Administrative interface for this system: Assigning a course to a student.
How to interpret the information in this profile:
Rather than simply asking vendors whether their system has specific features, we asked vendors to be much more specific about how features are provided in their learning management systems. In many places in this profile, you will see the terms Automatic, Semi-automatic, Semi-custom, Custom, NA, and third-party add-on listed next to a feature. Here are the definitions of what these terms mean:
Automatic: Built-in, out-of-the-box functionality that can be simply switched on and ready to be used.
Semi-automatic: The feature is mostly available in the system, but requires some programming and/or customization to activate.
Semi-custom: This feature is partially available in the system and can be adapted through some moderate custom program.
Custom: This feature is not available in the current feature but can somewhat easily be added through custom programming services at the time of implementation.
NA; not a current feature: This feature is not available in the current release of the software. Third-party add-on: This feature can be added upon implementation using third-party
software.
Tracker.Net — At-A-Glance
Primary use types Corporate university/learning portal: Behind-the-firewall, large scale implementation
(5,000+ learners)
10%
Corporate university/learning portal: Hosted (by you or your hosting partner), large scale
implementation
0%
Commercial learning portal (this includes content providers who resell their content and
provide the LMS as a third-party offering to clients)
20%
Academic online infrastructure (primarily used by higher education, secondary
ERP/CRM integration (number of customers integrated with major back-office systems)
PeopleSoft 0
SAP 0
Oracle 0
Siebel 0
Lawson 0
Other?: None. 0
Largest "behind-the-firewall" implementation to date (number of learners)
(Not provided)
Largest "hosted" implementation to date
(Not provided)
Classroom management Administrative calendar for scheduling N/A; not a current feature
Learner calendar N/A; not a current feature
Wait listing N/A; not a current feature
Supervisory and/or instructor approval process (business rules)
N/A; not a current feature
Personnel management (managing the scheduling of instructors)
N/A; not a current feature
Facility management (room scheduling) N/A; not a current feature
Equipment and resource scheduling (projectors, test equipment, etc.)
N/A; not a current feature
Automatic resolution of scheduling conflicts
N/A; not a current feature
Automatic e-mail messaging and notification
Automatic
Customizable notification messages Automatic
Course attendance reports N/A; not a current feature
Built-in content authoring Pure LMS with minimal or no built-in content authoring capabilities; LMS vendor offers a separate, but integrated set of content authoring tools (whether internally created or reselling a third party solution); in addition, end users can use other third party authoring tools to add additional content.
Built-in content management system
LMS has no built-in learning content management system (LCMS); can be used with a wide variety of third party LCMS solutions.
Built-in assessment tools Built-in utility for creating and deploying tests, exams, and quizzes
N/A; not a current feature
Questions can be drawn from a pool of test questions
N/A; not a current feature
Questions can be automatically randomized upon delivery
N/A; not a current feature
Distractors (individual answers) can be automatically randomized upon delivery
N/A; not a current feature
Number of attempts to test questions can be easily set
N/A; not a current feature
Automatic feedback can be provided during the assessment (if desired)
N/A; not a current feature
Timed test questions N/A; not a current feature
Timed tests N/A; not a current feature
Summary screen shows test scores and other performance indicators
N/A; not a current feature
Test performance data is automatically linked to available LMS performance reports (without requiring additional
testing to verify that the data is being captured correctly)
N/A; not a current feature
Dynamic prescriptive pretesting that can adapt course content based on gap
analysis
N/A; not a current feature
Skill-gap analysis NA; Not a current feature
Analytics: System automatically assesses ROI for specific training initiatives
N/A; not a current feature
Multiple learning portals for different departments from a single installation
Semi-automatic
AICC NA; not compliant
SCORM Conformant - SCORM 2004Conformant - version 1.2
Specific levels of conformance achieved: Tracker.Net conforms to the SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 (1.3) runtime environments. It does not use SCORM manifest files and, therefore, does not conform to SCORM manifest specifications. It also implements its own linear sequencing and does not support the various SCORM 2004 sequencing permutations.
Section 508 Yes Compliance comes from being built on top of ASP.NET.
Multi-byte support (to support complex fonts and characters sets for languages such as Chinese and Korean)
Automatic
Learner interface available in multiple languages
English (US)SpanishGermanFrench (European)
Interoperability with third-party, off-the-shelf e-learning content
None.
Hosted solution options Most of the company's clients will locally install the LMS solution on their server. The company does, however, offer a hosted solution as part of their package of services for customers who are looking for a hosted solution.
