Most learning platforms ask you to choose: structured compliance training or engaging learner experiences. Legacy LMS capabilities or modern AI-powered performance support. Fuse Universal is betting you shouldn’t have to make that choice. 

I recently met with Steve Dineen, Founder and President, and Rhys Giles, Chief Product Officer at Fuse Universal to discuss their repositioning and the launch of Fuse 4. The company is making a direct play to replace traditional learning management systems while simultaneously addressing the performance support gap that’s plagued corporate L&D for years. After 30 years in learning operations before joining Brandon Hall Group, I’ve seen plenty of platforms promise to do it all. Fuse’s approach merits attention because they’re solving a real problem: the learning technology stack has become unwieldy, expensive, and disconnected from actual job performance. 

The LXP Market Shifted — And So Did Fuse 

The learning experience platform category that emerged in the mid-2010s promised personalized, Netflix-style learning. By 2024, that market had contracted sharply. Companies that positioned themselves solely as LXPs found their sales pipelines drying up as buyers delayed decisions or abandoned projects entirely. 

Fuse responded by returning to their roots as an integrated learning platform—what we at Brandon Hall Group called them in our 2023 research. Rather than sitting on top of an LMS, they now position as a complete replacement. For organizations like Hilti and Avon (both longtime Fuse customers using it as their sole platform), this isn’t new. But Fuse has systematically filled the traditional LMS gaps in their product to make this positioning viable for a broader market. 

The shift makes business sense. Organizations are consolidating vendors, not adding them. Our research consistently shows technology rationalization as a top priority for HR and L&D leaders. When budgets tighten, the question becomes: which platform can handle compliance and capability development and performance support? Organizations exploring these decisions benefit from Brandon Hall Group’s Institute membership, which provides access to research, certifications, courses, advisory services, and peer networks to guide platform selection. 

How Fuse Stacks Up Against the Competition 

The corporate learning platform market splits into distinct camps based on architecture, go-to-market approach, and AI implementation: 

Cornerstone OnDemand 

• Capabilities: Largest installed base with comprehensive talent suite integration, skills architecture from SkyHive acquisition, traditional LMS foundation enhanced with AI features 

Degreed 

• Capabilities: Skills-first platform with Maestro AI for adaptive learning, strong content aggregation from multiple sources, proficiency-level tagging that maps learning to role expectations 

Workday Learning 

• Capabilities: Native integration with Workday HCM and Finance creates unified data model; Skills Cloud with 2,000+ mapped skills; recently acquired Sana for AI-native learning and agentic capabilities 

SAP SuccessFactors Learning 

• Capabilities: Deep integration across SAP ecosystem; strong compliance and certification tracking; AI-assisted content generation and skills inference in 2025 releases 

Docebo 

• Capabilities: AI-first architecture with Creator tool for content generation, Virtual Coaching for scenario-based training, Harmony agentic marketplace launching for workflow automation 

Each platform solves specific problems well. The question for buyers is whether they want best-of-breed specialization or an integrated approach that consolidates capabilities. Our Solution Provider research and strategy briefs help organizations navigate these decisions by providing detailed comparisons of vendor approaches, implementation requirements, and total cost of ownership considerations. 

Three Innovations Worth Understanding 

Fuse’s latest release centers on making AI practical for everyday L&D operations, not just impressive in demos: 

AI Course Creation That Follows Instructional Design Workflow 

Their CoursePlus tool doesn’t just generate content—it walks through the instructional design process. You start with learning objectives, define your audience, specify tone and style, then build the storyboard before generating any content. 

This matters because AI content tools that skip straight to generation produce generic output that requires extensive editing. By following the traditional ID process while automating the production, CoursePlus helps L&D teams maintain quality control. The tool generates courses in multiple languages instantly (I watched a demo translate a full course to Arabic in under three seconds) and makes all content searchable through their Knowledge Intelligence Engine. 

AI Coaches With Actual Memory 

Most AI chatbots in learning platforms provide basic Q&A. Fuse’s AI coaches store individual variables about each user — their role, knowledge level, even learning preferences like reading level or neurodiversity needs. A coach can remember your strengths and gaps across multiple interactions, adjusting its approach accordingly. 

The coaches sit in four categories: leadership (reflective guidance), role play (practice scenarios), tutoring (skill development), and performance (daily task support). Organizations can build multiple coaches targeted at specific job families rather than deploying one generic assistant. The coaches launch with voice capabilities, enabling realistic role-play scenarios for sales teams, customer service, or difficult conversations. 

Performance Support That Lives Where Work Happens 

Fuse Flow is a browser extension that surfaces learning content within your existing tools. If you’re in Salesforce and need help with a process, the coach appears without leaving your workflow. The system transcribes all content (articles, videos, PDFs) so AI can access it, then answers questions in any of 49 languages regardless of the source language. 

Organizations upload process documents, training manuals, and product information once. Frontline workers across global operations can ask questions in their native language and get answers drawn from the company’s actual knowledge base, not generic internet information. 

Who This Platform Serves Best 

Based on the briefing and analysis of their customer base, Fuse fits specific organizational profiles: 

Organizations Consolidating Learning Technology Stacks 

• Mid-size to large enterprises (1,000+ employees) drowning in multiple LMS, LXP, and performance support tools 

• IT and procurement pressure to reduce vendors and associated integration costs 

• Key benefit: Replace 3-5 systems with one platform while improving user experience 

Companies With Large Frontline or Distributed Workforces 

• Retail, hospitality, manufacturing, field services with workers who need answers in the moment 

• Multi-country operations requiring robust translation and localization 

• Key benefit: AI-powered performance support accessible via mobile delivers just-in-time knowledge at point of need 

Businesses Building Structured Capability Academies 

• Sales, finance, leadership, customer service programs that combine formal learning with ongoing performance support 

• Organizations that measure L&D impact through business KPIs, not just completion rates 

• Key benefit: Integrates compliance requirements with capability development in targeted programs that connect learning to performance outcomes 

SAP SuccessFactors or Workday HCM Customers Seeking LXP Capabilities 

• Enterprises with core HR systems that want enhanced learning experiences without replacing their LMS 

• Companies looking to add social learning, modern UX, and AI coaching while maintaining compliance infrastructure 

• Key benefit: Sits alongside existing LMS to deliver capability academies and performance support for strategic job families 

Organizations Prioritizing Employee-Generated Content and Knowledge Sharing 

• Companies with distributed expertise that needs capturing and sharing 

• Cultures emphasizing peer learning and communities of practice 

• Key benefit: Content creation tools plus community structure enable knowledge capture from SMEs at scale 

L&D leaders evaluating vendors across these use cases can leverage Brandon Hall Group’s SmartChoice® Preferred Provider Program, which applies rigorous evaluation criteria to identify solution providers meeting high standards for capability, service, and innovation. Our advisory services help organizations match specific requirements to vendor strengths. 

The Market Position Reality 

Fuse occupies an interesting position — not the largest player, but perhaps the most willing to make strong product bets on AI and workflow integration. Their competitors have larger customer bases, deeper pockets, or embedded positions in broader talent suites. Fuse’s advantage lies in product focus and execution speed. 

The capability academy approach resonates because it solves a persistent problem: formal learning disconnected from job performance. By bundling structured programs with AI coaching, performance support, and analytics tied to business outcomes, they create a compelling alternative to the “LMS for compliance, something else for everything else” model many organizations struggle with. 

Their challenge is the same one facing any mid-market platform: awareness and trust. Brandon Hall Group’s Excellence Awards program recognizes innovation across learning technology, giving solution providers a platform to demonstrate capabilities to corporate buyers. Our HCM Excellence Conference connects L&D leaders directly with vendors showcasing innovations like AI-powered coaching and integrated learning platforms — exactly the capabilities Fuse is bringing to market. 

The learning platform market isn’t consolidating into one winner. It’s fragmenting into different approaches — skills-first systems, AI-native platforms, talent suite components, and integrated learning platforms. Fuse’s bet on the all-in-one, AI-enabled model for performance-driven organizations positions them for a specific buyer who wants to consolidate their stack while advancing their L&D capabilities. 

That’s not every organization. But for companies tired of managing multiple systems that don’t talk to each other, frustrated by static compliance training, and ready to connect learning directly to job performance, Fuse presents a coherent alternative worth evaluating. 

The post When Your LMS Becomes the AI Performance Hub</br> Your Workforce Actually Uses appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

 Here’s a question worth asking: when was the last time your compliance training felt less like a box-checking exercise and more like something people actually wanted to complete? 

Mandatory training is a necessary evil, often seen as something to endure, not engage with. But what if the training that employees dread most could become the training they talk about at lunch? 

Meeting a Different Kind of Learning Studio 

I recently connected with Deirdre Jensen, Managing Director of Game2Change Learning, a South African learning consultancy that’s been quietly building a reputation for game-based training solutions over the past decade. What caught my attention was their approach to solving one of corporate learning’s most persistent problems: how do you make required training genuinely engaging? The Brandon Hall Group Institute offers research, courses and certifications that help companies tackle problems like this and Game2Change does a great job.  

Game2Change has evolved from Deirdre’s initial work with physical board games into a full-service learning design studio. They’ve landed projects with major South African banks, delivered programs to over 22,000 employees, and are now scaling their approach across Africa. With a lean staff and a tight network of contractors, they’re navigating the classic boutique agency challenge: how to grow without sacrificing quality. 

