© 2007 Brandon Hall Research



© 2007 Brandon Hall Research

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| (Platte Canyon Multimedia Software Corp.) |

|Version #: 3 |

|[pic] |

|Administrative interface for this system: Assigning a course to a student. |

|How to interpret the information in this profile: |

|Rather than simply asking vendors whether their system has specific features, we asked vendors to be much more specific about how features are |

|provided in their learning management systems. In many places in this profile, you will see the terms Automatic, Semi-automatic, Semi-custom, |

|Custom, NA, and third-party add-on listed next to a feature. Here are the definitions of what these terms mean: |

|Automatic: Built-in, out-of-the-box functionality that can be simply switched on and ready to be used. |

|Semi-automatic: The feature is mostly available in the system, but requires some programming and/or customization to activate. |

|Semi-custom: This feature is partially available in the system and can be adapted through some moderate custom program. |

|Custom: This feature is not available in the current feature but can somewhat easily be added through custom programming services at the time of |

|implementation. |

|NA; not a current feature: This feature is not available in the current release of the software. |

|Third-party add-on: This feature can be added upon implementation using third-party software. |

| — At-A-Glance |

|Primary use types |

|Corporate university/learning portal: Behind-the-firewall, large scale implementation (5,000+ learners) |

|[pic]10% |

| |

|Corporate university/learning portal: Hosted (by you or your hosting partner), large scale implementation |

|[pic]0% |

| |

|Commercial learning portal (this includes content providers who resell their content and provide the LMS as a third-party offering to clients) |

|[pic]20% |

| |

|Academic online infrastructure (primarily used by higher education, secondary education, or K-12 organizations) |

|[pic]5% |

| |

|Medium-sized implementations (2,000-5,000 learners) |

|[pic]45% |

| |

|Small implementations (under 2,000 learners) |

|[pic]20% |

| |

|Other: |

|[pic]0% |

| |

| |

| |

|Number of organizations using this LMS |

|The company did not provide this information. |

| |

|Total number of registered learners worldwide |

|(Not provided) |

| |

|ERP/CRM integration (number of customers integrated with major back-office systems) |

|PeopleSoft |

|0 |

| |

|SAP |

|0 |

| |

|Oracle |

|0 |

| |

|Siebel |

|0 |

| |

|Lawson |

|0 |

| |

|Other?: None. |

|0 |

| |

| |

| |

|Largest "behind-the-firewall" implementation to date (number of learners) |

|(Not provided) |

| |

|Largest "hosted" implementation to date |

|(Not provided) |

| |

|Classroom management |

|Administrative calendar for scheduling |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Learner calendar |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Wait listing |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Supervisory and/or instructor approval process (business rules) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Personnel management (managing the scheduling of instructors) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Facility management (room scheduling) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Equipment and resource scheduling (projectors, test equipment, etc.) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatic resolution of scheduling conflicts |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatic e-mail messaging and notification |

|Automatic |

| |

|Customizable notification messages |

|Automatic |

| |

|Course attendance reports |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

| |

| |

|Built-in content authoring |

|Pure LMS with minimal or no built-in content authoring capabilities; LMS vendor offers a separate, but integrated set of content authoring tools |

|(whether internally created or reselling a third party solution); in addition, end users can use other third party authoring tools to add |

|additional content. |

| |

|Built-in content management system |

|LMS has no built-in learning content management system (LCMS); can be used with a wide variety of third party LCMS solutions. |

| |

|Built-in assessment tools |

|Built-in utility for creating and deploying tests, exams, and quizzes |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Questions can be drawn from a pool of test questions |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Questions can be automatically randomized upon delivery |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Distractors (individual answers) can be automatically randomized upon delivery |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Number of attempts to test questions can be easily set |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatic feedback can be provided during the assessment (if desired) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Timed test questions |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Timed tests |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Summary screen shows test scores and other performance indicators |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Test performance data is automatically linked to available LMS performance reports (without requiring additional testing to verify that the data |

|is being captured correctly) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Dynamic prescriptive pretesting that can adapt course content based on gap analysis |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

| |

| |

|Skill-gap analysis |

|NA; Not a current feature |

| |

|Analytics: System automatically assesses ROI for specific training initiatives |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Multiple learning portals for different departments from a single installation |

|Semi-automatic |

| |

|AICC |

|NA; not compliant |

| |

|SCORM |

|Conformant - SCORM 2004 |

|Conformant - version 1.2 |

|Specific levels of conformance achieved: conforms to the SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 (1.3) runtime environments. It does not use SCORM |

|manifest files and, therefore, does not conform to SCORM manifest specifications. It also implements its own linear sequencing and does not |

|support the various SCORM 2004 sequencing permutations. |

| |

|Section 508 |

|Yes Compliance comes from being built on top of . |

| |

|Multi-byte support (to support complex fonts and characters sets for languages such as Chinese and Korean) |

|Automatic |

| |

|Learner interface available in multiple languages |

|English (US) |

|Spanish |

|German |

|French (European) |

| |

|Interoperability with third-party, off-the-shelf e-learning content |

|None. |

| |

|Hosted solution options |

|Most of the company's clients will locally install the LMS solution on their server. The company does, however, offer a hosted solution as part of|

|their package of services for customers who are looking for a hosted solution. |

