New Software From Saba Leads to More Personalized and Higher User Engagement as Users Find and Complete Learning in Familiar Portal Environments

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. (October 19, 2010) – Saba (NASDAQ:SABA), the premier people systems provider, today announced it has delivered a new version of a software application called a portlet that provides formal learning processes in-context, so that users can engage in all types of learning without ever leaving their familiar portal environments. Developed by Saba to benefit IBM customers, IBM Learning Accelerator now provides portlets for IBM WebSphere Portal software and new integrations for both Lotus Connections and Lotus Sametime.

News Facts

With new prepackaged portlets that can be embedded directly into IBM WebSphere Portal Server, businesses can bring learning to their users where they are already working rather than requiring them to log into a stand-alone Learning Management System (LMS). By simplifying learning processes, IBM Learning Accelerator speeds task completion and takes advantage of the investments businesses have already made

Saba focuses on using industry-standard technologies to ease deployment for IT. All of the portlets support the Java Specification Request (JSR) 286 portlet standard so that organizations can deploy these embedded processes out of the box to one or many standards-compliant Web portals without need to rebuild the application each and every time.

Users can collaborate more intelligently within a formal learning experience by accessing profiles in Lotus Connections. Additionally, integration with IBM Lotus Sametime lets users launch and use enterprise instant messaging in conjunction with formal learning activities.

The solution delivers the full capabilities of Saba Learning and comes with built-in best practices gained from more than 13 years of work with some of the world’s most admired organizations. All of the business rules, configurations, security credentials, and language preferences defined in the Saba people system are enforced through the portlets in IBM WebSphere Portal, making for a seamless, secure user experience.

IBM and Saba have collaborated since May 2009 to bring portal software and Saba’s learning software together. The combined solution from IBM and Saba can help businesses save time and money by reusing the same IT infrastructure for learning that they use for their corporate intranet and extranet.

The portlets are available now.

Comments

“Collaborative learning is one of the fastest-growing approaches to corporate training,” said Josh Bersin, Bersin & Associates, a leading research and advisory services firm based in Oakland, Calif. “With the corporate learning technology market now over $1 billion in size, almost all organizations are looking for ways to integrate their collaboration tools with existing IT infrastructure.

“IBM Learning Accelerator is at the forefront of the market trends toward in-context learning and strategic people development,” said Bobby Yazdani, chairman and CEO of Saba. “By embedding learning right within a company’s WebSphere portal, users are able to find and complete learning without having to know a separate system. This enables people to more easily acquire knowhow by incorporating strategic people development in the context of day-to-day work activities.”

“Timely, effective learning management is critical for organizations with employees dispersed across the globe,” said Larry Bowden, vice president, Portals and Web Experience, IBM. “IBM Learning Accelerator is ideal for people who need to move quickly and appreciate an interactive, personalized Web experience.”

About Saba

Saba (NASDAQ: SABA) provides a new class of people systems that combine enterprise learning, people management, and collaboration technologies. Today’s people-driven enterprises are using Saba’s solutions to mobilize and engage people around new strategies and initiatives, align and connect people to accelerate the flow of business, and cultivate, capture, and share individual and collective knowhow to effectively compete and succeed.

Saba’s premier customer base includes major global organizations and industry leaders in financial services, life sciences and healthcare, high tech, automotive and manufacturing, retail, energy and utilities, packaged goods, and public sector organizations, including 51% of the Fortune 100.

Headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, Saba has offices on five continents. For more information, please visit

Saba, the Saba logo, Saba Centra, and the marks relating to Saba products and services referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Saba Software, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact
Saba
Jenny Lee, 650-581-2615
Director of PR and AR
jlee@saba.com
Twitter: @SabaSoftware

Source: Saba