Their value proposition centers on immersive, game-based learning experiences — particularly for compliance training and employee onboarding. Rather than clicking through slide after slide of policy information, learners engage with Unity-developed games, scenario-based simulations, and (currently in beta) an AI tutor for onboarding programs. 

The South African Learning Tech Landscape 

To understand Game2Change’s positioning, it helps to map the competitive terrain they’re navigating: 

New Leaf Technologies represents the established player in this market. They offer comprehensive LMS platforms (aNewSpring, New Leaf LMS), adaptive learning technology, and are Africa’s exclusive certified Articulate training provider. Their Training Intelligence System won recognition at the 2024 Learning Technologies Awards in London. New Leaf brings scale, established vendor partnerships, and sophisticated analytics — but their platform-first approach means custom content creation is one service among many rather than their primary focus. 

Anderson Studios specializes in creative eLearning development with emphasis on health and safety, aviation training, and HR induction programs. They use advanced instructional design and multimedia production capabilities. However, their focus remains primarily on traditional eLearning formats rather than Unity-based game development, and they serve more established enterprise clients than mid-market organizations. 

Design Connection (Cape Town-based) offers custom eLearning and LMS development with growing gamification capabilities. They work with international clients and bring strong technical development skills. Their limitation is scale — they’re a small team building capacity gradually rather than specializing deeply in specific training domains. 

OES (formerly Construct Education with operations in both Cape Town and the U.S.) focuses on inclusive, accessible learning design for higher education and professional development. They bring pedagogical rigor and production capabilities but aren’t positioned as game-based learning specialists targeting the corporate compliance market. 

The broader market includes HR suite providers focused on administrative functions, generic eLearning vendors with off-the-shelf content, and freelance Storyline developers who can execute projects but lack the strategic consulting layer. This creates a gap: organizations seeking custom, immersive compliance and onboarding solutions without the overhead of large platform implementations or the limitations of template-based content. 

When You Actually Want to Build Games for Learning 

Game2Change’s technical approach differentiates them in three specific ways: 

Unity-Developed Learning Games: While many providers add gamification elements (points, badges, leaderboards) to traditional eLearning, Game2Change builds actual games using Unity—the same engine behind mobile hits like Among Us and Genshin Impact. Their data privacy training for a major South African bank features a lighthouse keeper game where learners must correctly match ship names and transmissions to understand data accuracy principles. The game changes each playthrough, includes three mini-games teaching different privacy principles, and connects to leaderboards for organizational awareness campaigns. This approach transforms “getting names and surnames correct” — potentially the most mundane compliance topic imaginable — into an engaging challenge where failure means trying again rather than clicking “next” without comprehension. 

Diagnostic-Led Onboarding Framework: Rather than starting with solutions, Game2Change’s Ignite Onboarding program begins with a structured diagnostic conducted over 10 working days. They survey new hires, interview managers, consult with recruitment partners, and assess organizational maturity across the onboarding journey. The deliverable is a gap analysis showing what’s missing, what can be enhanced, and what might be outsourced — essentially acting as both consultant and implementation partner. For mid-market companies (their current focus), this diagnostic approach addresses a critical pain point: they know their onboarding isn’t working, but they don’t have internal L&D expertise to diagnose why or design solutions. 

Embedded Learning Measurement: Game2Change has inadvertently created demand for something that should be standard but often isn’t: measuring learning effectiveness. Using Kirkpatrick’s framework, they’ve built measurement components into their projects and seen organic demand emerge. One compliance program showed 86.59% of learners (from a 500-person sample) reported having skills they could apply immediately. Another program demonstrated a 17% increase between pre- and post-assessment for the test group, plus a 5% improvement versus the control group. Organizations are now approaching them specifically for measurement services on existing programs — not because it’s innovative, but because it’s rare to find learning partners who can quantify impact. 

At our annual HCM Excellence Conference, Brandon Hall Group brings together the top innovators and the organizations driving success from across the globe for a week of focused conversations, powerful networking and industry-defining recognition.  

Who Actually Needs Game-Based Compliance Training? 

Game2Change’s ideal customer profile has sharpened considerably as they’ve moved from bespoke consulting to scalable offerings:

Banking and Financial Services Organizations 

• South African banks facing increasingly complex regulatory environments (FICA, data privacy, market conduct) 

• Need to train thousands of employees on compliance requirements that change frequently 

• Value game-based approaches that improve knowledge retention versus annual “check the box” training 

• Benefit from built-in measurement showing compliance program effectiveness to regulators 

Contact Centers and High-Turnover Operations 

• Organizations hiring and onboarding constantly, where poor onboarding directly impacts customer experience 

• Need rapid time-to-productivity (measured in weeks, not months) 

• Require scalable programs that don’t depend on manager availability for every new hire 

• Game-based elements help maintain engagement during repetitive training on systems and processes 

Mid-Market African Companies (500-5,000 Employees) 

• Growing beyond founder-led approaches but lacking dedicated L&D teams 

• Face compliance requirements (cybersecurity, data privacy) without internal expertise to build training 

• Price-sensitive to dollar-based international solutions; seek regional providers who understand local context 

• Need diagnostic help identifying gaps before investing in solutions 

Tech Companies and SaaS Scale-Ups 

• Attracting technical talent (data scientists, developers) who have high expectations for learning experiences 

• Use onboarding as competitive differentiation in talent markets 

• Value cultural immersion games that build cross-functional understanding quickly 

• Willing to invest in higher-touch programs that reduce early turnover 

Pan-African Operations 

• Organizations expanding across African markets (Kenya, Botswana, multiple countries) 

• Need compliance training adapted to different regulatory environments 

• Benefit from Game2Change’s experience working across African markets with varying infrastructure 

• Prefer mobile-first design given connectivity challenges in some regions 

Scaling Boutique Expertise: The Strategic Challenge 

Game2Change finds itself at an inflection point that many specialized service firms face: they’ve proven their approach works, built a client roster of respected brands, and won external validation through awards like our Excellence in Technology program. Now they’re working to transform boutique expertise into scalable offerings without losing the quality that built their reputation. 

Their strategic bet on two focused verticals — compliance training and onboarding — makes sense. Both are universal organizational needs where “good enough” template solutions often fail. Compliance training fails when people don’t retain information or can’t apply it to real situations. Onboarding fails when new hires disengage, don’t understand culture, or take too long to become productive. Game-based approaches address these failure modes directly. 

The challenge is execution: moving from time-and-materials custom work to productized offerings with templates, reusable components, and diagnostic frameworks that reduce the design burden for each new client. Their Ignite Onboarding diagnostic represents this thinking — a structured process they can repeat with contextual customization rather than building from scratch each time. 

The African market opportunity is real but requires patient capital and systematic market development. Organizations in many African markets are just beginning to digitize training programs that were previously in-person or paper-based. Game2Change’s experience working across infrastructure constraints (variable connectivity, mobile-first requirements, price sensitivity to dollar-based pricing) positions them well — but scaling requires investment in sales processes, marketing systems, and people ahead of revenue. 

Game2Change represents an interesting case study: a regional specialist with deep expertise in specific domains (compliance, onboarding) who brings differentiated capabilities (Unity game development, measurement frameworks) but operates in markets where traditional enterprise software pricing doesn’t work. Their next two Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards submissions will provide additional validation and case study material as they scale — particularly valuable as they pursue mid-market clients who need proof of concept before committing. 

The broader lesson for L&D leaders: when evaluating learning partners, look beyond feature checklists to ask what problems they’re distinctively equipped to solve. Template-based compliance training is cheap and fast — but if it doesn’t change behavior or improve retention, it’s not solving your problem. Game2Change’s approach costs more upfront but addresses the actual challenge: making required training something people engage with rather than click through. 

As Africa’s corporate learning market continues maturing, organizations like Game2Change represent a different path forward: not massive platforms or global consulting firms, but specialized studios bringing specific technical capabilities (game development, learning design, measurement) to persistent problems that technology alone doesn’t solve. 

For learning leaders considering partners for compliance or onboarding programs—particularly those operating in emerging markets or serving mid-market organizations — Game2Change’s combination of game-based design, diagnostic consulting, and measurement focus warrants evaluation. Connect with them at game2change.com to explore whether their approach aligns with your specific challenges. 

And if you’re working on innovative programs worth sharing with the broader L&D community, consider submitting to our Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards — it’s how we discovered Game2Change’s work in the first place, and how we continue identifying organizations pushing learning effectiveness forward. 

The post Game2Change Learning: Turning Compliance Training</br> Into Actual Games in Africa’s Growing L&D Market appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

L&D teams deliver training. Employees complete courses. Completion dashboards show green. Yet when executives ask how learning investments improved customer satisfaction, reduced defects, or accelerated time-to-productivity, most L&D leaders struggle to answer. The business wants to understand impact on performance and outcomes. L&D reports on activity and engagement. This gap between what organizations need to know and what learning platforms can demonstrate isn’t getting smaller, it is the primary reason L&D struggles to secure budget and strategic influence. 