| |

|Average implementation time |

|High range = 1 weeks |

|Low range = 0.1 weeks |

|Average time = 0.2 weeks |

| |

|Pricing estimate for an installed solution |

|Year 1: |

|500 users = $6,990 |

|10,000 users = $9,990 |

|25,000 users = $9,990 |

|100,000 users = $9,990 |

|Year 3 (cumulative): |

|500 users = $8,980 |

|10,000 users = $11,980 |

|25,000 users = $11,980 |

|100,000 users = $11,980 |

| |

|Pricing estimate for a hosted solution |

|Year 1: |

|500 users = $8,190 |

|10,000 users = $11,190 |

|25,000 users = $11,190 |

|100,000 users = $11,190 |

|Year 3 (cumulative): |

|500 users = $12,580 |

|10,000 users = $15,580 |

|25,000 users = $15,580 |

|100,000 users = $15,580 |

| |

|Top vertical markets (by % of existing customers using the system) |

|Banking/finance |

|10% |

| |

|Insurance |

|0% |

| |

|Government |

|20% |

| |

|Healthcare |

|20% |

| |

|Pharmaceuticals |

|0% |

| |

|Information technology/high-tech |

|0% |

| |

|Telecommunications |

|0% |

| |

|Industrial/manufacturing |

|0% |

| |

|Energy |

|20% |

| |

|Retail |

|0% |

| |

|Transportation |

|0% |

| |

|General business |

|0% |

| |

|Professional services |

|0% |

| |

|Higher education |

|5% |

| |

|K-12 education |

|0% |

| |

|Publishing (traditional or e-learning) |

|0% |

| |

|Associations |

|0% |

| |

|Other: hospitality, airlines, real estate |

|25% |

| |

| |

| |

|Current version released |

|May 2003 |

| |

|Critique by Brandon Hall Research |

|Review date: February 2007. |

| |

| is a pure LMS system. It is an intuitive, straightforward, and cost-effective solution for those who only need to track and report |

|student status and progress. No additional components, such as blended learning scenarios, on-the-job tracking, content development applications, |

|or assessment tools, are provided. However, major third-party programs that are SCORM-compliant (Authorware, Lectora, Flash, ToolBook, and |

|Questionmark) should easily integrate into this product. |

|We were impressed by the extensive reporting capabilities of . Navigation is straightforward and intuitive. The drill-down and filer |

|components are impressive. We also liked the ability to “right-click” reports and generate automatic Word, Excel, or .html files, as well as the |

|ability to automatically send the report as an e-mail attachment. Reporting features include certificate creation and archival features for |

|inactive students. Additionally, notice of expiration of training status can come in handy when scheduling additional learning venues. |

|Instructional designers will appreciate the fact that learning objectives can be associated within specific reports to ensure training takes |

|place. |

|One interesting feature of is the ability to easily develop multilingual learning portals. In addition to automatically generating |

|languages for global screens, cultural differences are considered when developing a language specific portal. For example, dates can be displayed |

|either in an English format (11 January, 2007) or in an American format (January 11, 2007). |

|We noted in our earlier review that this product does not offer back-office interoperability. However, with this release, has |

|developed a Student Import Utility that uploads .txt and comma-deleted files. Clients who can re-purpose their original data into these formats |

|should be able to efficiently batch process previous student data. Strong encryption is also provided to ensure integrity of data. For an |

|additional fee, also offers their source code for those who need to modify the current product or extend its capabilities. |

|This product is SCORM 1.2- and SCORM 2004-compliant. However, this product does not create a SCORM-compliant manifest. This does limit the |

|cataloging and repository aspects of the SCORM model. |

|On the downside |

|The branding abilities of are somewhat limited. Those companies who have personnel capable of working with CSS style sheets should be |

|able to alter the provided CSS style sheet to meet most of their needs. As noted earlier, does not create a SCORM-compliant manifest. |

|This is neither a positive nor a negative; it is simply something our readers should know about. |

|Best use recommendation |

|Those who need an undiluted LMS solution for a medium to large company should consider . Its intuitive features, extensive reporting |

|features, and cost are very attractive. Original OEMs may wish to bundle with this product with their own to extend marketing venues. Current |

|users include governmental, healthcare, and corporate entities, namely airlines. |

|  |

|Product Information [pic] |

|Product overview |

| is an LMS built from the ground up in , SQL server, and Visual Basic .NET. It scales to large numbers of users and supports |

|mandatory and optional elements of the SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 runtime environment specification. |

| |

| provides reporting capabilities and security. It features supervisory levels, expiration dates, the ability to mark students as |

|inactive, exporting reports to Word and Excel, and much more. It offers a fully multilingual user interface that can change languages |

|student-by-student according to user preferences. |

| |

|It offers full source code as a separately-priced ($4,995) option to integrate it with other systems or make more extensive changes. |

|LMS suite components |

|There are no separate modules, but three separate "roles" are available: |

|- Student: Take training, view personal reports, etc. |

|- Administrator: Assign students to courses, organize them into classes, configure lessons and courses, make global settings, etc. Administrators |

|may have "all-level advanced" access, "all-level basic" access, or "supervisory-level" access. The first two allow the administrator to see all |

|students, but only the advanced level can add or edit courses and lessons. The latter allows them to only view information and assign |

|courses/classes to students they supervise directly or indirectly (e.g., students that report to one of their supervisees). |

|- Reporter: View summary and detailed reports by student, lesson, course, class, or organization. "All-level" access allows the reports to be on |

|all students in the database. "Supervisory level" allows the reports to only cover students they supervise directly or indirectly. Reports can be |

|filtered, sorted, and exported to Word, Excel, or HTML. |

|System is 100% browser-based |

|Yes |

|Components that are NOT browser-based: None. |

|Demo version of LMS available |

| |

|username: demo |

|password: a |

| |

|A free evaluation version may be downloaded at . |

|Primary usage type (by %) |

|10% |

|Corporate university/learning portal: Behind-the-firewall, large scale implementation (5,000+ learners) |

