Did you know that 1/3 of the entire population of the world has internet access? Wow.
In 2011, there were 6.1 billion mobile phone subscriptions globally. The world population in 2011 was recorded to be 6.9 billion. That is almost one mobile phone subscription for every single person.
With the number of people from every corner of the world increasingly able to access an internet connection, this lays the fundamental groundwork for enhanced online training of employees.
Companies primarily located within one geographic location or with a multi-national presence, this trend will continue to benefit how to provide valuable information necessary for employees to enhance their production and competency Information can be readily available on the job, when it is needed most, or when someone has the time to access training materials remotely via mobile or desktop devices.
While the information becomes more accessible, it also reduces the effects of costly in-person training programs.
Which countries have the highest number of internet users where this is possible? See the infographic below that was recently put together by backgroundcheck.org showing the top 2012 trends in internet and mobile device usage:
While China and USA top the list of internet users, the entire population of internet usage grew 8% in 2011.
I feel that this trend will continue as technology gets cheaper and more ingrained in our lives (if that is even possible).
Companies have the opportunity to get on top of these trends to deliver a better training ROI by recognizing that more and more people can readily access training and other valuable content online and even through a range of mobile devices. This can have profound effects on the bottom line by reducing wasteful training practices and improving employee performance.
Learning management systems (LMS) exists that provide best in class technology to manage training objectives, but also include social learning tools to allow users to interact, share information and collaborate better. They need to be accessible from desktops and mobile devices.
One such system is the award-winning social LMS, TOPYX®, which was voted 2012′s “Best Social Learning Solution,” beating Microsoft’s Yammer. TOPYX is a fully hosted system, so there is no significant burden to overtaxed IT departments and there are no per user fees. Companies can finally connect all employees, partners, and other parties without being hindered by user fees or storage fees. If you want an online learning program to work to help you reach your goals, you need to include everyone without breaking the bank.
See TOPYX for yourself with a free, personal LMS demo.
The availability of internet access is increasing, and so is the availability of online software to improve your training and collaboration efforts, no matter which countries your employees reside.
The internet is not a passing fad. It is time to act on these trends that are going to continue to grow.
Jeffrey A. Roth
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Jeffrey.Roth@Interactyx.com
Interactyx Limited
interactyx.com