I recently sat down with Kallidus‘ leadership team — CEO Harry Chapman-Walker, Chief Product Officer Tony Banks, and Global Sales Director Alex Young — to understand how they’re addressing what they call the “development gap.” The UK-based company has been in business for 25 years, but the last four years have marked an inflection point: 17% growth (nearly double the industry average), 102% net retention, and recognition as the number one corporate LMS in Europe. With 1,300 customers and four million users, they’re now turning their attention to expanding their North American presence beyond their current 10-15% market share. 

Why Most Learning Platforms Stop Short of Business Impact 

At Brandon Hall Group, we love to recognize and empower impact and excellence in organizations through our Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards®.  The corporate learning technology market is crowded with capable platforms, but most share a common limitation: they excel at delivering training while remaining disconnected from what happens after completion. This fragmentation creates gaps that organizations struggle to bridge manually. 

Consider the current competitive landscape: 

• Workday Learning recently acquired SANA Labs for $1.1 billion to address longstanding limitations in its learning capabilities, which originally centered on video distribution rather than comprehensive learning management. The acquisition signals Workday’s recognition that catching up in learning requires dramatic action, though integration challenges and the platform’s primary focus on ERP functionality mean organizations seeking best-of-breed learning capabilities often look elsewhere. 

• Cornerstone OnDemand provides comprehensive talent management alongside learning, offering one of the most feature-rich platforms available for organizations needing enterprise-scale capabilities. The platform’s breadth comes with complexity—many organizations report steep learning curves for administrators and find themselves needing dedicated resources or consultants to fully leverage the system’s extensive configuration options. 

• Ceridian Dayforce (formerly Ceridian) acquired eloomi in early 2024 to enhance learning capabilities within its HCM platform, integrating LMS and performance management into Dayforce’s broader talent suite. While this creates a unified employee data model, organizations seeking specialized learning capabilities often find the depth limited compared to pure-play learning platforms focused exclusively on L&D innovation. 

Platforms either deliver excellent learning experiences without performance integration, or they offer performance management as a separate module that requires manual coordination. Few natively connect what employees learn to how they develop and ultimately perform. 

What Makes Kallidus Different: Learning With a Point 

Kallidus built its platform around a premise that should be obvious but remains rare in execution: learning must connect directly to development, which must connect to performance, which must tie to business outcomes. This isn’t philosophical positioning—it’s architectural. The Brandon Hall Group Institute membership provides access to research, frameworks, models, tools and learning to help you make this connection. 

Unified Learning and Performance Management 

Rather than offering performance as a separate module or afterthought, Kallidus integrates learning and performance in a single experience. When an employee completes training, that activity flows directly into development conversations. When managers conduct performance reviews, they can see: 

• Skills gaps identified through assessments 

• Learning pathways assigned to address those gaps 

• Development activities agreed upon with employees 

• Progress toward objectives that link to organizational KPIs 

This integration means development conversations aren’t abstract discussions—they’re data-informed dialogues grounded in what employees have learned, what skills they’re building, and how that connects to performance expectations. 

AI-Powered Skills Management That Actually Gets Adopted 

Many organizations struggle with skills frameworks because building and maintaining them requires enormous effort. Kallidus addresses this adoption barrier through practical AI applications: 

• AI Taxonomy Generator helps organizations build skills frameworks from scratch or enhance existing ones, getting them 85-90% of the way with minimal manual work 

• Automated Skills Tagging analyzes existing course content to suggest relevant skill associations, eliminating the tedious manual mapping that often derails skills initiatives 

• Flexible Proficiency Levels that adapt to organizational maturity—from simple “have skill/don’t have skill” approaches to sophisticated multi-level competency models 

• Manager-Led Validation that requires employees to request skill level changes and provide evidence, ensuring data quality without creating administrative burden 

The system recognizes that skills management fails when it’s too complex to start or too cumbersome to maintain. By removing these barriers, Kallidus enables organizations to actually implement skills-based development rather than just talking about it. 

Manager Empowerment as Strategy, Not Feature 

Most platforms give managers dashboards and call it enablement. Kallidus treats manager capability as central to their entire development gap strategy. The platform provides: 

• Real-time visibility into team learning progress and skill development 

• Templates and guidance for conducting effective development conversations 

• Ability to assign learning, set development activities, and track progress toward objectives 

• Integration of feedback, goals, and development plans in unified views 

This focus acknowledges what research consistently shows: managers are the linchpin in translating organizational learning investments into individual and team performance improvements. When managers lack tools and visibility, even excellent learning content fails to drive development outcomes. 

Who Benefits Most From This Approach 

Kallidus’s integrated platform serves specific organizational profiles particularly well: 

High-Consequence Industries Requiring Compliance Excellence 

Organizations in healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, and other regulated sectors benefit from Kallidus’s compliance capabilities—automated tracking, certification management, and audit-ready reporting—while simultaneously using the same platform to drive strategic skills development and performance improvement beyond mere regulatory requirements. 

Mid-Market Companies (500-5,000 employees) Outgrowing Entry-Level Solutions 

Organizations that have mastered basic learning management but struggle to prove business impact find Kallidus provides the sophistication they need without the complexity and cost of enterprise platforms designed for organizations ten times their size. 

European and UK Organizations With Global Ambitions 

Companies headquartered in Europe benefit from a provider deeply familiar with European compliance requirements, multi-country operations, and data privacy regulations, while gaining capabilities that scale as they expand into North America and other markets. 

Learning Leaders Measured on Business Outcomes 

L&D teams whose leadership expects them to demonstrate ROI—not just completion rates—need platforms that natively connect learning activities to performance metrics and business KPIs rather than requiring complex external analysis to make these connections. 

Organizations Committed to Manager Development 

Companies investing in manager capability recognize that even the best learning technology fails without manager engagement. Kallidus’s focus on providing managers practical tools and visibility makes it natural fit for organizations where manager development is strategic priority. 

Strategic Perspective: Closing Gaps the Market Creates 

The consolidation trend sweeping HR technology creates interesting dynamics. HCM platforms are acquiring learning companies (Workday/SANA, Ceridian/eloomi) to fill gaps in their suites. These acquisitions signal that all-in-one platforms recognize they can’t build learning depth organically — but they also highlight integration challenges that persist for years post-acquisition. 

Kallidus occupies valuable territory in this landscape: deep enough in learning and performance to compete with pure-play specialists, integrated enough that they solve the coordination problems that plague multi-vendor stacks, yet focused enough to innovate faster than diversified platforms juggling competing priorities across payroll, benefits, recruiting, and core HR. 

Their approach to AI demonstrates this focus. Rather than pursuing AI for marketing purposes, they’ve deployed it to solve specific adoption barriers: making skills frameworks easier to build, automating content-to-skill mapping, and reducing administrative overhead. The AI serves the business problem rather than the other way around. 

The roadmap items they shared — enhanced manager dashboards, business outcomes reporting that ties learning to KPIs, quarterly release predictability — all reflect an organization that understands its customers’ real challenges. These aren’t moonshot features; they’re practical capabilities that help L&D leaders have better conversations with their CFOs and business unit leaders about learning’s impact. 

For organizations exploring their options, Kallidus warrants serious consideration if you’re ready to move beyond tracking completions and start proving how learning drives performance. The platform assumes you want development conversations, not just content consumption. It assumes managers matter. And it assumes L&D leaders deserve tools that help them demonstrate value rather than just defend activity. 

That’s a refreshing set of assumptions in a market still catching up to what buyers actually need. 

To learn directly from organizations who are successfully managing this gap, the HCM Excellence Conference® is our annual gathering of thought leaders and innovators that celebrates true excellence in HCM work. 

The post Kallidus: Closing the Development Gap</br> Between Learning and Business Outcomes  appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Learning and development teams face an impossible equation: create more content, faster, for global audiences — while somehow maintaining quality and staying within budget. Add the pressure to adopt AI capabilities without sacrificing security or control, and you have the reality most L&D leaders navigate daily. The course authoring tool you choose either multiplies your team’s capacity or becomes another bottleneck.

I recently sat down with Jessie Miller and Melissa Trimble from Articulate to understand how they’re addressing these challenges. The timing was intentional — Articulate just celebrated the one-year anniversary of their AI Assistant launch, and their strategic direction announced recently at Articuland reflects how seriously they’re taking the evolution of workplace learning.

The pressure on L&D teams has reached a breaking point. 57% of companies cite time as a significant or heavy constraint on their team’s effectiveness. (Source: Brandon Hall Group State of Learning 2025 Study. This and many other resources including courses and industry certifications are fully available to Brandon Hall Group Institute members.) Organizations need training content for compliance, onboarding, product launches, sales enablement, and continuous upskilling — often simultaneously and across multiple languages. Traditional authoring approaches can’t keep pace.

The market has responded with a proliferation of tools, each promising to solve the speed problem. But speed without quality is just noise. And quality without accessibility, localization, or the ability to deliver at scale is just expensive art. The real challenge is finding a platform that delivers all of these without forcing teams to become technical experts or compromise on learner experience.