| |

|0% |

|Corporate university/learning portal: Hosted (by company or by a hosting partner), large scale implementation |

| |

|20% |

|Commercial learning portal (this includes content providers who resell their content and provide an LMS as a third-party offering to clients) |

| |

|5% |

|Academic online infrastructure (primarily used by higher education, secondary education, or K-12 organizations) |

| |

|45% |

|Medium-sized implementations (2,000-5,000 learners) |

| |

|20% |

|Small implementations (under 2,000 learners) |

| |

|0% |

|Other: |

| |

|Size of organizations using this product |

|20% |

|Large organizations (sales over $1 billion) |

| |

|20% |

|Mid-size organizations (sales over $100 million) |

| |

|60% |

|Small organizations (less than $100 million) |

| |

|Regional breakout of product implementations |

|70% |

|U.S./Canada |

| |

|15% |

|Europe |

| |

|15% |

|Asia and Pacific Rim |

| |

|0% |

|Central and South America |

| |

|0% |

|Other |

| |

|0% |

|Other: |

| |

|Breakout of implementations by vertical industry |

|10% |

|Banking/finance |

| |

|0% |

|Insurance |

| |

|20% |

|Government |

| |

|20% |

|Healthcare |

| |

|0% |

|Pharmaceuticals |

| |

|0% |

|Information technology/high-tech |

| |

|0% |

|Telecommunications |

| |

|0% |

|Industrial/manufacturing |

| |

|20% |

|Energy |

| |

|0% |

|Retail |

| |

|0% |

|Transportation |

| |

|0% |

|General business |

| |

|0% |

|Professional services |

| |

|5% |

|Higher education |

| |

|0% |

|K-12 education |

| |

|0% |

|Publishing (traditional or e-learning) |

| |

|0% |

|Associations |

| |

|25% |

|Other: hospitality, airlines, real estate |

| |

|Special focus on vertical industries (if any) |

|None. |

|Top clients |

|4D Interactive, Inc. |

|American Signature Inc. |

|Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education |

|British Airways |

|CityJet Airlines |

|Covance Inc. |

|bristol.gs Training Solutions |

|edhitec Health Systems |

|Infinite Media |

|Aastra USA Inc. |

|Circle K Stores |

|Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital |

|Command Center |

|Patient First |

|Performax3 Inc. |

|Saint Francis Hospital |

|Teachers Credit Union |

|U.S. Air Force |

|U.S. Veteran's Administration |

|Obor Digital |

|Top 3 competitors |

|CourseMill |

|WBT Manager |

|EKP Bronze |

|Top 3 competitive advantages |

|No dependencies on Java or third-party reporting products. |

|Built from the ground up using the advanced .NET framework and Microsoft SQL server. |

|Supports expiration dates, open enrollment, grouping students into classes, the ability to disable future lessons until the current lesson is |

|completed, and more. |

|  |

|Company Information [pic] |

|Number of employees |

|(Not provided) employees total |

|Breakout by employee type: |

|in development |

|in sales/marketing |

|in services |

|in other: |

|Number of organizations using this LMS |

|The company did not provide this information. |

|Estimated number of total seats (all implementations, all registered learners) |

|Number of seats: (Not provided) |

|Largest "behind-the-firewall" implementation to date |

|Number of seats: (Not provided) |

|Largest "hosted" implementation to date |

|Number of seats: (Not provided) |

|Year the LMS (version 1.0) was originally released |

|2002 |

|Company status |

|Private |

|Annual amount spent on LMS product research and development |

|The company did not provide this information. |

|Statement about company's financial viability |

|The company does not release financial information, including number of employees, sales or R&D. However, they have been profitable since their |

|founding in 1996 and have no outside investors, loans or venture capital. |

|  |

|Technology Platform [pic] |

|Server types supported |

|Windows 2000 |

|Windows XP |

|Windows 2003 server |

|Databases supported |

|Microsoft SQL |

|SQL Server 2000 or 2005 |

|Underlying technology and structure of the code |

|.NET. All source code (which is available as a separately-priced option) is Visual Basic .NET, with some JavaScript. |

|Openness of data for migration and connectivity |

|Can import and export directly from SQL server. |

|Scalability of the system |

|Highly scalable due to its architecture and the robustness of .NET. |

|Ability of the system to handle heavy loads |

|Designed to handle large loads and large numbers of students. Customers like Circle K have deployed nationwide. |

|What makes the system superior to others in terms of the technology platform (schema, data migration, creative use of XML, etc.) |

|Web services, , Visual Basic .NET, stored procedures (SQL server). No reliance on Java. |

|  |

|Back Office Interoperability [pic] |

|Percentage of customer by level of interoperability with ERP, CRM, and other back-office systems |

|100% |

|Level 1 – Stand-alone: LMS exists in stand-alone state with virtually no interoperability with back-office systems. |

| |

|0% |

|Level 2 – Batch processing: LMS receives learner information for ERP, CRM, and other business systems at a specified time (e.g., 2:00 a.m. every |

|day) and/or the LMS sends batch performance data to an ERP, CRM, or other business system at a specified time. |

| |

|0% |

|Level 3 – Real-time database synchronization: The LMS receives learner demographic data from an ERP, CRM, or other business system in "real time,"|

|as the information is added to the back-office system and/or the LMS sends performance data to an ERP, CRM, or other business system in "real |

|time" as courses are completed. However, both the LMS and the back-office business systems keep and maintain their own databases. |