Average implementation time High range = 1 weeksLow range = 0.1 weeksAverage time = 0.2 weeks
Top vertical markets (by % of existing customers using the system)
Banking/finance 10%
Insurance 0%
Government 20%
Healthcare 20%
Pharmaceuticals 0%
Information technology/high-tech
0%
Telecommunications 0%
Industrial/manufacturing 0%
Energy 20%
Retail 0%
Transportation 0%
General business 0%
Professional services 0%
Higher education 5%
K-12 education 0%
Publishing (traditional or e-learning)
0%
Associations 0%
Other: hospitality, airlines, real estate
25%
Current version released May 2003
Critique by Brandon Hall Research
Review date: February 2007.
Tracker.Net is a pure LMS system. It is an intuitive, straightforward, and cost-effective solution for those who only need to track and report student status and progress. No additional components, such as blended learning scenarios, on-the-job tracking, content development applications, or assessment tools, are provided. However, major third-party programs that are SCORM-compliant (Authorware, Lectora, Flash, ToolBook, and Questionmark) should easily integrate into this product.We were impressed by the extensive reporting capabilities of Tracker.Net. Navigation is straightforward and intuitive. The drill-down and filer components are impressive. We also liked the ability to “right-click” reports and generate automatic Word, Excel, or .html files, as well as the ability to automatically send the report as an e-mail attachment. Reporting features include certificate creation and archival features for inactive students. Additionally, notice of expiration of training status can come in handy when scheduling additional learning venues. Instructional designers will appreciate the fact that learning objectives can be associated within specific reports to ensure training takes place.One interesting feature of Tracker.Net is the ability to easily develop multilingual learning portals. In addition to automatically generating languages for global screens, cultural differences are considered when developing a language specific portal. For example, dates can be displayed either in an English
format (11 January, 2007) or in an American format (January 11, 2007).We noted in our earlier review that this product does not offer back-office interoperability. However, with this release, Tracker.Net has developed a Student Import Utility that uploads .txt and comma-deleted files. Clients who can re-purpose their original data into these formats should be able to efficiently batch process previous student data. Strong encryption is also provided to ensure integrity of data. For an additional fee, Tracker.Net also offers their source code for those who need to modify the current product or extend its capabilities.This product is SCORM 1.2- and SCORM 2004-compliant. However, this product does not create a SCORM-compliant manifest. This does limit the cataloging and repository aspects of the SCORM model.
On the downside
The branding abilities of Tracker.Net are somewhat limited. Those companies who have personnel capable of working with CSS style sheets should be able to alter the provided CSS style sheet to meet most of their needs. As noted earlier, Tracker.Net does not create a SCORM-compliant manifest. This is neither a positive nor a negative; it is simply something our readers should know about.
Best use recommendation
Those who need an undiluted LMS solution for a medium to large company should consider Tracker.Net. Its intuitive features, extensive reporting features, and cost are very attractive. Original OEMs may wish to bundle with this product with their own to extend marketing venues. Current users include governmental, healthcare, and corporate entities, namely airlines.
Product Information
Product overview
Tracker.Net is an LMS built from the ground up in ASP.NET, SQL server, and Visual Basic .NET. It scales to large numbers of users and supports mandatory and optional elements of the SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 runtime environment specification.
Tracker.Net provides reporting capabilities and security. It features supervisory levels, expiration dates, the ability to mark students as inactive, exporting reports to Word and Excel, and much more. It offers a fully multilingual user interface that can change languages student-by-student according to user preferences.
It offers full source code as a separately-priced ($4,995) option to integrate it with other systems or make more extensive changes.
LMS suite components
There are no separate modules, but three separate "roles" are available:- Student: Take training, view personal reports, etc.- Administrator: Assign students to courses, organize them into classes, configure lessons and courses, make global settings, etc. Administrators may have "all-level advanced" access, "all-level
basic" access, or "supervisory-level" access. The first two allow the administrator to see all students, but only the advanced level can add or edit courses and lessons. The latter allows them to only view information and assign courses/classes to students they supervise directly or indirectly (e.g., students that report to one of their supervisees).- Reporter: View summary and detailed reports by student, lesson, course, class, or organization. "All-level" access allows the reports to be on all students in the database. "Supervisory level" allows the reports to only cover students they supervise directly or indirectly. Reports can be filtered, sorted, and exported to Word, Excel, or HTML.
System is 100% browser-based
Yes
Components that are NOT browser-based: None.
