The top 500 companies in the world, referred to as the Global 500, will be
targeted for e-learning as a result of a strategic relationship between leading
HR outsourcing company Exult and the world’s biggest e-learning company,
SmartForce. The six-year deal is predicted to be worth between $17m and $28m.
The agreement means that SmartForce’s e-learning solution will be
incorporated into Exult’s e-HR service, which is designed to manage the entire
human resource function. Exult struck a landmark outsourcing deal with BP in
1999 worth £375m and its aim is to deliver outsourced e-HR to all the Global
500.
"The Exult model continues to gain attention in the marketplace and
this relationship marries the strengths of two market leaders while giving
SmartForce a powerful new channel into a critical segment of the enterprise
market," says Paul Henry, senior VP of SmartForce.
The SmartForce e-learning solution contains over 11,000 hours of training,
broken down into 20,000 learning objects and permits its own and third-party
and proprietary content to be integrated into customisable instructional paths.
It will enable Exult clients to organise e-learning content, implement training
assessment and certification programs and build knowledge capital.
Exult also intends to offer the SmartForce solution to improve productivity
of its own employees and, in conjunction with the e-learning company, will be
developing unique training content on HR strategy and managing human capital.