| |

|0% |

|Level 4 – Real-time, one database: The same as Level 3, except the LMS and business system actually share the exact same database. Data records |

|(learner demographics and performance data) are not duplicated, rather they exist in one, and only one, database). |

| |

|Overview of the consulting and customization process for mapping out and implementing connectivity with an ERP, CRM, or other business system |

| has an included utility for batch importing students based on a delimited file. The utility allows the importer to match up the |

|columns in the delimited file to the matching columns in . Customers may also batch import student data directly, using SQL server. |

|Experience creating interoperability with specific systems |

|Number of customers who are using interoperability (by back-office system): |

|0 |

|PeopleSoft |

| |

|0 |

|SAP |

| |

|0 |

|Oracle |

| |

|0 |

|Siebel |

| |

|0 |

|Lawson |

| |

|0 |

|Other: None. |

| |

|PeopleSoft experience |

|not applicable. |

|Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems. |

|SAP experience |

|not applicable. |

|Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems. |

|Oracle ERP experience |

|not applicable. |

|Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems. |

|Siebel experience |

|not applicable. |

|Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems. |

|Lawson experience |

|not applicable. |

|Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems. |

|Other ERP experience |

|List of systems: None. |

|Vendor experience with these other systems: not applicable. |

|Standard communication protocols used by this LMS solution |

|not applicable. |

|Special functionality to provide data migration from other systems |

|not applicable. |

|Interoperability with general business portal technologies |

|No. |

|  |

|Interoperability with Other E-Learning Content and Technologies [pic] |

|Interoperability tests conducted with third-party content libraries |

|None. |

|Interoperability tests conducted with content authoring tools |

|Articulate |

|Authorware (Macromedia) |

|Camtasia (Techsmith) |

|Dreamweaver (Adobe) |

|Exam Engine (Platte Canyon) |

|Flash (Macromedia/Adobe) |

|Flashform (Rapid Intake) |

|Lectora Publisher |

|ReadyGo |

|Captivate (Macromedia/Adobe) |

|ToolBook (Sum Total) |

|Training Studio (Platte Canyon) |

|Interoperability tests conducted with learning content management systems (LCMS) and/or traditional content management systems |

|Interoperability tests conducted with knowledge management systems and/or digital asset management solutions |

|None. |

|Interoperability tests conducted with virtual classroom, live e-learning products |

|None. |

|Methods for creating interoperability with courseware that is NOT standards-compliant |

|Such content may be placed in a SCORM frameset or added to the LMS as a SCORM Asset. |

|System can launch and track CD-ROM-based courses |

|No. |

|  |

|The Learner Environment [pic] |

|[pic] |

|Screen shot of a typical learner interface generated with this system |

|Features |

|Secure log-on with valid authentication |

|Automatic |

| |

|Advanced search functionality allowing learners to find specific courses and other learning materials based on keywords, title, delivery format, |

|and other tagged identifiers |

|Automatic |

| |

|Individualized learning plan showing a unique list of learning materials/events based on the learner's specific needs |

|Automatic |

| |

|Individualized learning plan showing a unique list of learning materials/events based on the learner's specific role, position, or |

|responsibilities inside the organization |

|Automatic |

| |

|Support for multiple catalogs |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Course catalogs can contain more than course materials (including items such as books, audio/video, etc.) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Users can search catalog before logging in to the system (pre-browsing) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Self-registration |

|Automatic |

| |

|Telephone registration and self-service (e.g., interactive voice response (IVR)) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|The system has built-in capabilities allowing learners to download and take courses offline, then synchronize their performance data with the LMS |

|later |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Provides learners with note-taking capabilities |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Learner can search for content for performance support purposes |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Learners can see their own progress reports (scores, dates courses taken, etc.) |

|Automatic |

| |

|Other features: Self-registration is available only if one or more courses are marked as "open enrollment." Users may edit their own information. |

|Administrators may customize what information is required (telephone number, Social Security number, location, etc.), or simply requested but not |

|mandatory, and the format that information must comply with. |

|Learner interface highlights |

|Courses are either open enrollment, assigned to a specific student, assigned to a class of which the student is a member, or assigned to the |

|student's organization. The "My Courses" screen features several options for viewing the courses and lessons. These are a collapsible tree-view, a|

|menu, a navigation bar, or a table. The status of each lesson and course is shown via customizable graphics. |

|The student simply logs in and chooses "my courses," "my reports" or "my information." Status is shown via intuitive, customizable graphics. |

|The current version features easy localization and customization via the administrator section and allows side-by-side support of up to six |

|simultaneous languages. |

|  |

|Classroom Management [pic] |

|Features |

|Administrative calendar for scheduling |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Learner calendar |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Wait listing |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Supervisory and/or instructor approval process (business rules) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Personnel management (managing the scheduling of instructors) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Facility management (room scheduling) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Equipment and resource scheduling (projectors, test equipment, etc.) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatic resolution of scheduling conflicts |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatic e-mail messaging and notification |

|Automatic |

| |

|Customizable notification messages |

|Automatic |

| |

|Course attendance reports |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

| |

|Other features: There are no classroom management features in . There are customizable notification messages associated with attempting|

|lessons, failing a course, making someone an administrator, etc. |

|Classroom management highlights |

| does not offer classroom management features. |

|  |

|Performance Management [pic] |

|Features |

|The ability to keep performance records for on-the-job (OJT) training and other training events that occur outside the LMS environment |

