eXact learning solutions, global vendor of online and mobile learning content management and digital repository solutions, has released the latest version – version 8 – of its flagship product eXact LCMS. This new version will be officially presented at the DevLearn event, being held in Las Vegas from 2^nd to 4^th November.

As a virtual premiere of the official release of the new platform, eXact learning solutions is organising an online webinar. The webinar takes place on 25^th October, and is managed by eXact learning solutions North America. The webinar, which is free to attend, will take place at noon Eastern Time, 11am Central Time,  9am Pacific Time, 5pm BST and 6pm Central European Time on 25^th October. To register for the webinar, visit: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/728952646

Installed in more than 100 corporate and industry clients worldwide, eXact LCMS version 8 increases the user interfaces and functionality for the core modules of the learn eXact Suite, now enabling:

•           More open and extensible content templating and authoring options,

•           More flexible content production lifecycle and workflow options,

•           Extended industry standards support, now available for the new DITA (Darwinian Information Type) Learning & Training specialisation standard from OASIS (Advancing Open Standards for the Information Society)  (http://www.oasis-open.org/)

•           Improved multi-channel delivery, now extended with the new set of Android, Blackberry and iPad  apps available in the mobile learning component of the learn eXact Suite

•           Enhanced usability of the workflow and production management, editorial and language localisation components of the platform

•           Improved integration and interoperability with any third party LMS, CMS and DR

The webinar will showcase the LCMS’s integration with Moodle 2, the new release of the popular open source LMS. This new integration ability extends Moodle 2’s rich media and mobile content production ability and delivery options to create an overall improved learning experience.

To receive further details about this webinar and how to register, contact: a.artuffo@exactls.com or info@exactls.com

Comment: There’s more to this ‘new product release’ than meets the eye. Over the years, the learning technologies sector has become blasé about new technologies and advances in various software applications. These things have taken the industry from thinking that putting learning materials on a CD was pretty neat (in the early 1990s) to using the cloud to store a variety of learning materials – even incorporating video – and make them available, on demand, in a variety of delivery modes, including any form of mobile device.

With the advance of the current economic downturn – becoming progressively more ‘serious’ since 2007 – the pace of this change has slowed, as has the general take-up of the very latest learning technologies. In turn, this has dissuaded some producers from innovating. Instead, they’ve tried to find more buyers for their existing technologies/ approaches to learning.

Few producers have continued to have the confidence in the market and in their abilities to innovate. Those that have had this confidence have continued to devote a high proportion of their turnover to research and development. The launch of eXact LCMS version 8 demonstrates that eXact learning solutions is one of these very few.

The learning technologies sector should be grateful to these companies which are still ‘keeping faith’ with their customers and helping the learning technologies industry to progress.