LMS Review: NetDimensions Learning

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NetDimensions Talent Suite is an enterprise Talent Management System (TMS) focused on Learning and Performance Management. This suite helps organizations personalize learning, support knowledge sharing, enhance performance, foster collaboration and manage compliance programs for employees, customers, partners and suppliers.

The LMS aspect of this product — NetDimensions Learning — is designed for organizations operating in tough regulatory environments such as energy, pharma, airlines, healthcare and government. This LMS also includes a robust API framework to support extended enterprise programs.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Hong Kong, NetDimensions has established clients and feet-on-the-street worldwide.  NetDimensions was recently acquired by Learning Technology Group plc (LTG), a global integrated elearning services and technologies provider. The acquisition completes the full range of capabilities required for LTG to create and deliver dynamic, end-to-end learning solutions.

The company now offers platforms with technology developed and owned in-house, furthering its position as a leading provider of digital learning solutions. NetDimensions’ global clients now have access to products and services from all companies owned by LTG, including award-winning content creation via LEO, responsive content authoring via gomo and xAPI analytics via Rustici.

The acquisition by LTG solidifies the group’s strategy to build a comprehensive, full-service digital learning offering that brings strategic consulting, content, delivery and analytics capabilities to the market, and enable cross-selling for the group’s other businesses, as LTG continues to introduce its portfolio of services and products to new regions.

My Overall Assessment

I like NetDimensions. However, we’re disappointed that they appear to have doubled down on integrated talent management solutions for employees, rather than expanding the suite’s extended enterprise functionality.

I have first-hand knowledge of their prowess in extended enterprise environments, having competed against them many times over the years. If I were responsible for an extended enterprise project targeted at any global, highly regulated industry, I would definitely include NetDimensions in the vendor evaluation mix.

The NetDimensions product is straightforward and relatively easy to use. It includes functionality that supports global and mobile content delivery, enterprise reporting, ecommerce, domains, Software Developers Kit (SDK) and social collaboration. LEO provides portal development services to create highly tailored front-end environments for the LMS. With the addition of the NetDimensions platform, LTG now sits firmly at the heart of the global learning industry. Given the complementary nature of LTG’s brands, I expect the acquisition will fuel continued company growth.

NetDimensions Extended Enterprise Vitals

To support the extended enterprise, NetDimensions has global, mobile, enterprise reporting, ecommerce, domains, Software Developers Kit (SDK), and social collaboration functionality.  NetDimensions also has an internal group that provides portal development services to create super tailored front ends for the LMS.  The product is straightforward, easy-to-use, yet lacks some of the sizzle of the newer players with things like gamification and taxation.

Company: NetDimensions
Product Name:  NetDimensions Learning (part of the NetDimensions Talent Suite)
Product Video:

• It seems that a demo of extended enterprise capabilities is available only by request through contacting the company.
• They have a YouTube channel with about a dozen videos.  Most of them are customer testimonials about performance management, not extended enterprise scenarios. There is one informational video focused on the talent suite:

Company Overview

NetDimensions is a global provider of performance, knowledge and learning management solutions to high-consequence industries, enabling them to personalize learning, share knowledge, enhance performance, foster collaboration and manage compliance programs for employees, customers, partners and suppliers. NetDimensions solutions have been chosen by leading organizations worldwide including ING, Cathay Pacific, Chicago Police Department, Geely Automotive, Fugro Group, and Fresenius Medical Care.

https://www.NetDimensions.com
https://www.netdimensions.com/blog

Contact Information: sales@netdimensions.com

Target Learning Scenarios

• Internal employees
• Customer audiences
• Corporate channel, partner, dealer audiences
• Associations and other member organizations

Top Three Industries

• Financial
• Manufacturing
• Healthcare

Why Clients Buy

• Industry experience
• Breadth of functionality
• Reputation

Extended Enterprise Ready:

Yes

Typical Implementation Fees:

Not Provided

Public Pricing Page:

Not Available

Business Problems NetDimensions Solves:

