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LearningByte International is an e-learning solutions provider. Mr Sunil Kandlikar, CEO, India Operations talks to Archana Jayakar about this rapidly progressing industry. Excerpts

IT@TT: Can you tell us briefly what e-learning is all about?

SK: e-learning refers to educational content, learning services and delivery solutions that support and enable Internet-based learning. In the context of corporate learning, e-learning empowers employees, enables enterprises and improves effectiveness. The e-learning industry is divided into three segments--Content, Technology and Services. However, many e-learning providers have begun to branch out into other areas as well. IDC (International Data Corporation) projects that the e-learning market worldwide will grow to $23 billion by 2004.

IT@TT: Can you recount a few memorable experiences at LearningByte, having been one of its earliest employees?

SK: I was posted at LearningByte by our former partner. It was a temporary role that required me to man the operations. That temporary period has lasted for about six years now. Being an early employee of a company is very exciting. You have the opportunity to make a difference and direct the future growth of the company. It is also the time when your roles are not defined and you do what needs to be done. You are your own secretary, the single marketing person, the ambassador and the typist. The flexibility you need in your approach is tremendous.

IT@TT: What are your major tie-ups?

SK: We have two types of partnerships. The first are alliances with corporations who are in the e-learning domain with complementary products, like Edcore and Docent from the LMS space, collaborative tool builders like WebEx and Centra. In addition, we are actively involved in developmental partnerships with corporations like IBM and Primedia. We have several joint-marketing partnerships across the globe to spread the services to companies in many geographical locations.

IT@TT: Tell us about the merger with Image Dynamics and its fallout.

SK: Mergers bring together expertise across many domains, which we use to expand our services, increase the production capacity and widen our geographical reach: Image Dynamics, San Diego brings with it extensive consulting experience coupled with a successful track record of delivering creative, and blended training solutions. LearningByte has a long history of learning and web-based technology that enables scalable production. There was a saving of close to a million dollars in half a year as a result of the integration of Image Dynamics’s services with the back end activities in India.

IT@TT: Headquartered in the US, how does the India Operations Division of LearningByte fit into the picture?

SK: We structured LearningByte as a global, multi-location organisation from its inception. In doing so, we avoided the pitfalls that occur while defining specific locations as centres. LearningByte's India operations partners with the US operations in several activities including design, production, software design and development, and marketing.

IT@TT: What is the functional structure at Learning Byte?

SK: Our extensive staff includes instructional designers and writers, graphic designers, product engineers, project managers, consultants, HR and sales, and marketing personnel.

IT@TT: What kind of software technology do you use to create and provide solutions?

SK: LearningByte uses a set of productivity tools called nVision software suite, to create learning objects and learning bytes. NVision is a tool used to assemble learning objects and to ensure that each learning object adheres to a common interface and standards. The software can import HTML documents created in your favorite HTML editor, wrap that document with the appropriate XML tags and make it part of a standards-based learning byte.

This way HTML content can automatically take advantage of all the underlying codes required to interface to learning management systems (LMS) or to adhere to industry standards. We also make this tool available to our customers and partners to help them become more efficient in the maintenance and modification of their e-learning content.

IT@TT: How does your company cater to the e-learning needs of IT professionals?

SK: As we are into customised e-learning for corporate training, all our solutions are need-specific and depend on the learning requirements of the customer. If required, we will design appropriate learning modules for IT professionals. In fact, we have provided customised training in industry segments like airlines, e-learning , pharmaceuticals, banking, insurance and others. We have addressed issues related to product, technology, soft skills, and simulation based training.

IT@TT: How is e-learning poised at this stage, and how do you see the future of the industry?

SK: The industry is going to see exciting times ahead. e-learning is fast emerging as a strategy to stay ahead of competition. Many corporates are leveraging technology to implement learning initiatives, which are related to their overall business goals. Learning Organizations are here to stay. As LearningByte moves forward in the e-learning industry, we are definitely expanding our operational base and adding to our competencies and strengths by adapting ourselves to the changing business environment.

IT@TT: Has the economic slowdown affected the company?

SK: Several projects that we undertake are long-term contracts, which have not been affected. The sales order position has also been fairly stable in the last two quarters. With so much de-layering and down sizing, there is a need to provide enhanced training modules. This helps the staff take-up those responsibilities, which were earlier done by a much larger workforce.

Interviewed By Archana Jayakar
[email protected]

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