How the Course Authoring Landscape Actually Works

The course authoring market has matured significantly, but not all tools have evolved at the same pace. Understanding the landscape means recognizing both capabilities and constraints:

Easygenerator focuses on enabling subject matter experts to create content directly, reducing the bottleneck of relying entirely on instructional design teams. The collaborative workflow features support this democratization of content creation effectively. For organizations with strong SME engagement and relatively straightforward training needs, this approach works well.

iSpring Suite brings a PowerPoint-native approach that makes it accessible for teams already comfortable with Microsoft’s ecosystem.  They offer strong value for organizations prioritizing rapid conversion of existing presentations into e-learning. The PowerPoint integration is genuinely its greatest strength — teams can leverage familiar workflows without extensive retraining.

Adobe Captivate delivers powerful capabilities for software simulations and technical training, with particularly strong visual design tools that integrate well within the Adobe ecosystem. Organizations already invested in Adobe products appreciate this connectivity.

Lectora Inspire appeals to experienced instructional designers who need maximum flexibility and aren’t intimidated by coding. The platform offers exceptional customization capabilities and strong accessibility features that meet rigorous compliance standards. Organizations in highly regulated industries often gravitate toward Lectora for these reasons.

Gomo Learning provides a cloud-based alternative with strong collaborative features and automatic responsive design. The platform excels at enabling distributed teams to work together in real-time, and its template-based approach accelerates initial content creation. Gomo’s subscription model and cloud infrastructure eliminate installation complexity.

Where Articulate Actually Differentiates

Articulate 360’s market position isn’t accidental. They’re ranked #1 on nearly every industry ranking and trusted by every Fortune 100 company. During our conversation, two capabilities stood out as genuinely different from what competitors offer:

AI Integration That Keeps Creators in Control

Most AI-powered authoring tools follow a “black box” approach — you input information, get output, and hope it’s useful. Articulate’s AI Assistant works differently. Rather than generating complete courses in one shot, it collaborates step-by-step with course creators:

• Upload source documents, PDFs, or existing courses and receive a structured outline with learning objectives, tone, and audience considerations
• Review and modify the framework before generating lessons, maintaining control over instructional strategy
• Generate quiz questions directly from course content with tailored feedback, but edit and refine as needed
• Create realistic voiceover using text-to-speech from a library of over 5,000 voices, with granular control over tone, accent, and style
• Access built-in instructional design principles in the AI engine itself, trained specifically for e-learning rather than generic content generation

Localization That Works at Enterprise Scale

Global organizations consistently identify translation as a major bottleneck. Traditional workflows involve exporting content, managing external translation vendors, reconciling changes, and republishing — often taking weeks or months. Articulate’s integrated localization feature streamlines this entirely:

• Translate courses into 80+ languages with a single click, including right-to-left languages with automatic layout adjustment
• Review translations directly within the course interface, with source and translated text side-by-side
• Enable validators (internal or external) to provide feedback without requiring platform licenses
• Publish all language versions in a single multilanguage SCORM package for streamlined LMS delivery
• Make updates in the source language and propagate changes to all translations automatically

Enterprise-Grade Security Without Compromise

Organizations evaluating AI-powered tools face legitimate security concerns. Articulate addresses these directly: SOC and ISO 27001 compliance, 99.99% uptime, and — critically — a zero data retention policy for all AI subprocessors. Content used to generate courses isn’t stored or used to train models. For regulated industries and organizations with strict data governance requirements, this isn’t negotiable. Articulate designed their AI capabilities with these constraints from the start rather than retrofitting security after the fact.

Who Benefits Most From This Approach

If your organization is working to evaluate learning technology solutions, then you could benefit from Brandon Hall Group’s advisory services. When it comes to Articulate, consider the following high-value use cases.

Global Enterprises Managing Multilingual Training

Organizations with workforces spanning multiple countries and languages face compounding complexity with each new course. Articulate’s integrated localization capabilities particularly serve companies in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and financial services with regulatory training requirements across regions and teams currently managing localization through external vendors and struggling with turnaround times.

Mid-Sized Organizations Maximizing Limited Resources

Companies with 500-5,000 employees often have small L&D teams managing disproportionate content demands. Articulate 360 serves these organizations by enabling small teams to produce high-quality content at volumes that would typically require larger departments. These organizations particularly value the efficiency gains from AI Assistant and the ability to handle both simple microlearning and complex branching scenarios within the same ecosystem.

Heavily Regulated Industries Requiring Compliance Documentation

Healthcare, financial services, pharmaceuticals, and other regulated sectors face rigorous compliance requirements for training content. Articulate addresses these needs through features like a built-in accessibility checker ensuring WCAG 2.1 AA compliance throughout the authoring process, AI-powered generation of alt text and closed captions reducing manual accessibility work, detailed learner tracking and reporting through Reach 360 or SCORM/xAPI export to existing LMS platforms and enterprise security standards (SOC, ISO 27001) that meet strict data governance requirements.

Organizations participating in Brandon Hall Group’s HCM Excellence Awards consistently cite accessibility and compliance as differentiators in their learning technology selection. Articulate’s approach builds these capabilities into the workflow rather than treating them as afterthoughts.

Fast-Growing Technology Companies Scaling Training Rapidly

Startups and high-growth technology companies face unique challenges as they scale from dozens to hundreds or thousands of employees. These organizations benefit from rapid content creation capabilities that match aggressive hiring and growth timelines and modern, engaging course designs that align with tech-forward company cultures. he platform scales naturally as these companies grow, avoiding the need for tool replacement as training sophistication increases.

What This Means for Your Learning Technology Strategy

Articulate’s market dominance stems from solving real problems rather than accumulating features. The shift toward AI-enhanced authoring isn’t theoretical anymore. Organizations adopting these capabilities report measurable efficiency gains, but success requires platforms that integrate AI thoughtfully rather than bolting it on for competitive positioning. Articulate’s step-by-step approach, combined with enterprise security and instructional design principles built into the AI itself, addresses the practical concerns preventing broader adoption.

Organizations ready to modernize their learning technology stack often benefit from external perspective on platform selection and implementation strategy. Brandon Hall Group’s enterprise membership provides access to research, advisory support, and peer networks that help contextualize these decisions within broader learning technology strategy. For solution providers looking to better understand the market, our Solutions Provider offerings include competitive analysis and strategic positioning support.

The course authoring market will continue evolving rapidly as AI capabilities mature and organizations demand more sophisticated content delivery options. Articulate’s current trajectory suggests they understand both where the market is heading and the practical constraints L&D teams face getting there. That combination explains why they’re winning — and why organizations increasingly struggle to justify alternatives.

The post Why Articulate 360 Keeps Winning</br> in a Crowded Course Authoring Market appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Most enterprise learning platforms struggle with a fundamental paradox: the more comprehensive they become, the less personalized they feel. Organizations invest millions in content libraries and sophisticated LMS capabilities, yet employees still can’t find the right learning at the right moment. Cornerstone’s Galaxy platform represents an ambitious attempt to solve this challenge through what they call “workforce agility”—but the real story lies in how they’re executing this vision at unprecedented scale. 

Cornerstone Galaxy: Building on 140 Million User Insights 

Cornerstone Galaxy launched 17 months ago as the company’s answer to workforce transformation, positioning itself as more than just another learning management system. With 7,000 customers and 140 million users globally, the platform leverages an enormous data foundation that few competitors can match. The acquisition of Skyhive has proven particularly strategic, bringing labor market intelligence that includes over a billion anonymized profiles, 5 billion job records, and data from 64 million companies across 200 countries. 

This isn’t just about big numbers. The platform processes 28 terabytes of data daily using around 100 different algorithms to surface trending skills, emerging roles, and economic shifts in real time. For organizations seeking guidance on building data-driven talent strategies, Brandon Hall Group’s enterprise Institute membership provides frameworks for evaluating and implementing these types of intelligence platforms. 

The Competitive Landscape: Where Everyone Claims AI Leadership 

The learning technology market has become increasingly crowded with vendors promising AI-powered transformation. Let’s take a look at a few.  

Workday Skills Cloud • Leverages Workday Illuminate AI to understand skills across the entire workforce with machine learning-driven job recommendations and skills matching • Live with more than 275 customers, integrated across Workday’s Talent Marketplace, Recruiting, Learning, and Career Hub  

SAP SuccessFactors Learning • Includes a talent intelligence hub that provides personalized learning recommendations and helps identify skill gaps • Strong compliance training management with automated certification tracking and regulatory reporting  

Docebo • AI-powered LMS focusing on hyper-personalized learning experiences with dynamic learning paths • Cloud-native architecture designed for quick deployment and scalability  

Absorb LMS • Features Intelligent Assist for AI-powered personalized learning paths and an extensive content library with over 20,000 pre-made courses • Strong mobile learning capabilities with dedicated app support •  

TalentLMS • Cloud-based platform known for simplicity and affordability, particularly suited for small-to-medium businesses • Drag-and-drop course creation with support for various media types • Limited enterprise-grade features for complex organizational structures  

Galaxy’s Technical Differentiators: More Than Marketing Promises 

Beyond the competitive noise, Cornerstone Galaxy demonstrates several concrete innovations that matter for enterprise deployment: 

Multimodal Learning Architecture • Content delivery goes beyond sequential video watching to include quizzes, cohort-based learning, virtual labs with avatars for soft skills practice, and virtual machines for technical skill demonstration • Observational assessments allow learners to upload videos or files of real work for review and feedback • Integration of instructor-led, virtual instructor-led, and social learning within unified learning pathways 

Skills Harmonization Engine • Normalizes and harmonizes skills from multiple sources  without data corruption • Maintains skill tracking across different contexts and systems while preserving original source relationships • Dynamic skill proficiency tracking that combines self-assessment, manager feedback, peer input, and AI predictions 

Mobile-First Deskless Worker Support • Offline content access for PDFs, videos, and interactive SCORM content • Biometric authentication options for secure, frictionless access • Location-based and role-specific content delivery for frontline workers 

These are a small sample of the reasons why Cornerstone has consistently been recognized through Brandon Hall Group’s HCM and Technology Excellence awards.  

