Learn.com

Learn.com was established in January 1999 by Jim Riley and Patrick Toomey as an online service for creating and publishing e-learning courses and complete e-learning sites called LearnCenters. Its initial model reflected the early web's interest in open publishing: users could contribute instructional material rather than merely consume centrally produced courses. This positioned Learn.com at the intersection of online education, digital content publishing, and emerging learning-management technology. In September 2000, the company introduced a commercial edition of the LearnCenter learning management system, with co-founder JW Ray assisting the launch. The commercial platform gave Learn.com a stronger enterprise orientation and provided organizations with software for administering on-demand learning. The company's education activity also reached the institutional market. In June 2001, its client ECOT became the first electronic charter school in the United States to graduate students, illustrating the relevance of online learning infrastructure to new forms of schooling. Learn.com expanded its capabilities and content base through acquisitions. In September 2002 it acquired Learn2 Corporation, an e-learning content provider. In June 2004 it acquired Mentor Communications, Inc. These transactions supported a broader proposition in which software, course material, and organizational learning services could be delivered together. The company's product strategy broadened substantially in December 2005 with LearnCenter X. The product was presented as an integrated talent-management suite, moving beyond the narrower definition of an LMS toward human-capital-management functions. Learn.com later introduced WebRoom in September 2007, adding web conferencing to its portfolio. In June 2009, it launched Learn.com Personal Edition, which returned to the participatory logic of its early platform by allowing individuals to take courses, improve skills, and create and publish courses. Industry awards reinforced Learn.com's position in the enterprise learning market. Training Magazine recognized the company for enterprise LMS performance in 2006. Elearning! Magazine readers selected LearnCenter as a leading LMS for 2007 and 2008 and recognized its information-technology and soft-skills content libraries in 2008. In November 2009, the publication gave Learn.com the newly established Best Talent Management System award and also recognized its LMS. The company was described as having earned enterprise-LMS recognition for four consecutive years. In October 2010, Taleo Corporation acquired Learn.com. Taleo was a publicly traded provider of on-demand talent-management software, making the transaction strategically consistent with Learn.com's expansion into integrated talent management. In April 2012, Oracle acquired Taleo. After that acquisition, Learn.com technology became the foundation for Oracle Learn Cloud. The reference material does not document a separate post-acquisition corporate identity, leadership structure, or standalone product roadmap for Learn.com, and therefore the brand's current independent status cannot be confirmed.

1. 2012Technology integrated into Oracle

   Oracle acquired Taleo, and Learn.com technology became the foundation for Oracle Learn Cloud.

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2. 2010Acquired by Taleo

   Taleo Corporation acquired Learn.com.

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3. 2009Learn.com Personal Edition launched

   The Personal Edition enabled individuals to learn, improve skills, and create or publish courses.

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4. 2007WebRoom introduced

   The company launched its WebRoom web-conferencing product.

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5. 2005LearnCenter X launched

   Learn.com introduced LearnCenter X as an integrated talent-management suite.

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6. 2004Mentor Communications acquired

   Learn.com acquired Mentor Communications, Inc.

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7. 2002Learn2 Corporation acquired

   Learn.com acquired the e-learning content provider Learn2 Corporation.

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8. 2001ECOT graduated its first students

   Learn.com client ECOT became the first electronic charter school in the United States to graduate students.

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9. 2000Commercial LearnCenter launched

   Learn.com introduced the first commercial version of its LearnCenter learning management system.

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10. 1999Learn.com founded

    Jim Riley and Patrick Toomey founded Learn.com as a website for creating and publishing e-learning courses and sites.

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Enterprise learning and talent-management technology combining learning administration, course content, employee development, and related human-capital-management functions.

• LearnCenterLearning management system2000

  LearnCenter was Learn.com's core learning-management platform. First introduced commercially in 2000, it supported the administration and delivery of on-demand learning and helped move the company from an open course-publishing website into enterprise software. The platform was repeatedly recognized by industry readers as an enterprise LMS.

• LearnCenter XTalent management suite2005

  LearnCenter X was introduced in 2005 as an integrated talent-management suite. It broadened Learn.com's scope beyond course administration by connecting learning with wider human-capital-management and employee-development needs. Reference material characterizes it as an early integrated talent-management offering in the HCM market.

• WebRoomWeb conferencing2007

  WebRoom was Learn.com's web-conferencing product, introduced in 2007. It extended the company's portfolio beyond asynchronous course delivery and supported the broader enterprise-learning environment surrounding online instruction and employee development.

• Learn.com Personal EditionConsumer and community e-learning platform2009

  Learn.com Personal Edition was launched in 2009 for individuals. It allowed users to take courses, improve their skills, and create and publish their own courses, preserving the participatory publishing model associated with Learn.com's original service.

• 2012Technology transferred into Oracle's learning portfolioM&A

  Taleo had acquired Learn.com and was subsequently acquired by Oracle.

  What changed. Oracle acquired Taleo and used Learn.com technology as the foundation for Oracle Learn Cloud.

  Aftermath. The Learn.com technology became part of Oracle's cloud learning and talent-management offering; the continuing standalone status of the Learn.com brand is not documented.

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• 2010Accepted acquisition by TaleoM&A

  Learn.com operated in the on-demand learning and talent-management software market, while Taleo was an established provider of on-demand talent-management technology.

  What changed. Taleo Corporation acquired Learn.com.

  Aftermath. Learn.com ceased to operate as an independently owned company in the available corporate history and its technology later entered Oracle through Taleo.

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• 2005Broadened from LMS software into integrated talent managementProduct launch

  Learn.com had established LearnCenter as a learning-management product and was expanding toward wider human-capital-management functionality.

  What changed. The company introduced LearnCenter X as an integrated talent-management suite.

  Aftermath. The launch strengthened Learn.com's positioning as a talent-management and enterprise HCM technology provider rather than solely an LMS vendor.

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• 2012Oracle acquired Taleo

  Oracle's acquisition of Taleo placed Learn.com technology within Oracle, where it became the foundation for Oracle Learn Cloud.

  M&A
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• 2010Taleo acquired Learn.com

  Taleo Corporation acquired Learn.com, bringing the company and its learning technology into a larger on-demand talent-management software portfolio.

  M&A
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• 2009Learn.com introduced Learn.com Personal Edition

  The Personal Edition enabled individuals to take courses, develop skills, and create or publish their own courses.

  Product launch
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• 2008LearnCenter received enterprise LMS recognition

  Elearning! Magazine readers recognized LearnCenter as a leading learning management system and also recognized Learn.com's information-technology and soft-skills content libraries.

  Other
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• 2005LearnCenter X introduced as an integrated talent-management suite

  Learn.com launched LearnCenter X, extending its offering from learning management into integrated talent-management software.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2004Learn.com acquired Mentor Communications

  Learn.com expanded its business through the acquisition of Mentor Communications, Inc.

  M&A
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• 2002Learn.com acquired Learn2 Corporation

  The acquisition added an e-learning content provider to Learn.com's software and course-related business.

  M&A
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• 2000Learn.com launched the commercial LearnCenter learning management system

  The company introduced the first commercial version of its LearnCenter learning management system, marking its transition from an open course-publishing website toward enterprise learning software.

  Product launch
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1. Learn.com