Partnerships & Alliances – Sept/Oct 2014

The latest training industry mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, and more.

  • Blackboard’s new Blackboard Registration Module is delivered through a strategic partnership with Genius SIS, a Web-based information, registration, and e-commerce system. The environment now offers fully integrated learner registration, tracking, e-commerce, and enterprise reporting systems and tools.
  • Ace Hardware, a retailer-owned hardware cooperative, is implementing uStudio, Inc.’s video platform to drive its sales training processes in more than 4,800 stores.
  • Audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG LLP acquired the Workday Consulting Practice (a provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human capital management) from AXIA Consulting.
  • Corporate training and leadership development company VitalSmarts agreed to be acquired by Providence Equity Partners. The investment from Providence will accelerate VitalSmarts’ corporate growth initiatives. Andrew Shimberg will continue to lead the company as CEO. Cofounders/authors Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, and Kerry Patterson will continue to provide intellectual property leadership, research, and new content. Al Switzler and Ron McMillan will continue in advisory roles.
  • Grovo, a cloud-based video training platform that teaches Internet and professional skills in 60 seconds, and Manhattan real estate services firm TOWN Residential, partnered to provide TOWN’s 600 representatives and employees with free access to Grovo’s training library, which includes videos on more than 130 Internet tools, cloud services, and professional topics, as well as use Grovo’s cloud platform to deploy customized, digital marketing-focused courses.
Lorri Freifeld
Lorri Freifeld is the editor/publisher of Training magazine. She writes on a number of topics, including talent management, training technology, and leadership development. She spearheads two awards programs: the Training APEX Awards and Emerging Training Leaders. A writer/editor for the last 30 years, she has held editing positions at a variety of publications and holds a Master’s degree in journalism from New York University.