Demo version of LMS available
http://www.vbtrain.net/Tracker3
username: demopassword: a
A free evaluation version may be downloaded at http://www.vbtrain.net/prodDownloadInfo.aspx.
Primary usage type (by %)
10% Corporate university/learning portal: Behind-the-firewall, large scale implementation (5,000+ learners)
0% Corporate university/learning portal: Hosted (by company or by a hosting partner), large scale implementation
20% Commercial learning portal (this includes content providers who resell their content and provide an LMS as a third-party offering to clients)
5% Academic online infrastructure (primarily used by higher education, secondary education, or K-12 organizations)
20% Mid-size organizations (sales over $100 million)
60% Small organizations (less than $100 million)
Regional breakout of product implementations
70% U.S./Canada
15% Europe
15% Asia and Pacific Rim
0% Central and South America
0% Other
0% Other:
Breakout of implementations by vertical industry
10% Banking/finance
0% Insurance
20% Government
20% Healthcare
0% Pharmaceuticals
0% Information technology/high-tech
0% Telecommunications
0% Industrial/manufacturing
20% Energy
0% Retail
0% Transportation
0% General business
0% Professional services
5% Higher education
0% K-12 education
0% Publishing (traditional or e-learning)
0% Associations
25% Other: hospitality, airlines, real estate
Special focus on vertical industries (if any)
None.
Top clients
4D Interactive, Inc.American Signature Inc.Oak Ridge Institute for Science and EducationBritish AirwaysCityJet AirlinesCovance Inc.bristol.gs Training Solutionsedhitec Health SystemsInfinite MediaAastra USA Inc.Circle K StoresMadonna Rehabilitation HospitalCommand CenterPatient FirstPerformax3 Inc.Saint Francis HospitalTeachers Credit UnionU.S. Air ForceU.S. Veteran's AdministrationObor Digital
Top 3 competitors
CourseMill WBT Manager EKP Bronze
Top 3 competitive advantages
No dependencies on Java or third-party reporting products. Built from the ground up using the advanced .NET framework and Microsoft SQL server. Supports expiration dates, open enrollment, grouping students into classes, the ability to
disable future lessons until the current lesson is completed, and more.
in development in sales/marketing in services in other:
Number of organizations using this LMS
The company did not provide this information.
Estimated number of total seats (all implementations, all registered learners)
Number of seats: (Not provided)
Largest "behind-the-firewall" implementation to date
Number of seats: (Not provided)
Largest "hosted" implementation to date
Number of seats: (Not provided)
Year the LMS (version 1.0) was originally released
2002
Company status
Private
Annual amount spent on LMS product research and development
The company did not provide this information.
Statement about company's financial viability
The company does not release financial information, including number of employees, sales or R&D. However, they have been profitable since their founding in 1996 and have no outside investors, loans or venture capital.
.NET. All source code (which is available as a separately-priced option) is Visual Basic .NET, with some JavaScript.
Openness of data for migration and connectivity
Can import and export directly from SQL server.
Scalability of the system
Highly scalable due to its architecture and the robustness of .NET.
Ability of the system to handle heavy loads
Designed to handle large loads and large numbers of students. Customers like Circle K have deployed Tracker.Net nationwide.
What makes the system superior to others in terms of the technology platform (schema, data migration, creative use of XML, etc.)
Web services, ASP.NET, Visual Basic .NET, stored procedures (SQL server). No reliance on Java.
Back Office Interoperability Percentage of customer by level of interoperability with ERP, CRM, and other back-office systems
100% Level 1 – Stand-alone: LMS exists in stand-alone state with virtually no interoperability with back-office systems.
0% Level 2 – Batch processing: LMS receives learner information for ERP, CRM, and other business systems at a specified time (e.g., 2:00 a.m. every day) and/or the LMS sends batch
performance data to an ERP, CRM, or other business system at a specified time.
0%
Level 3 – Real-time database synchronization: The LMS receives learner demographic data from an ERP, CRM, or other business system in "real time," as the information is added to the back-office system and/or the LMS sends performance data to an ERP, CRM, or other business system in "real time" as courses are completed. However, both the LMS and the back-office business systems keep and maintain their own databases.
0%Level 4 – Real-time, one database: The same as Level 3, except the LMS and business system actually share the exact same database. Data records (learner demographics and performance data) are not duplicated, rather they exist in one, and only one, database).
Overview of the consulting and customization process for mapping out and implementing connectivity with an ERP, CRM, or other business system
Tracker.Net has an included utility for batch importing students based on a delimited file. The utility allows the importer to match up the columns in the delimited file to the matching columns in Tracker.Net. Customers may also batch import student data directly, using SQL server.
