OK. We trust you. We’re lowering SCORM Cloud prices for big accounts.
Categories: SCORM Cloud
5 Mar 2010
SCORM Cloud is a relatively new product, and new products need prices and pricing schemes. So we picked one. We promised ourselves, though, that we would listen to our customers and prospective customers (the market) and that we would be willing to change that pricing structure if we needed to.
Well, I’m happy to announce today that we are raising prices across the board! You all seem to think the product is too cheap… wait, stop, hold on. I’m kidding. Nobody ever wants something to be more expensive.
Soooo, we’re lowering the price of every registration beyond the first 300 each month. Once you reach the “Big” plan ($300/month for up to 300 registration), there’s no bigger plan. We simply charge you $0.50 per registration for the next 700 registrations, and $0.25 per registration after that.
So, an example might help here. If your organization launched 1500 courses for the first time in March, you would be charged $300 (your basic fee) + $0.50 * 700 + $0.25 * 500 = $775 for the month.
Enjoy the reduced pricing. And if you have concerns or questions, or simply wish were doing something differently, tell us. We’re obviously open to your ideas.
Note: The new pricing scheme will be deployed next week sometime, and will affect your next bill, not this one.
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A teacher that hides the books really can’t expect the students to write well…
Categories: SCORM Cloud
4 Mar 2010
As we’ve mentioned several times, we want you all to be building applications against the SCORM Cloud. It is built explicitly with the purpose of being a piece of functionality in other applications.
As we first released the SCORM Cloud, we offered up the API, some client libraries, some documentation, and we even published a few sample applications, including several open source LMSs.
This was all fine and good, but we discovered something pretty quickly. Several of the people who were signing up to try the SCORM Cloud wanted something to do right away. They didn’t want to install a Moodle mod, or read through thrilling documentation. They wanted to import a course and see how it worked. So, we heard that message and decided to offer up that ability directly from the SCORM Cloud interface.
First, a word of welcome (for our new users)
Next, a place to import a piece of content
Now what?
The easiest way to send content is just to email it to someone…
And just like that, they can launch it…
So, students, we really want to see you out there experimenting with what’s possible via the SCORM Cloud. From the moment you create your account in SCORM Cloud, you’ll be able to import and deliver content. Let this spur your imagination.
As the next few months pass, we’ll start showing you some of the other things you can do via SCORM Cloud… But let this be a simple starting point for you.
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I had an “ah ha” moment this weekend. To put it in geek-speak, I had my first experience with mobile learning for performance support…and it was amazing.
After seeing a quote to replace the windows in my house which roughly approximated the US median annual household income, I decided it might be a better idea to try my hand at some weatherstripping. So one night, I did some research online, figured out that I could handle it, and assembled a shopping list for my weekly contribution to Home Depot’s bottom line.
Come Saturday, I had my tools and my materials, but standing in front of my first window, I realized I’d forgotten most of the little tips and tricks I’d learned earlier in the week. But that wasn’t a problem, I just whipped out my new Android phone, spent 5 minutes watching a refresher video on YouTube and I was off and running.
Once it became mind-numbingly boring to adhere strips to window, my mind wandered and it occurred to me how brilliantly effective little bytes of mobile learning can be. I didn’t have to go downstairs and sit at the computer, I didn’t have to sit through everything I’d already learned…I just needed a quick refresher and it was sitting right there with me in my pocket.
Of course, I’ve heard all the buzz about mobile learning and yes, I get it at an intellectual level. But now that I’ve experienced it, it takes on a new meaning. This is really powerful stuff.
A lot of people have asked us if we’re doing anything with mobile and we’re not really doing anything yet. We know that the SCORM Engine works on the iPhone and Androids devices, but that’s about as far as we’ve taken it.
The question I keep asking is, “what are the big technical problems to be solved in mobile learning?”. I don’t have a good answer yet, so I’ll pose it here. What are your thoughts? What needs to be done to enable mobile learning on a broader scale? Are the problems technical, or are they more organizational? What should we do in the space? Or, really, does anybody have an idea for a killer app that would let me afford those new windows??!!
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We believe in being up front. Honesty. Transparency. Frankness.
So we’re a bit disappointed that we won’t be joining you guys for some conferences this year. We could, but … well, we’d have to pay to be there. I’m not talking about the registration fee. I’m talking paying to be up on the stage.
Yep. There were several conferences we looked at that were eager for us to speak – as long as we were willing to pay for the privilege. Whether we had something good to say wasn’t the criteria, and that just didn’t sit well with us. Kind of a switcharoo on those who want to hear from people of substance and not just those of means and opportunity.
That kind of wheeling and dealing certainly doesn’t increase credibility for vendors who do take the stage. And hurts attendees by not focusing on what makes for good content first. Our call to conferences would be to cut the games and judge presentations on the fit for the audience first and foremost and only. (And for you, the attendees, to demand and expect that!)
Understand, we’re not trying to whine about it… or whinny. We’re just sorry we won’t have as many opportunities to “spread the gospel” of learning standards and meet as many of you as we originally hoped. However, we will be able to catch you at a few places in the next few months:
- Learning Solutions – Not a speaking gig, but you can hook up with Mike next month in Orlando.
- e-Learning DevCon 2010 – Mike gets the really technical, heavy-lifting presentations. He’s got two at this conference, one talking about what to include about SCORM in an RFP for an LMS (based on his white paper) and a hands-on technical session showing how to take advantage of our open platform to develop modules and plugins and extensions that take learning anywhere.
- International Conference on e-Learning in the Workplace – Tim and I (or one or both) are scheduled to present here. Two sessions, one explaining SCORM in plain English (as plain as I can make it) and one looking at the kind of reporting you can get out of SCORM.
- Campus Technology 2010 – Mike will be in Boston for this one with a longer version of our SCORM in plain English presentation. Check him out on Wednesday afternoon (July 21) and be sure to ask a lot of questions.
Got something specific you’d love to see us cover in a session? Let me know and we’ll make sure to answer it! (Well, OK, I’ll try to make sure it’s on the agenda. Can’t control what happens after that sometimes.) Going to be at the same conference? Definitely let us know because we love putting face/voices/reality to online connections.
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“You want to work here.” That’s how we’ve always begun our job postings, and we constantly strive to live up to that promise. Being a great place to work is at the essence of Rustici Software. Tim and I want to create a company that we enjoy working on everyday and where others are just as pleased. We think we’ve done a pretty darn good job, but we’re pleased to see that others agree. Last month, the Nashville Business Journal announced that it too thinks Rustici Software is one of Nashville’s Best Places to Work. So thank you NBJ. And thank you employees…it’s really easy to create a great company when you have a group of talented and driven folks making you look good!
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