European elearning market to grow to $4 billion by 2004. (E-learning Progress).

The European training market is witnessing a trend toward the delivery of training via the Internet. Accelerated by the need to provide a broad range of training to a geographically dispersed workforce at a lower cost, Europe is witnessing huge growth in this sector of the training market. IDC estimates the European elearning market will grow to $4 billion by 2004, representing a compound annual growth rate of 96%. By the end of the forecast period, over 50% of the total will be derived from if-related training. The remainder will be made up of soft skills training, such as sales, marketing, and leadership skills. According to IDC, content is the largest component of the elearning market. 'Although the delivery solutions or infrastructure tools segment of the market is an important one, I believe it will become increasingly commoditized over the next few years with a few dominant players emerging,' said Sheila McGovern, senior research analyst at IDC. "The market is not only highly fragmented but also volatil e with a variety of players both old and new vying for a dominant position. The traditional players are likely to have a strong role in the future consolidation of the market," McGovern added. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Sweden are the strongest markets in the adoption of elearning because Internet adoption levels are already high in those countries. In addition, there is less of a language localization issue in these countries as a high proportion of the population speaks English and is used to conducting business in English. "There are a variety of strategies that could lead to success in this market," McGovern said. 'One approach is to have an integrated offering - a total elearning solution. The key is in applying the right technology to the right learning environment. The other' strategy is to develop partnerships with other players that allow the vendor to provide a wide range of products/services across different content areas and countries." Quality content, combined with strong instructi on design, will continue to be the hallmarks of a leader in this market similarly to the traditional training market. "However, the lack of knowledge from buyers will drive them to choose on the basis of the vendor's reputation. A solid reputation remains the main criteria for choice as it entails quality and trust that enable market leaders to be true training partners to their customers".

www.idc.com

Online training with PC World

Corporate Learning 020 7689 9689

PC World, and Corporate Learning have joined forces to supply an online training service to 93 PC World locations throughout the UK. In this exclusive UK deal the online product Corporate learning Course-source, has been rebranded by PC World as 'PC Tuition Online'. PC Tuition Online is an integrated e-learning solution that presents users with a linear learning experience, by combining structured learning events with mentored support, self-study, and electronic performance support tools. As Steve Descher remarks 'with PC Tuition Online, anyone with internet access and a browser can access software application training from any location worldwide. This innovative learning tool is interactive, with rich graphics and audio features that make learning fun.' The training system is subscripton-based and has therefore kept the cost of entry very low. Subscribers am given unlimited usage for 12 months to gain maximum benefit from the application training, which is now accessible from wo rk and from home.