Charting the Course: Postsecondary E-Learning Providers Respond to New Market Conditions

Leading firms in the higher education e-learning marketplace have successfully navigated two principal challenges presented by a nascent and growing market. In doing so, these firms are charting a course toward a sustainable and profitable industry segment.

The leading companies have capitalized on the first change in market conditions - savvier e-learning buyers. Senior decision makers at postsecondary institutions have become more knowledgeable about the benefits and costs of e-learning, marked by institutions' increasing willingness to pay higher prices for easy-to-use, powerful solutions that benefit instructors, learners, and administrators. Second, e-learning providers have met the challenge of transitioning to primarily fee-based business models with profitability achieved or looming close on the horizon. Recognizing these developments, Eduventures expects e-learning revenues - generated by companies' licensing of course management systems, digital publishing solutions, and academic services and consulting - to grow from $310 million in 2001 to over $1.0 billion in 2005.

Charting the Course provides educational institution decision makers with a framework for evaluating the offerings of leading e-learning vendors; e-learning companies with analysis on the competitive marketplace; and investors and market observers with insights on key trends and the business models and strategies behind rapidly growing firms. Charting the Course features strategic analysis of nine leading firms in the e-learning market (Blackboard, Campus Pipeline, CollegisEduprise, eCollege, Embanet, IntraLearn, Jenzabar, Prometheus and WebCT), while updating and extending Eduventures' After the Big Bang: Higher Education E-Learning Markets Get Set to Consolidate, published in October 2000.