|NA; Not a current feature |

| |

|The ability to assign and keep track of job-related tasks associated with courses |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Built-in incentive utility offering rewards, merchandise, or prizes for meeting training/learning objectives |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Career planning and development tools that allow the learner to see how their training fits into their own career development |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Tools to conduct and keep performance data during annual performance reviews |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Tools used to evaluate potential candidates for new hire employment (prior to their working for the organization) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|Performance management capabilities (beyond launching and tracking e-learning and classroom management) |

| launches and tracks online content that supports the SCORM runtime environment. Through its SCORM 1.3 (2004) capabilities, it can also|

|track any “asset” on-line content that does not support SCORM. It does not track other types of content or performance data. |

|  |

|Competency Management [pic] |

|Features |

|Provides comprehensive skill-gap analysis |

|NA; Not a current feature |

| |

|Includes built-in 360-degree evaluation utility |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Succession planning (learners can compare their own skill sets against other job positions in the organization and analyze deficiencies) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Can locate candidates for particular positions or projects based on skill requirements |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Can import third-party competency models |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Ability to link specific test questions with specific competencies |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Can create a many-to-one relationship among test questions and competencies |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Can modify/customize competency types, proficiency scale, etc. |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|Competency management highlights and differentiating features |

| does not have any specific competency management features. |

|  |

|Certification Management [pic] |

|Features |

|Keeps extensive archival records of past performance data |

|Automatic |

| |

|Re-certification notice (the system keeps track of expired certifications and automatically notifies learners to remind them to re-certify) |

|Semi-automatic |

| |

|Audit trail |

|Semi-automatic |

| |

|Automatically issues printed certificates upon course completion |

|Automatic |

| |

|Tracks certification deadlines and reports on missed deadlines |

|Semi-automatic |

| |

|Built-in tools for conducting online, proctored exams (a proctor must sign the learner in to take a specially designated certification exam. The |

|system maintains records of the proctor sign-in and completion data) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: Certificates are available via "my reports." |

|Specific regulatory standards targeted in the LMS |

| meets some or all of these, but no clients have notified the company of specific compliance requirements (or of any problems meeting |

|required standards). |

|Certification highlights |

|The fact that is built in without any type of Java applets means that it has outstanding accessibility and security out of the|

|box. The HTML files and style sheets are easily editable. Source code is available as a separately-priced option, in case the client wants to make|

|enhancements. |

|  |

|Content Development and Management [pic] |

|Statement describing LMS positioning on authoring |

|Pure LMS with minimal or no built-in content authoring capabilities; LMS vendor offers a separate, but integrated set of content authoring tools |

|(whether internally created or reselling a third party solution); in addition, end users can use other third party authoring tools to add |

|additional content. |

|Statement describing LMS positioning on LCMSs |

|LMS has no built-in learning content management system (LCMS); can be used with a wide variety of third party LCMS solutions. |

|Vendor recommended authoring tools (third-party and/or their own authoring tools) |

|ToolBook, Exam Engine, Flash, Dreamweaver, Authorware, Lectora, ReadyGo, Articulate, Captivate, Training Studio, Camtasia, Flashform |

|Vendor recommended LCMSs (third-party and/or their own) |

|N/A |

|Built-in authoring features |

|Novice-friendly authoring environment (with minimal learning curve for non-technical users) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Templates and/or wizards for rapid content development |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Basic test question types (e.g., multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Advanced question types (e.g., matching, hot spots, drag-and-drop, etc.) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Software simulation development tools |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Support for rich-media content (streaming audio, streaming video, animations) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Can create complex, variable-based branching schemas (conditional branching) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Authoring tool(s) support desktop, stand-alone development of online learning content without accessing a central server |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Authoring tool(s) support collaborative, groupware authoring, sharing content from a central server location |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Authoring tools create standards-compliant learning content (SCORM and AICC) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|Built-in content authoring highlights |

|N/A |

|Built-in LCMS features |

|Central "learning object" repository where learning content can be searched and organized for maximum reusability and repurposing |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Content delivery engine that automatically provides navigation controls for content in the learning object repository without having to author |

|each "Next" button or course menu manually |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|The ability to swap out skins (look and feel) of online learning modules, without having to re-author the content |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Metadata tagging for individual, reusable learning objects (such as individual media objects or pages of content) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Workflow tools to manage the courseware development process (e.g., can make assignments for learning development tasks, monitor progress of online|

|learning development, keep track of ownership of individual learning objects) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Pretesting/adaptive learning capabilities (test questions can be linked to learning content, allowing the system to dynamically create a new |

|version of the course based on pretest performance) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|LCMS handles versioning of learning content and maintains archival versions of content (as needed) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Import utilities to automatically repurpose Microsoft Word content into learning objects |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Import utilities to automatically repurpose Microsoft PowerPoint content into learning objects |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Built-in document management system for setting up a basic knowledge management system |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|LCMS output types |

|None |

|  |

|Testing and Assessment [pic] |

|Testing features |

|Built-in utility for creating and deploying tests, exams, and quizzes |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Questions can be drawn from a pool of test questions |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Questions can be automatically randomized upon delivery |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Distracters (individual answers) can be automatically randomized upon delivery |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Number of attempts to test questions can be easily set |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatic feedback can be provided during the assessment (if desired) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Timed test questions |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Timed tests |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Summary screen shows test scores and other performance indicators |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Test performance data is automatically linked to available LMS performance reports (without requiring additional testing to verify that the data |

|is being captured correctly) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Dynamic prescriptive pretesting that can adapt course content based on gap analysis |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: Platte Canyon has a separate product called Exam Engine that incorporates all except dynamic prescriptive pre-testing. Exam Engine|