Experience creating interoperability with specific systems
Number of customers who are using interoperability (by back-office system):
0 PeopleSoft
0 SAP
0 Oracle
0 Siebel
0 Lawson
0 Other: None.
PeopleSoft experience
not applicable.
Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems.
SAP experience
not applicable.
Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems.
Oracle ERP experience
not applicable.
Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems.
Siebel experience
not applicable.
Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems.
Lawson experience
not applicable.
Database schema is fairly standard, making it easier to interact with other business systems.
Other ERP experience
List of systems: None.
Vendor experience with these other systems: not applicable.
Standard communication protocols used by this LMS solution
not applicable.
Special functionality to provide data migration from other systems
not applicable.
Interoperability with general business portal technologies
No.
Interoperability with Other E-Learning Content and Technologies Interoperability tests conducted with third-party content libraries
None.
Interoperability tests conducted with content authoring tools
Screen shot of a typical learner interface generated with this system
Features
Secure log-on with valid authentication Automatic
Advanced search functionality allowing learners to find specific courses and other learning
materials based on keywords, title, delivery format, and other tagged identifiers
Automatic
Individualized learning plan showing a unique list of learning materials/events based on the
learner's specific needsAutomatic
Individualized learning plan showing a unique Automatic
list of learning materials/events based on the learner's specific role, position, or
responsibilities inside the organization
Support for multiple catalogs N/A; not a current feature
Course catalogs can contain more than course materials (including items such as books,
audio/video, etc.)N/A; not a current feature
Users can search catalog before logging in to the system (pre-browsing) N/A; not a current feature
Self-registration Automatic
Telephone registration and self-service (e.g., interactive voice response (IVR)) N/A; not a current feature
The system has built-in capabilities allowing learners to download and take courses offline,
then synchronize their performance data with the LMS later
N/A; not a current feature
Provides learners with note-taking capabilities N/A; not a current feature
Learner can search for content for performance support purposes N/A; not a current feature
Learners can see their own progress reports (scores, dates courses taken, etc.) Automatic
Other features: Self-registration is available only if one or more courses are marked as "open enrollment." Users may edit their own information. Administrators may customize what information is required (telephone number, Social Security number, location, etc.), or simply requested but not mandatory, and the format that information must comply with.
Learner interface highlights
Courses are either open enrollment, assigned to a specific student, assigned to a class of which the student is a member, or assigned to the student's organization. The "My Courses" screen features several options for viewing the courses and lessons. These are a collapsible tree-view, a menu, a navigation bar, or a table. The status of each lesson and course is shown via customizable graphics.The student simply logs in and chooses "my courses," "my reports" or "my information." Status is shown via intuitive, customizable graphics.The current version features easy localization and customization via the administrator section and allows side-by-side support of up to six simultaneous languages.
Classroom Management Features
Administrative calendar for scheduling N/A; not a current feature
Learner calendar N/A; not a current feature
Wait listing N/A; not a current feature
Supervisory and/or instructor approval process (business rules) N/A; not a current feature
Personnel management (managing the scheduling of instructors) N/A; not a current feature
Facility management (room scheduling) N/A; not a current feature
Equipment and resource scheduling (projectors, test equipment, etc.) N/A; not a current feature
Automatic resolution of scheduling conflicts N/A; not a current feature
Automatic e-mail messaging and notification Automatic
Customizable notification messages Automatic
Course attendance reports N/A; not a current feature
Other features: There are no classroom management features in Tracker.Net. There are customizable notification messages associated with attempting lessons, failing a course, making someone an administrator, etc.
Classroom management highlights
Tracker.Net does not offer classroom management features.
Performance Management Features
The ability to keep performance records for on-the-job (OJT) training and other training events
that occur outside the LMS environmentNA; Not a current feature
The ability to assign and keep track of job-related tasks associated with courses N/A; not a current feature
Built-in incentive utility offering rewards, merchandise, or prizes for meeting
training/learning objectivesN/A; not a current feature
Career planning and development tools that allow the learner to see how their training fits
into their own career developmentN/A; not a current feature
Tools to conduct and keep performance data during annual performance reviews N/A; not a current feature
Tools used to evaluate potential candidates for new hire employment (prior to their working for
the organization)N/A; not a current feature
Other features: None.
Performance management capabilities (beyond launching and tracking e-learning and classroom management)
Tracker.Net launches and tracks online content that supports the SCORM runtime environment. Through its SCORM 1.3 (2004) capabilities, it can also track any “asset” on-line content that does not support SCORM. It does not track other types of content or performance data.