Who Benefits Most from Galaxy’s Approach 

The platform’s architecture and capabilities align particularly well with specific organizational profiles: 

Global Enterprises with Complex Learning Ecosystems • Organizations managing 15+ content providers who need unified skills tracking • Companies seeking to reduce content chaos through AI-powered curation and gap analysis • Enterprises requiring multi-language support and regional customization at scale • Benefit: Reduced vendor management overhead and improved content utilization rates 

Manufacturing and Healthcare with Large Frontline Populations • Companies with 60%+ deskless workers requiring mobile-first learning • Organizations needing robust compliance tracking with offline access capabilities • Healthcare systems requiring scenario-based training with avatar interactions for patient de-escalation • Benefit: Improved training completion rates and reduced compliance risk 

Technology and Professional Services Firms • Organizations with rapidly evolving skill requirements • Companies needing to track granular technical skills beyond basic categories (e.g., specific AI capabilities like RAG and large language models versus generic “AI skills”) • Firms prioritizing internal mobility and project-based skill deployment • Benefit: Faster skill identification and more effective resource allocation 

Retail and Hospitality Chains • Multi-location businesses requiring consistent training delivery • Organizations with high turnover needing rapid onboarding capabilities • Companies wanting to rebrand content with their own logos and contextualization for 200-800% engagement increases • Benefit: Accelerated time-to-productivity and improved employee retention 

Financial Services Under Regulatory Pressure • Institutions managing complex compliance requirements across jurisdictions • Organizations needing detailed audit trails and certification management • Companies requiring skills-based succession planning for critical roles • Benefit: Reduced regulatory risk and improved talent pipeline visibility 

Brandon Hall Group’s corporate offerings provide strategic consulting to help organizations determine their optimal learning technology architecture based on these profiles. 

Looking forward, Cornerstone’s success with Galaxy will likely depend on three factors: First, their ability to maintain platform performance and user experience at scale. Second, whether their AI agents and automation genuinely reduce administrative burden. Third, how effectively they can help organizations navigate the change management required for skills-based transformation. 

For learning leaders evaluating Galaxy, the platform represents a serious enterprise option, particularly for organizations already committed to skills-based talent strategies. However, success will require more than technology—it demands organizational readiness, clean data foundations, and sustained executive commitment to workforce transformation. 

Organizations considering this journey would benefit from comprehensive readiness assessments and implementation planning support as well as the peer networking opportunities that occur at events like the 2026 HCM Excellence Conference. The shift to skills-based talent management isn’t just a technology upgrade—it’s a fundamental rethinking of how organizations develop and deploy human capability. 

The post When Skills Intelligence Meets Learning at Scale: Cornerstone Galaxy’s Strategic Play for Enterprise Workforce Transformation appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Most enterprise assessment buyers assume they need to work directly with the big assessment publishers or invest in sprawling talent platforms that promise to do everything. But after a recent briefing with Kirsten Mosier, Managing Director at Performance Programs Inc. (PPI) , I’m seeing a different pattern emerge: Specialized distributors are carving out a compelling niche by combining world-class assessment science with the personalized service that large enterprises increasingly struggle to provide.

During our conversation, Mosier shared how PPI has grown year over year, not through massive marketing campaigns or conference booth investments, but through something far more valuable: deep relationships and genuine expertise in making complex assessment data accessible to organizations that need it most. As someone with extensive experience at other assessment practices and as part of Hogan’s solutions partners team, she brings a practitioner’s perspective to what has traditionally been a vendor-dominated space. That fresh energy is already translating into new product development.

The insurance company case study Mosier shared particularly stands out—an organization that credited their HR department’s focus on leadership development (powered by Hogan assessments) for achieving seemingly impossible revenue targets during a year of devastating natural disasters. These are exactly the kind of transformative results that deserve recognition through programs like the Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards®, where solution providers and their clients can showcase measurable business impact.

The Assessment Market’s Identity Crisis

The enterprise assessment market finds itself at an interesting crossroads. On one side, you have the traditional psychometric powerhouses delivering scientifically rigorous but often intimidating assessment batteries. On the other, AI-powered platforms promise to revolutionize hiring through gamification and automated screening. Organizations are caught between these extremes, struggling to balance scientific validity with practical usability. Our research through the  Brandon Hall Group Institute reveals that companies increasingly seek partners who can bridge this gap.

Consider the current competitive landscape:

SHL’s Talent Central Platform

• Offers comprehensive cognitive, personality, and skill assessments across 50+ languages
• Features AI-powered Smart Interview technology and virtual assessment centers
• Provides extensive normative data from 35 million annual assessments
• However, requires significant implementation resources and can feel impersonal for smaller cohorts or specialized roles

Thomas International

• Leverages the Big Five personality model for workplace applications
• Offers sub-10 minute assessments with mobile-friendly interfaces
• Includes aptitude, behavioral, and emotional intelligence assessments
• But lacks the depth needed for executive-level decisions or complex role profiling

Pymetrics

• Uses neuroscience-based games to measure cognitive and emotional attributes
• Promises bias-free assessments through AI-driven algorithms
• Engages candidates with consumer-grade user experiences
• Though questions remain about game-based validity for senior roles and traditional industries

HireVue

• Provides AI-powered video interviewing with automated scoring
• Analyzes verbal and non-verbal communication patterns
• Scales efficiently for high-volume hiring scenarios
• Yet faces ongoing scrutiny about algorithmic bias and the loss of human judgment

TestGorilla/Codility

• Delivers role-specific skills testing and technical assessments
• Offers extensive libraries of pre-built tests
• Provides immediate scoring and comparative analytics
• However, focuses primarily on hard skills rather than personality or cultural fit

As solution providers navigate this complex landscape, many are turning to resources like Brandon Hall Group’s Smartchoice Preferred Provider Program to establish credibility and gain recognition as industry leaders.

Who Benefits Most from This Approach

After analyzing PPI’s approach and market position, several organization types emerge as ideal fits for their model. Companies evaluating assessment partners can leverage Brandon Hall Group’s research and advisory services to benchmark their talent strategies against industry best practices.

Mid-Market Professional Services Firms (500-5,000 employees)

• Need enterprise-grade assessment quality without enterprise complexity
• Value responsive, personalized service over self-service platforms
• Benefit from regional expertise and cultural understanding
• Example: Regional accounting firms, consulting practices, engineering companies

Healthcare Systems and Insurance Companies

• Require validated assessments for high-stakes hiring decisions
• Face unique regulatory and compliance considerations
• Need support for both clinical and administrative roles
• Can leverage PPI’s proven success stories in reducing turnover and improving performance

Financial Services Organizations

• Demand rigorous assessment of both competence and integrity
• Benefit from Hogan’s dark side measures for risk assessment
• Require specialized support for sales and client-facing roles
• Value the relationship-based trust that regional providers offer

Growing Technology Companies (Pre-IPO to Mid-Cap)

• Need to professionalize hiring practices beyond technical screening
• Seek to build leadership bench strength for rapid scaling
• Want scientific rigor without sacrificing speed and flexibility
• Appreciate modern approaches to traditional assessment methods

Manufacturing and Distribution Companies

• Require assessments that work across white and blue collar populations
• Need practical tools for frontline leader development
• Value clear ROI demonstrations through case studies
• Benefit from PPI’s focus on democratizing assessment access

Organizations in these sectors also often find that their HR teams benefit from professional development through programs like Brandon Hall Group’s certification offerings, which cover crucial areas including talent management and talent acquisition—perfect complements to implementing sophisticated assessment strategies.

The Analyst Perspective: Why This Model Matters Now

The enterprise assessment market is experiencing a fundamental shift. Organizations are simultaneously demanding more scientific rigor (driven by legal requirements and DEI commitments) while insisting on greater accessibility and practical application. The traditional model—where large publishers sell directly to enterprises with minimal support—is breaking down.

Distribution partners like PPI occupy a sweet spot in this evolving landscape. They provide the scientific validity of world-class assessments while delivering the high-touch service and customization that modern organizations expect. Their smaller size becomes an advantage, enabling agility and innovation that larger providers struggle to match.

Mosier’s comment about wanting to “democratize this great data and get it to the people who really need it most, the frontline leaders” reflects a broader market need. Too many organizations invest heavily in executive assessment while ignoring the managers who actually drive daily performance. By developing tools that make enterprise-grade assessment accessible at scale, PPI addresses a massive underserved market.

Rather than competing with Hogan or trying to reinvent assessment science, PPI adds practical application layers that multiply the value of existing tools. This approach allows them to maintain scientific integrity while solving real business problems. For assessment providers looking to establish thought leadership and market credibility, partnering with analyst firms through comprehensive solution provider profiles and marketing services can help articulate these unique value propositions to the broader market.