|can be used along with , on its own, or with another SCORM-compliant LMS. |

|Evaluation features |

|Built-in utility for creating Kirkpatrick Level 1 evaluations ("happy sheets"): Did the learner like the course? (using a Likkert scale) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatically creates a summary report of Level 1 feedback |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|Question types |

|Multiple-choice question (single correct answer) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Multiple-choice question (multiple correct answers) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|True/false |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Short answer (typed response) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|In-line, fill-in-the-blank questions (type answers in mid-sentence) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Freeform essay question (graded by an instructor or keyword analysis of multi-sentence response) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Matching question |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Sequence question (sequence the order of steps in a procedure) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Hot spot question (invisible touch area on top of a graphic) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Drag-and-drop question (drag objects with targets; e.g., could be used to assemble a jigsaw puzzle; more than just a drag-and-drop matching |

|question) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: Exam Engine (described above) offers multiple-choice (single or multiple correct answers), true/false, and fill-in-the-blank |

|questions. |

|Testing and assessment highlights |

|There are no built-in testing options. |

|Vendor recommendation for creating and deploying assessments |

|Third-party tool. There is no built-in assessment tool. |

|Interoperability with third-party assessment tools |

|Yes is compatible with any testing software that supports the SCORM runtime environment. The company has done extensive testing with |

|Exam Engine, ToolBook, Flash, and Training Studio. |

|Special tools for performing Kirkpatrick Level 3 and Level 4 evaluation |

|No |

|Additional testing and assessment information |

|None. |

|  |

|Reporting [pic] |

|[pic] |

|Report generated by this system: Viewing a student detail deport. |

|Features |

|Automatically records launch date/time and duration for e-learning content not configured to pass performance data |

|Automatic |

| |

|Automatically collects test item analysis data (collecting every answer given on every question as opposed to a composite test score only) |

|Automatic |

| |

|Provides a report showing which test items were missed most often |

|Semi-custom |

| |

|Provides usage statistics; e.g., for a given time period, the system can automatically show the number of users who accessed the system and the |

|number of completed courses (and/or tasks and assignments) |

|Automatic |

| |

|System provides a built-in utility (as part of the license) that allows end users to create their own ad hoc reports |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|System allows end users to use standard tools to customize or create ad hoc reports (such as Crystal Reports or other reporting engine) |

|Semi-custom |

| |

|System allows end users to create "user-defined" fields at all levels (e.g., adding a new demographic to a learner profile or a new field to |

|categorize course offerings) |

|Semi-automatic |

| |

|Ability to export data in a wide variety of formats such as HTML, tab-delimited, or CSV (comma separated values) formats |

|Automatic |

| |

|Other features: Includes Word, Excel, and HTML. |

| |

| does not use any third-party reporting engine. There are up to three user-defined fields for specific student data (plus a wide range |

|of built-in data). Users are welcome to write custom reports directly against the SQL server database. |

|Number of report templates |

|33 |

|List of report templates that come with the system |

|* Assigned classes |

|* Assigned courses |

|* Assigned organizations |

|* Class details |

|* Class information |

|* Class membership |

|* Classes assigned to course |

|* Course compliance |

|* Course details |

|* Course information |

|* Course information expired, critical, or alert status |

|* Course/lesson information |

|* Course training history |

|* Courses assigned directly |

|* Courses assigned via class |

|* Courses assigned via organization |

|* Courses included in |

|* Courses requiring completion |

|* Interaction information |

|* Interactions incorrect |

|* Lesson details |

|* Lesson information |

|* Lesson information expired, critical, or alert status |

|* Lesson interaction information |

|* Lesson interactions incorrect |

|* Lesson training history |

|* Lessons in course |

|* Organization details |

|* Organizations assigned to course |

|* Student details |

|* Student information (lesson) |

|* Student information expired, critical, or alert status (lesson) |

|* Student information (course) |

|* Student information expired, critical, or alert status (course) |

|* Student training history |

|* Students assigned directly |

|* Students assigned via class |

|* Students assigned via organization |

|* Students in class |

|* Students in course |

|* Students in lesson |

|* Students in organization |

|* Summary information (lesson) |

|* Summary information (course) |

|* Summary information (Student) |

|* Summary information by student (class) |

|* Summary information by student (organization) |

|Third-party reporting engines that can be used with this system |

|Some customers have used Crystal Reports with , but Platte Canyon has not tested any third-party engines. |

|Ad hoc reporting capabilities |

|Use a reporting tool to connect directly to the SQL server database. |

|Process for creating custom reports |

|None. |

|Average number of custom reports the company usually creates for clients (beyond standard report templates) |

|0 |

|Reporting highlights and differentiating features |

| reporting is much cheaper and faster than the reporting of other systems. It is cheaper since the client does not have to license a |

|third-party tool. It's faster because it uses the .NET to create the reports and display them. also has detailed information, like |

|average test score and standard deviation. |

|  |

|Analytics [pic] |

|Features |

|The system has built-in, automatic metrics for showing the cost and effects of learning from an organizational perspective |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|The system keeps track of the actual costs of development of online learning courses |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|The system keeps track of the actual costs of development of instructor-led and other forms of training |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|The system keeps track of training delivery and deployment costs |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Course performance data can be linked with financial information to automatically assess the return on investment (ROI) for specific training |

|initiatives |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Analytic data can be shared through printed and online reports |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Analytic data can be shared through a dynamic "dashboard" approach, where users can see ROI and financial data updated in "real time" using a |

|persistent display (e.g., through a portal interface) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|Number of analytic reports |

