aspect to run into a lot of activity there!
