Before knowing what a cloud LMS is, you should know what an LMS is. You might or might not be aware of this term, so here is a quick overview of what an LMS is basically.
Learning Management System(LMS) is a software that is used to manage all the training or educational contents that can be used by Universities and business organizations. LMS is mostly used for administration, delivery, tracking, reporting, and documentation of educational courses or training programs.
What can be done using an LMS?
Each LMS would offer different features and user experience, but in general, a user can do the following actions:
- Create or import training content
- Assign the training content to an employee or student and schedule them with due dates
- Track the completion of that training by the employee or student
- Conduct online training and live webinars
- Store history/records of the completed training and run reports on training
Now that we have a piece of basic knowledge on what an LMS is, we will get started with knowing about what a cloud LMS is.
Cloud LMS or Hosted LMS:
Using an LMS in the cloud is not very different from a normal learning management system. One big difference in the setup process of a cloud LMS is that we don’t need to install any software on our computer or web server. We can just sign and start using the LMS software online. Some of the cloud applications that we use frequently are Google docs, Evernote, and Yahoo mail. A cloud LMS is run as a Saas model and would require to pay signup or monthly fee for using the features offered by the application.
After completing the signup process and logging in, we can simply start with creating or uploading content, creating and managing users, set up the training registration process, and also the training payment process if applicable.
Benefits of using a cloud LMS:
The user could benefit in many ways when opted for cloud LMS rather than the traditional LMS software installed on their computer. Some of such aspects are:
Enhanced Security
With a better Cloud LMS application comes better and enhanced security features. So with just a single payment during the signup, we could potentially stop worrying about paying extra for the security aspect. On the other side, there is less possibility that your course or content gets broken; the ultimate target would be the platform that hosts your content. So if anything happens, you don’t have to worry about fixing that, but rather you could spend your time on something else until they fix their issue.
Reduced Setup Cost
Self-hosting, a Learning management system, would require the user to take care of all the technical aspects by forming an internal team or outsourcing with a third party. Depending on the organization’s size and the level of expertise required, this cost could make a huge investment. But with cloud LMS, we could skip through the installation process, set up, customization, staff training, etc., which could save a lot of money. Cloud LMS often involves paying a monthly subscription fee, which is balanced with the software purchase or annual fee that is paid for installed LMS software.
Reduced Setup timing
With installed LMS, installing and setting up the software in the local servers, configuring its specifications, and then starting to create or upload the content would require more time. Whereas in cloud LMS, we are always all set and ready to go. Their external team will set up everything, and the only thing required by the user is to signup and start uploading their content.
Easy Maintenance
Since the 1960’s the whole cloud technology is all about increasing efficiency and making it easy and function seamlessly. So while dealing with cloud LMS, the user doesn’t have to worry about the upgrades and updates to perform periodically. The signup fee that is paid would also cover the service of the external support team, who will assist in any difficulties faced or queries raised by the user. Not only do they assist with the issues, but also keep track of the latest technological advancement and incorporate them to the platform.
By offering increased accessibility and all other benefits, it is of no surprise that the cloud LMS is growing rapidly both in terms of business and popularity. With the help of cloud-based learning management systems, businesses and institutions can manage their training and development from anywhere in the world with any device with an internet connection.