• Increase efficiency and effectiveness of managing and training extended enterprise channels
• Minimize complexity related to delivery and scheduling of training for geographically distributed participants
• Streamline reporting by obtaining consistent data collection and reporting of training throughout all channels
• Deliver consistent training materials and information on a timely, scheduled basis
• Provide training in localized languages
• Improve adoption rates of new product features and upgrades
• Manage registration and scheduling, class follow-up, assessments and evaluations, as well as reporting
• Track compliance and ensure that proper operating procedures are followed
• Certify partner, franchise, supplier, distributor and contractor knowledge

Licensing and Certification:

• Certification management for multiple certifications
• Track online certification requirements, validity periods and schedules, external audits and individual certifications
• Communicate that required online licensing training is needed, and monitor all certification-related activity
• Distribute certification requirements and program guide through multiple channels
• Complete industry-standard accreditation
• Test employee knowledge in a simulated, certification testing environment for workforce readiness
• Allow individuals the convenience of obtaining online certification and online licensing

e-Commerce Features:

• Bulk pre-purchase capabilities support training group discounts
• Organizations can pre-pay for specific training for members
• Accepts online payments through one of several payment gateways – credit card options include Chase Paymentech Solutions and Asia Payment Systems, as well as PayPal Payflow Pro.
• Create sets of tokens for employees or members, who may in turn, draw from the organization’s pool of tokens to enroll in courses
• Coupon payment scheme allows users to present a coupon and be automatically enrolled in a course

Taxation Features:

None found

Social/Collaboration Features:

• On-demand access to learning reference resources anytime and anywhere
• Knowledge sharing through document repositories and discussion forums
• Learner-generated content via learning program ratings and comments
• Find-the-expert functionality with people search and communications via chat or mail
• Communities of practice based on learning groups and chat rooms

Mobile Features:

• Responsive design for automatic sizing based on device type
• Mobile app iOS, Android and Windows app
• mLearning content development services

Gamification Features:

None found

Adaptive Learning Features:

• Standard user role with custom field targeted of learning and functionality
• Personalization via recommendation engine (Role, Job, Personal-based recommendations)

Globalization Features:

• 43 Language localizations
• Global implementation and support teams in North America, Europe, Hong Kong
• Global partner network of resellers and implementation partners

Technology:

• Secure SaaS (private Cloud Hosting) and on-premise deployments
• Skinnable free mobile app (iOS, Android, Windows)
• Open SDK
• Scalable to 500,000 users

Case Studies or Position Papers on Extended Enterprise Learning:

The following extended enterprise case studies were found on the NetDimensions.com website.

• Delphi and NetDimensions Learning:  Winning All Around
• Progress Software Uses NetDimensions to Deliver L&D
• eLearnity in Focus Enterprise Case Study:  Thales Training and Consultancy
• Six Steps to Gaining a Competitive Advantage with Extended Enterprise Position Paper

News – 2017 Highlights:

• July 27,  2017: “Greater user flexibility a key factor in NetDimensions Talent Suite 13.1”
• Apr 26, 2017: “NetDimensions Global User Conference to host talent leaders in EMEA and North America”
• Mar 20, 2017: “Learning Technologies Group expands its offering with the acquisition of NetDimensions”
• Jan 31, 2017: “NetDimensions presents best practices for LMS implementations at Learning Technologies 2017”

Thanks for reading!

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About Talented Learning LMS Reviews

Talented Learning LMS Reviews provide initial screening of vendors for extended enterprise suitability.  Vendors share lots of information on their websites — feature lists, video demos, case studies, position papers, press releases, free trials and more.  We review and analyze all of this information to determine a vendor’s mission, assess the platform’s strengths and weaknesses, and determine how effectively it serves extended enterprise learning needs.

As always, at Talented Learning, we’re not about making sweeping predictions or judging vendors.  Instead, we document the realities of today’s LMS landscape, and how learning technology is actually adding value.  We have only one goal — to help clients find appropriate LMS vendors based on their unique business requirements.