What if...?

...corporate learning worked like Salesforce.com, the largest customer relationship management system hosted on the web? Well, for starters, it would be big:


When CBT Systems became SmartForce, the plan was to offer a hosted, all-you-can-eat service on the web. Unfortunately, in 1999 the web was creaky, broadband was not a given, and web services didn't exist, so SmartForce failed to fulfill its vision. All that has changed. Today business relies on the web, and web services integrate local and remote applications. Many people have broadband in their homes as well as at work.


If your eLearning were hosted on someone else's servers, you wouldn't have to install software on yours. The LMS and analytics would come along as part of the package. You'd always have the latest and greatest version of the software -- they upgrade three times a year. You'd buy as much as you wanted, paying as you go. You'd be outsourcing a lot of headaches.

The beauty of hosting is easier to experience than to explain. Take a look at Salesforce.com and imagine how a platform like this could simplify your life. (No, I'm not getting a commission for this.)

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It's the real thing

To get my arms around the Salesforce.com concept, I visited The Demo Center, where a variety of chalk-talk Flash movies introduced basic principles.


For how-to lessons, I went to free courses for users and administrators. Salesforce.com has some practical instructional designers. A combination of case study and simulation of the product get right to the point.


Future installments may include "What if your learning infrastructure were like Amazon?" and "What if...Google?" Any other suggestions?