Competency Management Features
Provides comprehensive skill-gap analysis NA; Not a current feature
Includes built-in 360-degree evaluation utility N/A; not a current feature
Succession planning (learners can compare their own skill sets against other job positions in the
organization and analyze deficiencies)N/A; not a current feature
Can locate candidates for particular positions or projects based on skill requirements N/A; not a current feature
Can import third-party competency models N/A; not a current feature
Ability to link specific test questions with specific competencies N/A; not a current feature
Can create a many-to-one relationship among test questions and competencies N/A; not a current feature
Can modify/customize competency types, proficiency scale, etc. N/A; not a current feature
Other features: None.
Competency management highlights and differentiating features
Tracker.Net does not have any specific competency management features.
Certification Management Features
Keeps extensive archival records of past performance data Automatic
Re-certification notice (the system keeps track of expired certifications and automatically notifies
learners to remind them to re-certify)
Semi-automatic
Audit trail Semi-automatic
Automatically issues printed certificates upon course completion Automatic
Tracks certification deadlines and reports on missed deadlines Semi-automatic
Built-in tools for conducting online, proctored exams (a proctor must sign the learner in to take
a specially designated certification exam. The system maintains records of the proctor sign-in
and completion data)
N/A; not a current feature
Other features: Certificates are available via "my reports."
Specific regulatory standards targeted in the LMS
Tracker.Net meets some or all of these, but no clients have notified the company of specific compliance requirements (or of any problems meeting required standards).
The fact that Tracker.Net is built in ASP.NET without any type of Java applets means that it has outstanding accessibility and security out of the box. The HTML files and style sheets are easily editable. Source code is available as a separately-priced option, in case the client wants to make enhancements.
Content Development and Management
Statement describing LMS positioning on authoring
Pure LMS with minimal or no built-in content authoring capabilities; LMS vendor offers a separate, but integrated set of content authoring tools (whether internally created or reselling a third party solution); in addition, end users can use other third party authoring tools to add additional content.
Statement describing LMS positioning on LCMSs
LMS has no built-in learning content management system (LCMS); can be used with a wide variety of third party LCMS solutions.
Vendor recommended authoring tools (third-party and/or their own authoring tools)
Summary screen shows test scores and other performance indicators N/A; not a current feature
Test performance data is automatically linked to available LMS performance reports (without
requiring additional testing to verify that the data is being captured correctly)
N/A; not a current feature
Dynamic prescriptive pretesting that can adapt course content based on gap analysis N/A; not a current feature
Other features: Platte Canyon has a separate product called Exam Engine that incorporates all except dynamic prescriptive pre-testing. Exam Engine can be used along with Tracker.Net, on its own, or with another SCORM-compliant LMS.
Evaluation features
Built-in utility for creating Kirkpatrick Level 1 evaluations ("happy sheets"): Did the learner like
the course? (using a Likkert scale)N/A; not a current feature
Automatically creates a summary report of Level 1 feedback N/A; not a current feature
Other features: None.
Question types
Multiple-choice question (single correct answer) N/A; not a current feature
Multiple-choice question (multiple correct answers) N/A; not a current feature
True/false N/A; not a current feature
Short answer (typed response) N/A; not a current feature
In-line, fill-in-the-blank questions (type answers in mid-sentence) N/A; not a current feature
Freeform essay question (graded by an instructor or keyword analysis of multi-sentence response) N/A; not a current feature
Matching question N/A; not a current feature
Sequence question (sequence the order of steps in a procedure) N/A; not a current feature
Hot spot question (invisible touch area on top of a graphic) N/A; not a current feature
Drag-and-drop question (drag objects with targets; e.g., could be used to assemble a jigsaw
puzzle; more than just a drag-and-drop matching question)
N/A; not a current feature
Other features: Exam Engine (described above) offers multiple-choice (single or multiple correct answers), true/false, and fill-in-the-blank questions.
Testing and assessment highlights
There are no built-in testing options.
Vendor recommendation for creating and deploying assessments
Third-party tool. There is no built-in assessment tool.
Interoperability with third-party assessment tools
Yes Tracker.Net is compatible with any testing software that supports the SCORM runtime environment. The company has done extensive testing with Exam Engine, ToolBook, Flash, and Training Studio.
Special tools for performing Kirkpatrick Level 3 and Level 4 evaluation
Report generated by this system: Viewing a student detail deport.