The assessment industry doesn’t need another AI-powered disruption story. It needs providers who understand that behind every data point is a human being trying to find the right role, build the right team, or develop the right leaders. In an increasingly automated talent landscape, that human-centered approach—backed by genuine scientific rigor—becomes a true competitive advantage.

The post Why Assessment Expertise Beats Platform Scale:</br> A Look at PPI appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

The global Employer of Record (EOR) market has settled into an uncomfortable pricing equilibrium: $599 per employee per month has become the industry standard, with providers competing on features rather than fundamentally rethinking the cost structure. During my recent briefing with David Hughson, Chief Revenue Officer at RemoFirst, I discovered a company that’s taking a contrarian bet—that many businesses would rather save thousands of dollars monthly than pay for features they don’t need.

An EOR (Employer of Record) — a service that becomes the legal employer for your workforce, handling everything from local compliance to payroll and benefits — traditionally comes with enterprise-level pricing that puts global talent out of reach for smaller organizations. RemoFirst’s $199 starting price represents a 60-75% cost reduction compared to established players, potentially saving companies $48,000 annually for a 10-person international team. This type of cost-benefit analysis is exactly what we at Brandon Hall Group help organizations evaluate through our advisory services when they’re assessing expansion strategies.

The Market’s Premium Pricing Problem

The EOR industry emerged as the solution to a painful problem: companies needed months and tens of thousands of dollars to establish legal entities in each country where they wanted to hire. EOR providers offered a faster alternative, but most positioned themselves as premium services with premium pricing.

Today’s market leaders have built impressive capabilities, but each comes with constraints:

Deel • Comprehensive platform covering 150+ countries with strong integrations • Pricing starts at $599 per employee monthly for EOR services • Additional costs for benefits administration and visa support • Requires deposits in some countries

Remote • Owned-entity model providing potentially stronger compliance management • Standard EOR pricing at $599 per employee monthly • Standardized approach offers less flexibility for unique arrangements • Basic reporting capabilities compared to enterprise HR platforms

Oyster • Focus on employee experience with cultural tools and engagement features • Premium pricing model similar to Deel and Remote • Limited coverage in certain emerging markets • Phone support not available in all regions

Globalization Partners • Pioneer in the space with extensive experience • Premium pricing often exceeding $600 per employee • Longer onboarding times in some markets • Complex pricing structure with various add-on fees

Rippling • Integrated HR platform beyond just EOR services • Higher costs due to comprehensive feature set • Primarily focused on US market with international capabilities • Requires technical setup for full platform benefits

TotalTech® by Brandon Hall Group offers unparalleled insights into leading HCM providers, empowering you to make informed decisions tailored to your organization’s unique needs. Leverage our decades of expertise to find your perfect HCM match today.

The Partner Network Advantage Nobody Talks About

RemoFirst’s technical approach contradicts conventional wisdom in the EOR space. While competitors rushed to build their own legal entities in every country — a capital-intensive strategy that takes years to execute — RemoFirst stuck with vetted local partners in all 185 countries they serve.

This isn’t just about cost savings. Here’s what the partner model enables:

• Visa and immigration support from day one: Local partners already have the established presence and employee base needed to sponsor visas in 90+ countries — something entity-owning EORs need years to develop
• Deep local expertise without the overhead: Each partner focuses exclusively on their home market, maintaining current knowledge of employment law changes, tax updates, and compliance requirements that affect maybe dozens of employees rather than thousands
• Flexibility in service delivery: Partners can offer locally-standard benefits packages (like Plum insurance in India or Vitality in the UK) rather than forcing global solutions that don’t match local expectations

The Speed Factor: From Job Offer to First Day in 48 Hours

During our briefing, Hughson demonstrated the platform’s ability to onboard employees in certain markets within the same day. While the typical timeline runs 2-7 business days depending on the country, this represents a significant acceleration from the industry norm—a capability that’s particularly valuable for companies competing for scarce technical talent.

The platform’s intelligence shows in its constraint system:

• Automatic compliance warnings: Try to set a German employee’s hours above 48 per week, and the system blocks it • Real-time cost transparency: Enter a gross salary and immediately see total employer costs including all local taxes and mandatory benefits • Dynamic guidance based on location: The platform adjusts requirements and recommendations based on the selected country, preventing costly compliance mistakes

The recent ADP Workforce Now integration signals RemoFirst’s understanding that most companies don’t want to rip and replace their existing HR infrastructure — they want EOR services that plug into what they already use. This integration-first approach is something we consistently see winning in our Excellence Awards, where seamless ecosystem connectivity often matters more than standalone functionality.

Finding the Right Fit: Where RemoFirst Makes Sense

Based on my analysis and the patterns we observe through our research and advisory work, several organization types stand out as ideal candidates:

Bootstrapped Startups and Small Teams • Operating with limited runway where every dollar matters • Need to hire specialized talent regardless of location • Can’t justify $600+ monthly fees for basic employment infrastructure • Benefit from dedicated support despite smaller team size

Professional Services Firms • Require project-based talent in specific markets • Need quick onboarding for client engagements • Value transparent, predictable pricing for project budgeting • Appreciate local expertise for navigating client country requirements

Companies Testing New Markets • Want to validate market opportunity before major investment • Need flexibility to scale up or down without long-term commitments • Require local benefits and visa support to attract talent • Value month-to-month contracts without setup fees

Budget-Conscious Scale-ups • Managing burn rate while expanding internationally • Employing 10-50 international workers where savings compound quickly • Prioritizing core functionality over advanced HR features • Need reliable service without enterprise pricing

Organizations with Simple Global Needs • Require employment infrastructure, not HR transformation • Have existing HR systems they want to keep using • Value straightforward pricing over complex feature sets • Want consistent service quality across all markets

Solution providers in the EOR space looking to understand how their positioning compares to RemoFirst’s approach might consider joining our Smartchoice Preferred Provider Program to gain insights into buyer preferences and market positioning strategies.

Beyond the Price Tag: Strategic Implications for Global Hiring

RemoFirst’s positioning reveals an emerging segmentation in the EOR market. Just as the cloud infrastructure market split between AWS’s comprehensive platform and focused providers like DigitalOcean, we’re seeing the EOR space divide between full-featured platforms and focused, affordable solutions. This market evolution is exactly the type of trend we track through our continuous research, helping both buyers and providers understand where the market is heading.

The company’s growth trajectory — including recognition as the 85th fastest-growing company in America and inclusion in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2025 — suggests strong market validation for this approach.  With $40 million in funding but a commitment to maintaining low prices, they’re betting that volume and efficiency will win over margin maximization.

What’s particularly intriguing is what RemoFirst chooses not to do. While competitors expand into learning management systems, performance management, and broad HRIS functionality, RemoFirst maintains focus on core EOR and contractor payment services. This discipline might limit their total addressable market, but it also prevents the feature bloat that drives up costs — a strategic decision that aligns with the focused excellence we often see in our award-winning organizations.

The bigger picture here extends beyond pricing. RemoFirst’s model democratizes access to global talent for organizations that previously couldn’t afford it. When a small marketing agency can hire a designer in Portugal or a developer in Poland without breaking their budget, it fundamentally changes the competitive dynamics of the global talent market.

For HR leaders evaluating EOR providers in 2025, the calculation has shifted. The question is no longer just “which provider has the most features?” but rather “what do we actually need, and what are we willing to pay for it?” Organizations struggling with this evaluation can leverage Brandon Hall Group’s technology selection services to ensure they’re making the right choice for their specific needs and budget constraints. For many organizations, RemoFirst’s answer — core functionality at a fraction of the cost — might be exactly right.

The post The 185-Country Advantage: Why Fast-Growing Companies Choose RemoFirst for Same Day Hiring appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

Adobe’s latest earnings tell a story that should command the attention of every enterprise leader: AI isn’t coming, it’s already driving billions in revenue. With AI-influenced Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) surpassing $5 billion and AI-first ARR exceeding their $250 million target ahead of schedule, Adobe’s Q3 2025 results offer a clear message about the pace of AI transformation in the enterprise.

Record revenue of $5.99 billion, up 11% year-over-year. Digital Media ARR reaching $18.59 billion. But the real story lies in what CEO Shantanu Narayen calls Adobe’s position as “the leader in the AI creative applications category.” This isn’t just about financial performance, it’s about a fundamental shift in how enterprises create, manage, and deliver digital experiences.

The AI Revenue Reality Check

Adobe’s results reveal three critical insights about AI’s role in enterprise software economics. First, AI is no longer an experimental add-on but a core revenue driver. The company’s AI-influenced ARR crossing $5 billion demonstrates that enterprises are paying premium prices for AI-enhanced capabilities today, not tomorrow.

Second, the rapid acceleration of AI-first ARR indicates enterprise buyers are specifically seeking AI-native solutions rather than traditional tools with AI features bolted on. This distinction matters profoundly for solution providers who must decide whether to retrofit existing platforms or rebuild from an AI-first architecture.

Third, Adobe’s ability to maintain strong growth rates (11% in a challenging macro environment) while investing heavily in AI capabilities suggests the market rewards genuine AI innovation over AI marketing. Their Digital Experience segment’s 11% subscription revenue growth, powered by AI-driven personalization and analytics, proves enterprises will invest in AI that delivers measurable business outcomes.

