Postsecondary Academic Computing: Identifying Opportunities Beyond LMS

The transformation of academic computing continues apace with the emergence of new technologies that extend teaching and learning capabilities for faculty and students. With learning management systems (LMS) found on 90% of U.S. higher education campuses, suppliers are looking beyond these platforms to add value to technology-enabled learning environments. The LMS segment represents the largest of the four comprising the postsecondary Academic Computing market, which also includes the Learning Outcomes Management (LOM), Communication and Collaboration, and Content Delivery segments.

These latter three segments possess a distinct set of factors both driving and inhibiting growth for those suppliers that are developing solutions to meet institutional needs. However, one theme is constant for suppliers across each of the segments – an institution’s enterprise LMS will serve as the hub for academic computing efforts and new applications must account for this reality. Moreover, Blackboard’s acquisition of WebCT has resulted in a combined business that dwarfs other notable LMS providers, and suppliers will need to contend with the extensive market penetration enjoyed by the “new” Blackboard.

Postsecondary Academic Computing: Identifying Opportunities Beyond LMS examines the segments comprising the Academic Computing market, identifying this market’s emerging segments, drivers, and key trends. In interviews with CIOs and senior academic leaders at more than 25 institutions, as well as conversations with suppliers across all academic computing segments, Eduventures tested customer readiness for various academic computing technologies to assist suppliers in pinpointing the window of opportunity for their solutions.