Leading German LMS vendor IMC AG enters UK for the first time at Learning Technologies 2007

Our Passion is the Difference": under this headline IMC AG from Germany, one of the leading European vendors for learning management solutions, will officially launch its business in the UK during the Learning Technologies 2007 exhibition in London. With the learning management system CLIX and rapid authoring tool LECTURNITY, IMC (UK) Learning Ltd, the newly founded subsidiary of IMC AG, will present cutting-edge technologies that underline its passion for learning to its potential clients.

"2007 promises to be one of the most exciting years yet for e-learning. Trends like Web 2.0 and mobile learning will take learning technologies to a new level and positively influence the way students and users reach their learning objectives", says IMC board member Wolfgang Kraemer.

First contact: IMC presents leading-edge LMS CLIX to UK professionals
At Learning Technologies 2007, IMC will present its learning management system CLIX 6.1 and provide more news about CLIX 7, to be released soon. The J2EE-based, scalable and multilingual learning platform supports all learning and knowledge processes and is thus capable of meeting the diverse and individual requirements of organisations that need to develop managers, train their work force or teach students. The CLIX framework includes learning, testing, certification and performance management as well as powerful tools for the evaluation and assessment of all training activities. CLIX also comes with a set of standardised integration technologies, and is certified for AICC, SCORM, and SAP Netweaver. New in CLIX 6 and 7 are social learning and Web 2.0 features such as Blogs and Wikis, the integration of ICQ and Skype and extended integration frameworks, including especially the integration of CLIX in Microsoft's SharePoint Server.

CLIX: the first LMS that allows MS SharePoint integration
Based on the close cooperation and partnership of IMC with Microsoft Germany an appropriate user interface was developed to use CLIX features like course registration, content updates, bookshelf assignments etc. into the SharePoint portal. Against the background of consistent workflows and business processes, learning management systems are rarely used as stand-alone solutions within organisations. Hence, it is necessary to provide a flexible framework for the integration of an LMS in existing IT environments. With IMC's solution "CLIX2MOSS" learners and administrators are now able to access the core functions of CLIX without switching from one application to the other. All information about learning processes is displayed at a central and personalised single spot. Predefined sites and "Webparts" provide a homogeneous look & feel.

Sophisticated business intelligence functions included in CLIX
Furthermore CLIX 7 comes with a powerful business intelligence framework for the analysis, evaluation and controlling of all processes inherent to learning management (administrative, learning, and training activities). Currently IMC is designing and implementing the multidimensional matrixes to perform complex requests. Based on a data warehouse and OLAP-architecture CLIX Analytics will offer a highly flexible and customisable access to all the information responsible learning managers and information workers need to know.

Rapid Authoring with LECTURNITY - now ready for use with an iPod, too!
IMC's PowerPoint-based Rapid Authoring Software LECTURNITY is a successful tool, widely used by customers in the university and corporate sector. LECTURNITY makes possible the quick and cost-effective creation of multimedia content, without help from external specialists. Lectures - including all annotations - can be recorded with sound and video and then published on the internet directly afterwards. Information and ideas can be communicated clearly and quickly, with lasting effect, via interactive presentations. The forthcoming release of LECTURNITY 2.0 will provide new interactive elements such as a test tool and MPEG4-support allowing lectures or presentations created with LECTURNITY to be played on an iPod or similar mobile device.

"Become a customer at no risk": IMC's flexible on-demand solutions
Both applications are also available as on-demand services (ASP solution). Especially for single business units, an on-demand solution is often the best way to realise a better "time2competency" programme. Instead of setting up a long-term decision-making process within the company, business unit managers can "rent" a learning environment and do not need to manage things like IT hosting, software support, or release migration. Thus, they are able to focus on what really drives the business: the workforce's competence and the challenge to improve it every day.

"On-demand" doesn't mean getting just a technical ASP solution. IMC helps manage the learning environment itself by offering services such as planning and realisation of content structures, developing and implementing a content strategy, selecting and supplying learning content as well as providing editorial management of the platform. "On-demand services are an important trend in the eLearning market. In the last two years, the demand for ASP solutions and services has been the fastest growing business sector at IMC" says Gareth Walters, sales manager at IMC (UK) Learning Ltd. The success of the ASP model has convinced IMC to offer the on-demand solution not only for CLIX but also for LECTURNITY. Recently, therefore, IMC decided to introduce a time-based pricing model for LECTURNITY.

Distinguishing advantage: IMC's passion for learning and highly mature products
Wolfgang Kraemer's own passion becomes obvious when he explains; "Learning and teaching can be made easier, more successful, more exciting, and more satisfactory when using sophisticated learning technologies like CLIX or LECTURNITY. We believe that when using our learning technologies, our passion for learning becomes clear. We want users to share their own learning experiences and insights with fellow learners. We want them to demand more learning, we want them to get better qualifications and we want them to be open for life long intellectual challenge. This thinking underlines our business. Our Passion makes the Difference".

"The administrative part of learning management is, of course, the key element of the decision for a learning management solution", adds Frank Milius, the IMC board member responsible for product development. "But equal to this 'management' motivation is the 'learning' part which is fundamental. Successful learning is always a question of motivation, communication and fun. With our tools and technologies we want to provide both: excellent management solutions as well as outstanding learning experiences".

IMC agenda at Learning Technologies 2007:
Come and see us on stand 9 to discover our passion and find out how it can benefit your business: 31st January - 1st February 2007, Olympia 2, London, Stand 9
• Do you want to speak with IMC's experts?
Please contact IMC to make an appointment by phone (+44 121 767 1910), fax (+44 121 767 1922), email: [email protected] or register online at www.im-c.co.uk
• Free Seminar:
"Implementing a vanilla version LMS in line with individual customer needs" with Sue Watts, Training Manager KLearn Operations, KMPG UK; Sue Woods, e-Learning Manager, E.ON; Gareth Walters, Sales Manager & Dirk Thissen, Business Development Manager, IMC (UK) Learning Ltd
• Conference presentation by E.ON, an IMC customer:
Elisabeth Jaegle, Manager E.ON Academy Online & Learning Services at E.ON AG will give a presentation titled "Creating a virtual learning & development home for all".
• Press Contact:
For more information about IMC, or to make an appointment, journalists should contact Peter Sprenger, Director Communications (phone +49 681 9476400, Email [email protected]) or Julia Ewen (phone +49 681 94760, Email [email protected]) - or just visit our stand during the exhibition.
• Win an iPod:
IMC is offering a 30 GB iPod in a prize draw to visitors of the exhibition in both days.