Implications for the Solution Provider Ecosystem

Adobe’s success creates both opportunity and urgency for the broader solution provider market. As Brandon Hall Group research shows, organizations are rapidly progressing through AI maturity phases, with 25% already implementing and scaling AI initiatives. Solution providers who fail to deliver substantive AI capabilities risk irrelevance.

The market is responding. Competitors in the learning space like Docebo are launching  AI-powered personalization. Cornerstone Galaxy promises AI-driven skills gap identification. Adobe’s results suggest the winners will be those who integrate AI deeply into core workflows rather than treating it as a feature checkbox. Solution providers seeking to establish AI credibility should consider Brandon Hall Group’s Smartchoice® Preferred Provider Program, which positions leading vendors as top choices for enterprise AI transformation.

This shift demands new partnership models. Traditional vendor relationships built on software licensing and implementation services must evolve to include AI strategy consulting, data readiness assessment, and continuous model optimization. Adobe’s emphasis on “customer strategy, AI product innovation and strong go-to-market execution” underscores that AI success requires equal parts technology and transformation expertise. Brandon Hall Group’s work through our strategic marketing services helps solution providers to articulate their AI capabilities and roadmaps to enterprise buyers navigating this complex landscape.

The Enterprise Imperative: Act Now or Fall Behind

For corporate practitioners, Adobe’s results should serve as both inspiration and warning. According to Brandon Hall Group’s recently released AI Maturity Model, only 16% of organizations have reached the “Optimized HR Excellence” phase where AI drives continuous innovation and transformation. Meanwhile, 21% remain in reactive mode, exploring AI without formal strategies or governance frameworks.

The gap between AI leaders and stragglers is widening rapidly. Adobe’s customers aren’t just buying software — they’re buying competitive advantage through AI-powered creativity, automation, and intelligence. Organizations still debating whether to adopt AI are having the wrong conversation. The question isn’t if, but how fast and how strategically.

Brandon Hall Group’s Enterprise Institute Membership provides organizations with exclusive access to comprehensive research assets and advisory support to accelerate AI transformation. Through our Organizational Benchmarking Scorecard Assessments, companies can measure their AI readiness against industry standards and identify critical gaps in governance, people capabilities, and technology infrastructure.

Strategic Actions for Immediate Impact

Enterprise leaders should take three immediate actions based on Adobe’s market signals:

1. Benchmark Your AI Maturity: Assess your organization’s AI capabilities against industry leaders. Leverage Brandon Hall Group’s exclusive data-driven assessments (available to Institute members) to reveal specific gaps preventing advancement to higher maturity levels and provide actionable roadmaps for progression.
2. Build AI Excellence Through Recognition: Submit your AI transformation initiatives to Brandon Hall Group’s Excellence Awards®. Beyond recognition, the rigorous evaluation process provides valuable feedback on program effectiveness and areas for enhancement. Adobe’s success proves that excellence in AI implementation translates directly to market leadership with their six gold Excellence Awards® in 2025.
3. Invest in AI Capability Building at Scale: With AI-influenced revenue streams growing exponentially, organizations need comprehensive upskilling programs. Brandon Hall Group’s certification programs, included in your Institute membership,  provide structured pathways for building AI competence across HR, learning, and talent functions, while our virtual group sessions enable entire departments to develop AI capabilities collectively.

The Partnership Path Forward

Adobe’s financial performance validates what Brandon Hall Group has been advocating: AI transformation requires strategic partnerships between enterprises, solution providers, and advisory experts. This complexity demands collaborative ecosystems rather than vendor-customer transactions.

For organizations seeking accelerated AI transformation, Brandon Hall Group’s advisory services provide on-demand consultations with seasoned analysts who understand both the technology landscape and organizational change dynamics. Our project-based research delivers customized insights tailored to specific industry contexts and organizational challenges.

For solution providers, partnering with Brandon Hall Group through our marketing services and capabilities connect AI innovations with a community of over 300,000 key decision-makers across 25 industry verticals. In an era where Adobe commands billions in AI revenue, establishing credibility and visibility in the AI marketplace is essential for growth.

Adobe’s results aren’t just quarterly earnings — they’re a market signal that the AI transformation has reached critical mass. Join Brandon Hall Group’s AI Summit to connect with industry leaders navigating this transformation and discover practical strategies for building trust, managing performance, and creating ethical frameworks in the AI era.

Organizations that recognize this inflection point and act decisively will capture disproportionate value. Those that hesitate risk becoming case studies in disruption rather than transformation. The choice — and the urgency — couldn’t be clearer.

The post Adobe’s $5 Billion AI Milestone Signals</br> the Enterprise Revolution is Here appeared first on Brandon Hall Group.

The learning technology landscape just shifted dramatically. Skillsoft’s announcement of its next-generation Percipio Platform, positioned as the industry’s first AI-native skills intelligence platform, represents far more than a product upgrade. This is a direct challenge to the fragmented ecosystem of learning management systems, learning experience platforms, and talent intelligence platforms that have defined enterprise learning infrastructure for the past decade.

The Convergence We’ve Been Anticipating

Brandon Hall Group’s 2025 State of Learning research reveals that only 42% of organizations report above-average to excellent alignment between learning initiatives and business objectives. The fragmentation of learning systems directly contributes to this alignment challenge. Our analysis shows that 57% of organizations cite time as a “significant” or “heavy” constraint—even more than budget limitations — suggesting that the complexity of managing multiple disconnected platforms creates operational inefficiencies that impede strategic progress.

Skillsoft’s unified approach addresses what we’ve identified as the critical gap in current learning architectures: the inability to see, measure, and develop skills across both human and AI agents within a single operational framework. The platform’s multi-agent architecture, leveraging their CAISY solution, suggests a fundamental rethinking of how learning technology should function in an AI-augmented workplace.

Brandon Hall Group Institute Members can access the complete 2025 State of Learning research and quarterly trend reports through the member portal for deeper insights into alignment strategies and technology convergence patterns.

Key Innovations Worth Monitoring

LX Design Studio: The Content Creation Accelerator

The promise of 5x faster content development through AI-powered authoring isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about fundamentally changing who can create learning experiences and how quickly organizations can respond to emerging skill needs. Our analysis of Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards® winners reveals that 67% of leading organizations already have custom content creation capabilities. However, administrative burden remains a significant challenge. The HCM Excellence Awards® recognize top organizations that successfully deployed programs, strategies, modalities, processes, systems, and tools that achieved superior and measurable results in Human Capital Management.

The real test will be instructional quality.  Our research on AI implementation in learning shows that while award-winning programs leverage AI-powered personalized/adaptive learning, success depends on maintaining instructional integrity. Organizations implementing this technology should establish clear quality metrics and governance frameworks from day one.

Skills Intelligence: Beyond the Buzzword

Brandon Hall Group’s 2025 research indicates that only 32% of organizations have advanced analytics capabilities with predictive features, while 35% remain limited to basic analytics using learning data only. Skillsoft’s platform promises to address this gap by mapping capabilities across both human workers and AI systems — providing the real-time visibility that 89% of our award-winning case studies identified as critical for success.

The “Skillforce” Concept: Marketing or Meaningful?

Skillsoft’s introduction of the “Skillforce” terminology — positioning humans and AI as collaborative partners rather than separate entities — aligns with emerging patterns in our research. Currently, only 39% of organizations use AI for personalized learning recommendations, and just 38% leverage it for content generation. This suggests a significant opportunity gap that Skillsoft’s integrated approach could address.

Our Excellence Awards® analysis reveals that organizations taking an ecosystem approach to AI implementation — rather than deploying point solutions—achieve dramatically better outcomes. The 78% of winning organizations that achieved cultural transformation didn’t just adopt new technology; they fundamentally reimagined how humans and machines collaborate to drive performance.

What This Means for L&D Leaders

This announcement reinforces trends we’ve been tracking through our 2025 State of Learning research: 53% of organizations currently use learning experience platforms, with another 37% planning implementation within 12 months. L&D leaders should take three immediate actions:

1. Conduct a comprehensive technology audit — Our research shows organizations with higher technology budget allocations (30%+ of total L&D budget) consistently report better business alignment. Use Brandon Hall Group’s TotalTech® tools to evaluate your current vendor ecosystem against emerging capabilities.
2. Develop AI literacy across your L&D team — Consider enrolling team members in one of Brandon Hall Group’s Certification programs, exclusively available to Institute members. Our Certified Learning Strategist (CLS) and Certified Talent Management Strategist (CTMS) programs now include modules on AI-augmented workforce development.
3. Establish skills intelligence baselines — Creating measurement frameworks before implementation is critical. Our advisory practice can conduct custom organizational assessments to benchmark your current state and define success metrics.

Moving Forward

Skillsoft’s move will likely catalyze responses from other major players. We expect accelerated consolidation as vendors move to match these capabilities. Vendors unable to deliver these capabilities will fall further behind.

The shift from fragmented learning systems to unified, AI-native platforms represents a fundamental reimagining of organizational capability development. How well Skillsoft’s platform delivers on its promises remains to be seen, but the vision aligns with where our research indicates the industry must move.

