Skillsoft Acquires SumTotal: Frequently Asked Questions October 2014
1. What have we announced? Skillsoft has completed the previously announced acquisition of SumTotal. Skillsoft s acquisition of SumTotal creates a combined company that will be able to offer comprehensive, content-rich HR solutions. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. 2. Who is Skillsoft? Skillsoft serves over 6,000 customers and more than 19 million learners around the world. Currently, we offer more than 60,000 learning assets aimed at developing business, IT, compliance and leadership skills. Our customers include global enterprises, government, educational institutions, along with a wide range of small and mid-sized businesses. Skillsoft is an Irish-based company with its US headquarters in Nashua, New Hampshire. 3. Who is SumTotal? SumTotal provides flexible, next-generation human resources (HR) solutions to 3,500 customers and 49 million users worldwide including many of the Fortune 500. SumTotal s Talent Expansion solutions provide personalized learning, talent and workforce processes to organizations of all sizes. SumTotal is a North American based company with its headquarters in Gainesville, Florida. 4. What are the key ways our customers will benefit from this acquisition? The market for learning content and solutions that optimize the performance of organizations is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. There is increasing demand for a platform that goes beyond basic employee management to deliver content, talent management software, and a proven methodology for employee development and performance improvement. Also driving this growth are widely projected global shortages of millions of skilled workers by the year 2020. These shortages are forcing a fundamental shift from the Information Age to a new Learning Age. Through its acquisition of SumTotal, Skillsoft will be strategically positioned to deliver upon this market demand and deliver enduring solutions to create sustainable business advantage for our customers in the Learning Age. The combined company will offer a comprehensive, content-rich solution that brings together Skillsoft s deep expertise in learning assets, methodologies and rich systems of engagement with SumTotal s full suite of highly scalable unified Talent Expansion solutions. 2014 Skillsoft Ireland Limited 2
Combined, Skillsoft and SumTotal Systems provide significant value to customers: Complete HR solution with embedded content from a single vendor enables lower TCO Compliance enforcement with built in capabilities and regulatory content across industries Contextual and personalized delivery of content and information via robust platform to improve employee productivity, skills and engagement 5. Will the SumTotal company name change? SumTotal will operate as a strategic business unit within Skillsoft. The company will operate under Skillsoft and be known as SumTotal, a Skillsoft Company : 6. What are the plans for supporting Skillsoft and SumTotal product lines? We continue to support our line of existing products and services. We promise to continue innovating so that you can continue growing. The powerful combination of SumTotal and Skillsoft enables pervasive learning delivered to employees across HR processes and systems, giving organizations a leadership position in the Learning Age. We look forward to extending these benefits to all of our customers across learning, talent, workforce management and payroll solutions. We remain steadfast in our commitment to serve our customers and seek their feedback and guidance. 7. How is Skillsoft supporting customers with other learning systems from a provider other than SumTotal? Skillsoft has a proven history of supporting customer deployments regardless of their choice of platform. We will continue to maintain our neutral, open ( Swiss ) approach to platforms leveraging the OLSA (Open Learning Services Architecture) technology. While we believe that the best experience for consuming the Skillsoft learning content is the platforms we control, we will support customers on other platforms at the same level as prior to the acquisition. All the current partnerships agreements will continue for the foreseeable future. 2014 Skillsoft Ireland Limited 3
8. How is SumTotal supporting customers with content from a provider other than Skillsoft? SumTotal has a proven track record of supporting customers regardless of their choice of content providers. SumTotal will continue to maintain an open approach to content utilizing accepted industry standards such as AICC and SCORM. While we believe that the best experience for delivering content is through content platforms we control, we will support customers on other platforms at the same level as prior to the acquisition. All the current partnerships agreements will continue for the foreseeable future. 9. What is the planned product integration strategy and R&D priorities? SumTotal Enterprise Learn and Maestro Learn already integrate Skillsoft learning assets today using OLSA to provide easy access and engaging experience to end users. We will be looking at additional integration points across all modules in the future, and have already identified some initial areas to improve the presentation of Skillsoft learning assets in the SumTotal Talent Expansion suite. With SumTotal s differentiated platform along with Skillsoft s rich content and discovery technology, we will be able to provide pervasive and contextual access across HR processes and systems. The company will continue to invest in its innovative industry leading technology offerings and remains committed to bringing high quality next generation HR solutions to all our customers and prospects. 10. What are our plans with respect to Skillsoft s Skillport platform? We have approximately 4,500 customers who are deploying their learning content leveraging Skillport functionality today. Skillport will remain a content discovery and delivery platform for customers, and Skillsoft remains committed to the feature and functionality roadmap which is underway to meet the commitments to key customers. Customers of Skillsoft content and Skillport will have the opportunity to add and take advantage of best in class capabilities of the enterprise and SMB learning, talent and workforce solutions we now offer. 11. How does the combined company benefit customers who are using SumTotal Talent, Workforce and Payroll products? Skillsoft and SumTotal customers will benefit from the combination of the two companies, which is breaking new ground to implement more comprehensive solutions for managing and expanding workforce talent. Access to relevant content and compliance enforcement remains a big challenge across all HR processes. 2014 Skillsoft Ireland Limited 4
Customers of all products will be able to benefit from having access to compliance and other development content that will be relevant within the context of talent and workforce processes. For example, customers will have embedded competencies and relevant content available in performance or succession planning review. We look forward to extending these benefits to all of our customers across learning, talent, elixhr, workforce management and payroll solutions. 12. Will you still support multiple deployment models? Skillsoft and SumTotal remain committed to providing the flexibility of multiple deployment models to all our customers. We will continue to offer next generation solutions across Public Cloud, Private Cloud and on-premise depending upon the specific needs of our customers across different industries. 13. How will sales inquiries be handled for the combined company? Customers should continue to contact their Skillsoft Account Manager for inquiries regarding Skillsoft products, and their SumTotal Account Manager for inquiries regarding SumTotal products. 14. How will customer support inquiries be handled for the combined company? Customers should continue to use their regular channels (phone, customer service portal) to contact the SumTotal Support Center for SumTotal products, and the Skillsoft Support Center for Skillsoft products. 15. Where can I find more information about the acquisition and the future direction of the combined company? Please visit www.skillsoft.com/future for the more detailed information and frequent updates. Furthermore, you can speak to your Account Manager at any time to clarify any specific questions. 2014 Skillsoft Ireland Limited 5