Wednesday, May 13, 2009

This weekly newsletter has long promoted the potential of the mobile web. Now, there is another new function for this emerging platform: distance learning. Thanks to state-of-the-art software from a firm called Interactyx, colleges and universities, as well as corporate learning organizations, can now tap into the burgeoning mobile market. In a previous Herman Trend Alert, we highlighted research that indicated people value their cell phones and other mobile devices more highly than their computers.

What is different about this new software is that it encourages social networking (Web 2.0 technology) for the learners to provide mutual support and it costs a fraction of what the other platforms providing similar distribution capabilities charge. Called TOPYX, this cost effective, information content distribution platform features a hosted learning management system. So it is ideal for corporate universities as well.

By bringing top-notch interactive software together into a single platform, TOPYX gives organizations and learners an excellent resource for their knowledge sharing needs. It is affordable, easy-to-use, and engaging. The training firm Skillsoft recently formed a strategic alliance with Interactyx to begin using TOPYX as an alternate delivery system for its content.

The most intriguing aspect of this new product for us is its integration of learning and informational content with robust social networking on one platform. Not only does the product create online communities where people can share their thoughts, but it also supports collaboration and group work. For the educators among us, it is also SCORM-compliant. For us not involved in the educational arena, SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model. It is a collection of standards and specifications for web-based e-learning.

Given the level of facility and desire for advancing technologies of Generations X and Y, we expect TOPYX and products like it to do very well in the years to come. Add to that facility and affinity, the attraction of mobility and it is easy to understand why we are so excited about this new product. All one has to do is look at the remarkable success of the iPhone to begin to comprehend to amazing potential of mobile web applications. For more information, contact Jodi Harrison at jodi.harrison@interactyx.com or call 239.603.7529.