Organizations preparing for this transformation should leverage comprehensive resources to ensure success. Brandon Hall Group Enterprise Members gain access to our complete research library, including detailed vendor assessments, implementation playbooks, and quarterly analyst briefings on emerging technologies. Our advisory services team can provide custom gap analyses and roadmap development aligned to your specific context and objectives.

To explore how Brandon Hall Group can support your organization’s learning technology transformation, contact our advisory team for a consultation. Enterprise Members can access the complete 2025 State of Learning research, AI implementation case studies, and vendor comparison tools through the member portal.

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Organizations face a paradox in corporate learning today: more content and tools than ever before, yet employees struggle to find what they need when they need it. Knowledge sits trapped in silos across learning platforms, document repositories, and collaboration tools, creating friction where there should be flow. Meanwhile, IT departments wrestle with deploying AI that actually delivers measurable business value rather than just impressive demos.

Workday’s announcement last week of its $1.1 billion acquisition of Sana signals a major shift in how enterprises will approach both challenges. The deal, expected to close in Q4 FY2026, brings together Sana’s AI-powered search, agents, and learning capabilities with Workday’s enterprise context and data to create what they’re calling “the new front door for work.” For organizations evaluating their HR and learning technology strategy, this acquisition reveals where the market is heading and what capabilities will soon become table stakes.

The Strategic Play: Beyond Traditional Learning Management

Since founding in 2016, Sana has served over one million users across hundreds of enterprises with its core products: Sana Learn and Sana Agents. What makes this acquisition particularly interesting isn’t just the technology—it’s the timing. As enterprises struggle to realize ROI from AI investments, Workday is betting that the convergence of learning, knowledge management, and autonomous agents represents the next frontier of workplace productivity.

The acquisition positions Workday to compete more directly with Microsoft’s Copilot ecosystem, Salesforce’s Agentforce, and emerging platforms that promise to transform how work gets done. But unlike broad horizontal plays, Workday’s approach leverages its deep HR and finance data to create contextually aware agents that understand not just what employees need to know, but when and why they need to know it.

For HR and learning leaders working with Brandon Hall Group’s advisory services, this represents a fundamental shift in vendor evaluation criteria. The question is no longer just about learning features — it’s about how learning platforms integrate into the broader AI agent ecosystem.

Market Context: Where AI Agents and Learning Platforms Collide

The enterprise AI agent landscape has exploded in 2025, with platforms promising everything from no-code workflows to autonomous task execution. Understanding this competitive context helps explain why Workday moved aggressively to acquire rather than build. Let’s examine key players and their current positioning:

Salesforce Agentforce

• Offers low-code Agent Builder with natural language configuration and pre-built topics to define agent scope
• Excels at CRM-integrated workflows and sales/service automation
• Primary focus is on customer-facing use cases not comprehensive employee development

Microsoft Copilot Studio

• Provides M365-native agent builder with conversational workflow automation
• Seamlessly integrates with Teams, SharePoint, and Office applications
• Learning functionality depends on partner solutions rather than native capabilities

IBM Watson

• Leverages industry-specific language models tailored for healthcare and legal sectors
• Strong governance and compliance features for regulated industries
• Learning capabilities require integration with separate LMS platforms

Google Cloud AI (Vertex AI)

• Comprehensive AI/ML platform with agent building capabilities
• Powerful infrastructure for custom model development
• Minimal out-of-box learning management features

Docebo

• Cloud-based learning platform with AI-powered features like automated course recommendations and an AI authoring tool
• The Docebo Learning Platform helps businesses deliver personalized learning experiences to multiple audiences from a single platform
• Agent capabilities nativeto learning-specific workflows

While AI agent platforms excel at task automation and LMS platforms manage learning delivery, few successfully bridge both worlds. This is precisely the opportunity Workday aims to capture with Sana.

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Technology Differentiators: What Makes Sana’s Approach Unique

The acquisition brings specific technical capabilities that distinguish it from traditional bolt-on AI features. Based on our analysis, three innovations stand out:

Unified Knowledge Graph Architecture

• Instantly searches across a company’s most critical data sources, including Workday, Google Drive, SharePoint, and Office365
• Creates a semantic layer that understands relationships between people, skills, projects, and content
• Practical application: A project manager searching for “machine learning expertise” doesn’t just find training courses — they discover colleagues with relevant skills, past project documentation, and upcoming certification opportunities, all ranked by relevance to their current role and projects.

No-Code Agent Builder with Enterprise Controls

• Users can create AI agents to automate repetitive tasks and act proactively on their behalf.
• These agents streamline workflows while ensuring every action remains secure and compliant with company policies through the Workday Agent System of Record.
• Practical application: HR managers can build agents that automatically generate onboarding plans based on role requirements, schedule training sessions, create personalized learning paths, and trigger check-ins — all while maintaining audit trails and respecting data permissions.

AI-Native Content Generation at Scale

• Sana Learn combines learning management, content creation, course generation, and personalized tutoring through specialized learning agents.
• A leading European installation distributor with 7,500 employees cut course creation time from four months to four days; a global fintech company went from three weeks to three hours for content creation.
• Practical application: L&D teams can transform existing documentation, videos, and presentations into interactive courses with assessments, automatically translated into multiple languages and adapted for different skill levels.

Who Benefits Most from Agent-Powered Learning Platforms

Through our work with enterprise members at Brandon Hall Group, we’ve identified specific organization types positioned to extract maximum value from this convergence of AI agents and learning technology:

Global Manufacturing and Industrial Companies (10,000+ employees)

• Need to rapidly upskill frontline workers on new equipment and processes
• Require multilingual content delivery across distributed facilities
• Key benefit: A leading American manufacturer achieved up to 95% time savings; a multinational industrial tech company achieved 90% productivity gain.

Professional Services Firms (1,000-50,000 employees)

• Must maintain certifications and compliance across multiple jurisdictions
• Need to capture and distribute expertise from senior practitioners
• Key benefit: A global law firm saw over 60% time savings and 200% increased efficiency through agent automation.

High-Growth Technology Companies (500-5,000 employees)

• Face constant product updates requiring continuous learning
• Need to onboard technical talent quickly while maintaining quality
• Key benefit: Agents can automatically generate technical documentation, create role-specific onboarding paths, and identify skill gaps based on project requirements.

Healthcare and Life Sciences Organizations

• Navigate complex compliance requirements with frequent regulatory updates
• Require role-specific training paths for diverse professional roles
• Key benefit: AI agents can monitor regulatory changes, automatically update training materials, and ensure compliance tracking across thousands of employees.

Financial Services and Insurance Companies

• Must deliver consistent training on products, regulations, and sales methodologies
• Need to track and report on compliance at individual and organizational levels
• Key benefit: Sana Learn will complement Workday Learning with hyper-personalized skill building capabilities, enabling rapid deployment of product training and regulatory updates.

Market Implications and Strategic Considerations

This acquisition signals a fundamental shift in how enterprises will approach workplace productivity. In our work with organizations through Brandon Hall Group’s solutions provider offerings, three strategic implications emerge:

First, the convergence of learning and agent platforms will force a reevaluation of vendor strategies. Organizations can no longer evaluate LMS platforms in isolation from their broader AI and automation initiatives. The vendors that survive will be those that can demonstrate clear integration paths with enterprise agent ecosystems. This doesn’t mean every LMS needs to become an agent platform, but they must articulate how they fit into an agent-powered workplace.

Second, the ROI conversation changes dramatically. Existing customers are realizing significant tangible value from Sana Agents across various use cases, with metrics that extend far beyond traditional learning completion rates. Organizations will need new frameworks for measuring the compound value of integrated learning and automation — something we’re actively developing in our research and advisory practice.

Third, this acquisition accelerates the timeline for AI agent adoption in HR and learning. What might have been a 3-5 year horizon for most organizations just compressed to 18-24 months. Early adopters who begin piloting agent-powered learning now will have significant competitive advantages in talent development and operational efficiency.

The integration challenge shouldn’t be underestimated. Workday must seamlessly blend Sana’s AI capabilities with its existing platform while maintaining the enterprise-grade security and compliance its customers expect. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of Workday’s fiscal year 2026, giving them time to plan the technical integration, but customer expectations will be high from day one.

Looking ahead, we expect to see rapid consolidation in the learning technology market. Standalone LMS vendors without clear AI differentiation will face pressure to partner, merge, or risk possible irrelevance. Meanwhile, organizations that move quickly to pilot these integrated platforms will define best practices for the industry.

The most successful organizations won’t be those that simply adopt AI agents or upgrade their LMS. They’ll be the ones that reimagine their entire approach to knowledge work, using tools like the combined Workday-Sana platform to create genuinely adaptive, intelligent workplaces where learning happens in the flow of work, automation eliminates repetitive tasks, and employees focus on high-value activities that drive business growth.

For learning leaders, the message is clear: the era of standalone learning management is ending. The future belongs to platforms that can orchestrate learning, knowledge, and action into a unified experience. Workday’s acquisition of Sana isn’t just a bet on that future — it’s an attempt to build it.

Brandon Hall Group provides research, advisory services, and certification programs to help organizations navigate complex technology decisions like these. Learn more about our enterprise membership options or explore our comprehensive resources for HR and learning professionals.

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