Independent Software Vendors and E-learning Companies: An Alliance That Spells Success

With the tremendous growth in the world of Information Technology, there are innumerable players in the industry – big as well as small. The IT industry has many residents and it flourishes best when all of them co-exist and depend on each other in a symbiotic manner. This is often termed as the IT ecosystem – a system where suppliers and users co-exist and are mutually dependent on each other to survive.

IT companies develop alliances and partnerships as strategic moves to gain a number of business advantages in the industry.

• For starters, working with partners increases their scope in terms of market penetration. In new geographies as well as newer industry verticals, organizations find it easier to garner new clients when they form alliances with other players who know the sector well.
• It also gives them the innovation edge, where they can learn from their partners and their products to provide their clients with higher satisfaction. This also gives them the opportunity to create end-to-end solutions for their clients.
• And finally, the alliance also provides the financial advantage of better margins and profit.

There are various types of alliances that can be formed for mutual benefit. Creating Channel Partners is a quantitative opportunity that can provide a means of selling more and selling better. In this type of an alliance, the partners can add value to the product of one another and sell the combined package. Channels partners are more transaction oriented and benefits are usually measured in volume or discounts.

One such alliance that co-exists very well within the IT community is that of ISVs and E-Learning companies. Independent Software Vendors (ISV) create software on stand-alone basis or across multiple clients. The software is designed to run on one or more computer hardware or operating system platforms. This is a flourishing market and they do not suffer from a dearth of clients. But while ISVs create the software, they often do not have the reach, resources or even specialized know-how of training end-users to utilize the software. E-Learning companies which specialize in creating technology-aided learning solutions for corporate training can partner with ISVs to create end-to-end software solutions. There are many types of learning packages that can be bundled along with the new software to create better awareness and improve its overall utilization.

• Online learning course: Simple online courses can be created with limited interactions for quick and simple training’s before the end-users start working with the new software. These training’s can benefit mature audiences who have worked on similar applications and do not need or expect too much hand-holding.
• Audio-Visual learning capsules: Audio based learning nuggets can be created for learners who prefer to learn on the go. With an audio commentary, the features and other utilization of the new software can be shared with the users. These learning nuggets could be delivered across multiple devices – as per the convenience of the users, so that they can learn at home, waiting for transport or even while driving. Similarly, ‘talking’ videos can be created for learners who learn better visually. These learning videos can provide a virtual tour of the working of the software and make the users feel comfortable with it.
• Simulations: Simple simulations can be created for users who prefer to ‘see’ the various features and utilizations. This experiential learning style is often preferred for newer users who are not yet too familiar with similar software.
  Classroom training material: If the client prefers classroom training, e-learning companies can also create effective learning content that can be disseminated through traditional or virtual classrooms as well.
• Online assessments: In addition to training material, e-learning companies can also provide online assessments that follow the training session to check how much the users have learnt. This makes sure that they are now ready to work on the new software – giving a moral boost to both the client as well as the end-user themselves.

G-Cube is an e-learning company with more than a decades’ worth of experience in the industry. The list above provides only a glimpse of how ISVs and e-Learning companies can work together for mutual success. We are working with a number of ISVs and hope to share our experiences on this forum regularly. Till then, let the learning continue!