|0 |

|List of analytic reports |

|None. |

|Analytics highlights and differentiating features |

| does not have analytic capabilities. |

|  |

|LMS Support for Multiple Departments and Extensibility of Business Rules [pic] |

|Features |

|The system can provide multiple learning portals, each supporting a different department or line of business from a single installation of the LMS|

|Semi-automatic |

| |

|Each of the multiple learning portals can have its own look and feel (logos, backgrounds, and buttons) with a single instance of the LMS |

|Semi-automatic |

| |

|Each of the multiple learning portals can have its own set of features (e.g., one portal might have collaborative tools enabled, another might |

|have the feature switched off) with a single instance of the LMS |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Each of the multiple learning portals can have its own business rules (e.g., one portal may require supervisory approval to sign up for a course, |

|another may allow open enrollment without approval) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Each of the multiple learning portals can have its own native language (e.g., learners from a site in Japan access a portal entirely in Japanese, |

|while learners from Germany access their portal in German) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Each of the multiple learning portals can draw from the same master list (root directory for all learning portals) of courses, so that the course |

|catalog doesn't need to be recreated for each new learning portal |

|Automatic |

| |

|Each department or line of business can have its own set of customized reporting templates |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|End users can change a majority of the business rules by changing pre-defined parameters (e.g., engage self-registration or supervisory approval |

|by simply turning on the feature) |

|Automatic |

| |

|Supervisory approval for course registration |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Can set up to require approval from multiple sources prior to course registration |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Can enable self-registration for specific courses or across the entire learning portal |

|Automatic |

| |

|Can define new user types (with special security rights and access) |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: can be configured to limit students to a particular organization and display the corresponding logo. Available roles |

|are: * Student * Reporter (supervisor only) * Reporter (all levels) * Administrator (supervisor only) * Administrator (all levels - advanced) * |

|Administrator (all levels – basic) |

|Technical abilities required to modify business rules |

|Customization requires Visual Basic .NET expertise. |

|Highlights and differentiating features |

| has very few business rules. |

|  |

|Support for Standards and Specifications [pic] |

|AICC |

|NA; not compliant |

|SCORM |

|Conformant - SCORM 2004 |

|Conformant - version 1.2 |

|Specific levels of conformance achieved: conforms to the SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 (1.3) runtime environments. It does not use SCORM |

|manifest files and, therefore, does not conform to SCORM manifest specifications. It also implements its own linear sequencing and does not |

|support the various SCORM 2004 sequencing permutations. |

|Section 508 compliance |

|Yes Compliance comes from being built on top of . |

|Vendor participation in standards and specification groups |

|Platte Canyon takes the SCORM standard very seriously but does not participate in ADL events. |

|  |

|Collaborative Learning Tools [pic] |

|Features |

|Learner-to-learner e-mail |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Learner-to-instructor e-mail |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Standard threaded discussion |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Moderated threaded discussion (moderator can choose which entries to post) |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Live, instant messaging (person-to-person) |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Live chat (synchronous group) |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Ability to cluster learners into workgroups for group study sessions |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Live voice-over IP |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Webcasting |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Global broadcast messaging |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Virtual whiteboard (free-form drawing) |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Virtual PowerPoint-like presentations |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Application sharing |

|Third-party add-on |

| |

|Learners can add comments to course materials and save them as individual study resources |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|Collaborative learning highlights and differentiating features |

| has no built-in collaborative learning tools. As an application (with available source code), clients may add any one of a |

|large number of third-party controls and applications for additional functionality. |

|  |

|Virtual Classroom Support [pic] |

|System has available, pre-integrated virtual classroom functionality |

|No |

|Preferred/recommended, third-party virtual classroom software |

|No. |

|Interoperability with virtual classroom software |

|No interoperability. |

|Virtual classroom highlights and differentiating features |

| has no built-in virtual classroom tools. As an application (with available source code), clients may add any one of a large |

|number of third-party controls and applications for additional functionality. |

|  |

|Localization and Multilingual Support [pic] |

|Features |

|On-screen text is centrally located and isolated for easy language translation (not in multiple files or locations) |

|Automatic |

| |

|Multi-byte support (to support complex fonts and characters sets for languages such as Chinese and Korean) |

|Automatic |

| |

|Right-to-left script support (e.g., Hebrew) |

|Semi-automatic |

| |

|Management of multiple time zones |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Multiple currency support |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Language can dynamically change (based on learner profile) at log-in |

|Automatic |

| |

|Language preference can be set by the learner |

|Automatic |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|Learner interface is currently available in the following languages |

|English (US) |

|Spanish |

|German |

|French (European) |

|Administrative interface is currently available in the following languages |

|English (US) |

|Spanish |

|German |

|French (European) |

|Countries where this LMS has been implemented |

|Total number of countries: 6 |

|Countries listed by the vendor |

|Germany |

|England |

|Ireland |

|Australia |

|Canada |

|United States |

|Phillipines |

|South Africa |

|Vendor works with a translation partner |

|No. |

|  |

|Hosted Solution Options [pic] |

|Vendor's position on providing their LMS as a hosted solution |

|Most of the company's clients will locally install the LMS solution on their server. The company does, however, offer a hosted solution as part of|

|their package of services for customers who are looking for a hosted solution. |

|Percentage of customers who use this vendor's hosted solution |

|20% |

|Percentage of customers who locally install their solution |

|80% |

|Provides hosting at vendor's own site |

|No |

|Provides hosting via a partner |

|Yes |

|If yes, name of hosting partner(s): A number of clients have remote-hosted at . The 20 percent listed above reflects |

