A thorough, independent analysis of 690 of the world’s leading learning management – and related – systems (LMSs) has identified the top performing 50.

Published by E-Learning 24/7, the report is a key tool for LMS buyers and is the work of the internationally-known corporate online learning industry analyst, Craig Weiss. For the last two years, Craig has been named, in an independently produced industry list, as the most influential person in the corporate online learning technologies industry.

Craig Weiss.

This year’s report includes a wide variety of LMSs including learning platforms, Courseware LMSs and a Learning Content Management System (LCMS).

While at least 30 of the systems highlighted in the Report are based in the USA, the next most popular base is the UK – with 13 systems based there. Also represented on the list are systems from companies in The Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy.

This latest Report on the state of the LMS industry sets out:

•           The Top 50 LMSs for 2016, including an Executive Summary

•           43 Profiles (12 pages each) – 48 Questions Posted (including fees and pricing, data security and privacy, latest features, roadmap for 2016, hosting location(s), support and training)

•           The Top Three LMSs by Vertical

•           The Top Three LMSs by Learner size (employees, customers and so on)

•           The Top Three LMSs by (Mobile, Social, Gamification)

•           The Top Three Next Generation LMSs

•           The Top Three for B2B, SMB, Mid-size, Enterprise and Extended Enterprise sectors

•           Insights into the state of the Industry

Craig commented, “There are a number of newcomers in the Top 50 LMSs for 2016, including one that debuts in the Top Ten. However, the top three maintain their position from 2015, with ExpertusOne returning to the top spot, with Growth Engineering falling back to ‘runner-up’ and eLogic Learning remaining at number three.”

According to Craig, the number of LMSs is still expanding. He added, “There’s a growing trend towards today’s vendors offering a ‘buy now, go live now’ approach.”

Craig believes that the LMS features to watch in 2016 are content curation, coaching (or ask a mentor) and deep learning (otherwise known as predictive analysis – and the early stage of the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to learning). According to Craig, most LMSs are now including at least some components of each of these features.

Other LMS-related features gaining ground this year are application program interfaces (APIs) and integrations, along with the increasing use of video as separate courses, with analytics that go beyond how many times these were viewed. Advances are also being made in capturing video on a mobile device and inputting it into the LMS.

“People who buy this Report,” said Craig, “are individuals who’re seeking information and insight to make an informed decision about LMSs. They’re willing to think outside the box and, in today’s online learning world, those who think outside of the box usually find the right system for themselves and their learners.”

Copies of the ‘Top 50 LMS 2016 Rankings Report’, which runs to some 500 pages, are available from E-Learning 24/7, price $599.