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As regular readers know, UNT offers computer-based training from two
major CBT companies: SkillSoft and Thomson NETg. In October 2006,
SkillSoft announced that it has agreed to purchase all of Thomson
Publishing's NETg holdings. SkillSoft explains in their press release
about the acquisition:
The acquisition will add to SkillSoft's existing offerings in
e-learning content, Referenceware(TM) and learning platform
technology, through the addition of NETg's complementary offerings in
live virtual ILT, blended learning, content authoring/LCMS technology,
learning content and custom development services. The acquisition
supports the company's overall strategy to continually increase the
quality and flexibility of learning solutions available to corporate,
government, education, and small-to-medium size business customers
from SkillSoft.
In other words, SkillSoft customers (that would be us) will have many
more titles available to them.
What does this mean for UNT? Well, many good things. Our
'currently-in-legal-awaiting-approval' new contract with SkillSoft gives
us access to its entire courseware holdings which have now expanded to
literally thousands of titles. Once these offerings are added to our
site by SkillSoft, UNT community members will be able to take online
courses in topics ranging from 'how to deal with one's anger against
one's boneheaded co-worker' to 'how to weave a basket while unstopping
one's toilet' to 'how to change fonts in Microsoft Excel XP'. I fully
expect that the answers to every question in the entire universe will be
found in the future simply by going to the UNT SkillPort website and
typing in the correct search term..... well, okay...maybe I am just a
little too enthusiastic at the moment but UNT users WILL have a whole
lotta of elearning at their fingertips!
As with all acquisitions of this sort, it is hard to gauge exactly
when the additional content will become available. SkillSoft expects to
close the deal during the first half of fiscal year 2007. I will keep
you posted on all updates as they become available to me. In the
meantime, UNT users should continue to go to the
usual UNT SkillPort and
KnowledgeNet websites for our currently-subscribed CBT content.
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