2005 was a good year for the training industry. Training expenditures were higher, on average, in 2005 than in 2004. And the use of online training and learning technologies reached new highs. 2005 also saw a change in the nature of the training organization itself. The traditional model of the corporate university is dying and is being replaced by a learning services model.

Our year-end report, entitled "Enterprise Learning 2006," reviews these and other major trends of 2005 and details our predictions for next year. The report will give readers a summary of our perspectives so they can plan their major initiatives in the coming year.

McAfee, Inc. is a global provider of Intrusion Prevention and Security Risk Management software. The company’s global partner program, the McAfee SecurityAlliance, is a key component in the growth of the company’s worldwide sales and customer reach. More than 90% of the company’s revenue now comes from partners.

In 2003, McAfee’s executive leadership team decided to increase its corporate focus on support for the partner program in order to secure its position as a market leader. This support would include partner development through standardized training and certifications, as well as enhancements in product knowledge communication, course development, delivery methods, tracking, and reporting.

This case study describes how McAfee selected and implemented a learning platform to automate training for its partner program. The study provides results of the program to date and lessons learned.

You are invited to participate in a major industry study being conducted by Bersin & Associates. This "Annual Learning Trends Study" will detail the latest trends and challenges shaping the corporate learning landscape.

The study will provide data and analysis on:

• Training budgets and staffing resources, with trends over time
• Technology costs, and technology trends to consider in the planning process
• Outsourcing practices and projected growth
• Top program priorities and resource allocations

As a special thanks for participating in the survey, participants will receive an executive summary of the study results and an invitation to a free webcast presenting the findings.

Click here to take the survey now...

Or enter this URL into your browser: http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/16190/Bersin2005.htm

Your responses on the survey will remain anonymous and your name will not be sold to external parties.

We hope you will take the time to add to our collective knowledge and we look forward to briefing you on the findings.

We have three webinars scheduled this month. The first is entitled "LMS As a Strategic, Mission Critical Corporate Application:The High Impact Learning Organization®." This webinar, presented by Josh Bersin and sponsored by SumTotal Systems, will answer the following questions:

• How do you cost justify an enterprise LMS?
• What benchmarks should you use to evaluate your LMS investment?
• What are best practices for management and implementation of the enterprise LMS?
• What are the "gotchas" you should expect from your LMS implementation?

Due to high demand, we are offering this webinar twice, as follows:

• Title: LMS As a Strategic, Mission Critical Corporate Application:The High Impact Learning Organization
• December 13, 2005
• 10:00 AM EST/7:00 AM PST
• SIGN UP NOW

The second webinar is entitled "Learning Content Management Systems: What Works." With more than 70 LMS providers in the marketplace, buyers are more confused than ever. The LCMS market, which often includes features of an LMS, is even more confusing. This confusion could result in a buyer selecting the wrong product, or worse, buying both an LMS and an LCMS!

This webinar will help clear up the clutter and myths associated with these systems. Specifically, you will learn:

• What is an LCMS?
• How are LCMS’s being used?
• What potential business impact can an LCMS have?
• How do I choose the right system?

This free webinar is presented by Josh Bersin, Founder and President of Bersin & Associates, and Ted Schneider, SVP of Product Management at Learn.com. Details are as follows:

• Title: Learning Content Management Systems – What Works
• Date: Thursday, December 15, 2005
• Time: 3:30 PM EST/12:30 PM PST
• SIGN UP NOW

The third webinar is entitled "Incorporating Live Virtual Classrooms into Your Blended Learning Strategy." During this 30-minute session, Josh Bersin will outline how virtual classrooms are best utilized in the training mix and offer suggestions on how to best implement live, Web-based programs to supplement self-paced (asynchronous) and in-person classroom learning.

Details are as follows:

• Title: Incorporating Live Virtual Classrooms into Your Blended Learning Strategy
• Date: Thursday, December 15, 2005
• Time: 1:00 PM EST/10:00 AM PST
• SIGN UP NOW