|remote hosting at this or other third-party hosting companies. |

|Hosting support services provided |

| |

|Other services: N/A |

|Vendor's "up-time" declaration |

|N/A |

|Hosting services highlights |

|Platte Canyon does not provide hosting. They recommend that customers host with a reputable third-party hosting company, such as . |

|  |

|Customization [pic] |

|Method for customizing the interface |

|The learner interface only allows minor changes such as color schema, logos, and turning on/off functionality. These changes can be made by a |

|relatively non-technical person. |

|Additional customization features |

|Administration interface can be customized |

|Administrator has options for editing labels, formatting requirements (regular expressions), what data is required (telephone number, Social |

|Security number, etc.), notification events and e-mail addresses, etc. |

|Customization highlights and differentiating features |

|A considerable portion of the interfaces are controlled by style sheets. Adding and editing information is a consistent "editable grid" interface |

|across the system. |

|  |

|E-Commerce Capabilities [pic] |

|Features |

|Handle credit card transactions without manual effort |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Track and report departmental charge-backs |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatically provide customer billing reports |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|The system can provide commerce transactions for items other than courses, such as books, tapes, and other items |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Automatically maintain order status information for transactions |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other features: None. |

|LMS would be suitable for a commercial learning portal (to sell e-learning content) |

|No. |

|E-commerce highlights and differentiating features |

|There are no built-in e-commerce capabilities. As an application (with available source code), clients may add any one of a large number |

|of third-party controls and applications for additional functionality. |

|  |

|Implementation Time and Process [pic] |

|Average implementation time |

|High range = 1 weeks |

|Low range = 0.1 weeks |

|Average time = 0.2 weeks |

|Implementation process |

| has a single installation and configuration utility that configures the Web server and the SQL Server database. It will go over the |

|Internet and set up the SQL Server database on a remote server hosted by a third party (user must know IP address, database name, user name and |

|password). The system administrator needs to use IIS to create a virtual directory. The installation does this on the "local host," to allow the |

|client to test locally before deployment. Platte Canyon has never gone on-site to help a customer install the product. Average time is about |

|one-half day to get up and running. |

|People required for implementation |

|One semi-technical person who knows how to run installations, and either has administrative rights on the Web server or who can ask a system |

|administrator to create the required virtual directory and provide the necessary SQL server information. |

|  |

|System Requirements [pic] |

|Server requirements |

|OS: |

|Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional or Windows 2003 server |

| |

|Database: |

|Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or 2005 |

|System requirements for learners |

|Internet Explorer 5.5 or later |

|Netscape 7.1 or later |

|FireFox 1.0 or later |

|No plug-ins or Java virtual machine required. JavaScript must be enabled. |

|System requirements for administrative users |

|Internet Explorer 5.5 or later |

|Netscape 7.1 or later |

|FireFox 1.0 or later |

|No plug-ins or Java virtual machine required. JavaScript must be enabled. |

|  |

|Pricing [pic] |

|Pricing estimate for an installed solution (on the client's server) |

|Year 1: |

|500 users = $6,990 |

|10,000 users = $9,990 |

|25,000 users = $9,990 |

|100,000 users = $9,990 |

|Year 3 (cumulative): |

|500 users = $8,980 |

|10,000 users = $11,980 |

|25,000 users = $11,980 |

|100,000 users = $11,980 |

|Pricing estimate for a hosted solution (external to client servers) |

|Year 1: |

|500 users = $8,190 |

|10,000 users = $11,190 |

|25,000 users = $11,190 |

|100,000 users = $11,190 |

|Year 3 (cumulative): |

|500 users = $12,580 |

|10,000 users = $15,580 |

|25,000 users = $15,580 |

|100,000 users = $15,580 |

|Pricing model(s) |

|Up to 500 users: $5,995 |

|Unlimited users: $8,995 |

| |

|Price is for one Web site (domain), but up to two instances on that site. Technical support is $995 per year (phone and e-mail) or $695 per year |

|(e-mail only). Hosting is note provided by Platte Canyon but is estimated at $100 per month (user must purchase license in addition). |

|Prices for additional services |

|Technical support is $995 per year (phone and e-mail) or $695 per year (e-mail only). Additional services available at $90/hour, plus expenses. |

|  |

|Customer Support and Services [pic] |

|Services offered |

|Live telephone support |

|E-mail support |

|Product conference (live event) |

|Highlights |

|Technical support is provided by the developers who wrote the product. Phone/e-mail ($995 per year) or e-mail-only ($695 per year) options are |

|offered. does not have a classroom training course but is covered in conference sessions at the e-Learning Authoring Conference, held |

|by the vendor every summer in Colorado. |

|User communications |

| listserv, as well as an annual user's conference. |

|  |

|Miscellaneous [pic] |

|Features |

|Automated system to help learners who have forgotten their password |

|Automatic |

| |

|Batch registration |

|Semi-custom |

| |

|Allows setting of prerequisites |

|Automatic |

| |

|Can disable a course without removing it from the LMS catalog |

|Automatic |

| |

|Supports connectivity to PDAs |

|N/A; not a current feature |

| |

|Other capabilities: has no specific mobile capabilities. As such, the lack of pop-up windows on these devices inhibits the necessary |

|SCORM communication. |

|Delivery to mobile devices |

|None. |

|  |

|Contact Information |

|Platte Canyon Multimedia Software Corp. |

|8870 Edgefield Dr. |

|Colorado Springs, CO |

|United States 80920 |

|Toll-free: (888) 866-5251 |

|Phone: (719) 548-1110 |

|Fax: (719) 548-1114 |

|E-mail: info@ |

|Web site: |

|  |

© 2007 Brandon Hall Research

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