Features
Automatically records launch date/time and duration for e-learning content not configured to
pass performance dataAutomatic
Automatically collects test item analysis data (collecting every answer given on every question
as opposed to a composite test score only)Automatic
Provides a report showing which test items were missed most often Semi-custom
Provides usage statistics; e.g., for a given time period, the system can automatically show the number of users who accessed the system and
the number of completed courses (and/or tasks and assignments)
Automatic
System provides a built-in utility (as part of the license) that allows end users to create their own
N/A; not a current feature
ad hoc reports
System allows end users to use standard tools to customize or create ad hoc reports (such as Crystal Reports or other reporting engine)
Semi-custom
System allows end users to create "user-defined" fields at all levels (e.g., adding a new
demographic to a learner profile or a new field to categorize course offerings)
Semi-automatic
Ability to export data in a wide variety of formats such as HTML, tab-delimited, or CSV
(comma separated values) formatsAutomatic
Other features: Includes Word, Excel, and HTML.
Tracker.Net does not use any third-party reporting engine. There are up to three user-defined fields for specific student data (plus a wide range of built-in data). Users are welcome to write custom reports directly against the SQL server database.
Number of report templates
33
List of report templates that come with the system
* Assigned classes* Assigned courses* Assigned organizations* Class details* Class information* Class membership* Classes assigned to course* Course compliance* Course details* Course information* Course information expired, critical, or alert status* Course/lesson information* Course training history* Courses assigned directly* Courses assigned via class* Courses assigned via organization* Courses included in* Courses requiring completion* Interaction information* Interactions incorrect* Lesson details* Lesson information* Lesson information expired, critical, or alert status
* Lesson interaction information* Lesson interactions incorrect* Lesson training history* Lessons in course* Organization details* Organizations assigned to course* Student details* Student information (lesson)* Student information expired, critical, or alert status (lesson)* Student information (course)* Student information expired, critical, or alert status (course)* Student training history* Students assigned directly* Students assigned via class* Students assigned via organization* Students in class* Students in course* Students in lesson* Students in organization* Summary information (lesson)* Summary information (course)* Summary information (Student)* Summary information by student (class)* Summary information by student (organization)
Third-party reporting engines that can be used with this system
Some customers have used Crystal Reports with Tracker.Net, but Platte Canyon has not tested any third-party engines.
Ad hoc reporting capabilities
Use a reporting tool to connect directly to the SQL server database.
Process for creating custom reports
None.
Average number of custom reports the company usually creates for clients (beyond standard report templates)
0
Reporting highlights and differentiating features
Tracker.Net reporting is much cheaper and faster than the reporting of other systems. It is cheaper since the client does not have to license a third-party tool. It's faster because it uses the .NET to create the reports and display them. Tracker.Net also has detailed information, like average test score and
standard deviation.
Analytics
Features
The system has built-in, automatic metrics for showing the cost and effects of learning from an
organizational perspectiveN/A; not a current feature
The system keeps track of the actual costs of development of online learning courses N/A; not a current feature
The system keeps track of the actual costs of development of instructor-led and other forms of
trainingN/A; not a current feature
The system keeps track of training delivery and deployment costs N/A; not a current feature
Course performance data can be linked with financial information to automatically assess the return on investment (ROI) for specific training
initiatives
N/A; not a current feature
Analytic data can be shared through printed and online reports N/A; not a current feature
Analytic data can be shared through a dynamic "dashboard" approach, where users can see ROI and financial data updated in "real time" using a
persistent display (e.g., through a portal interface)
LMS Support for Multiple Departments and Extensibility of Business Rules
Features
The system can provide multiple learning portals, each supporting a different department or
line of business from a single installation of the LMS
Semi-automatic
Each of the multiple learning portals can have its own look and feel (logos, backgrounds, and buttons) with a single instance of the LMS
Semi-automatic
Each of the multiple learning portals can have its own set of features (e.g., one portal might have collaborative tools enabled, another might have
the feature switched off) with a single instance of the LMS
N/A; not a current feature
Each of the multiple learning portals can have its own business rules (e.g., one portal may require
supervisory approval to sign up for a course, another may allow open enrollment without
approval)
N/A; not a current feature
Each of the multiple learning portals can have its own native language (e.g., learners from a site in Japan access a portal entirely in Japanese, while
learners from Germany access their portal in German)
N/A; not a current feature
Each of the multiple learning portals can draw from the same master list (root directory for all learning portals) of courses, so that the course
catalog doesn't need to be recreated for each new learning portal
Automatic
Each department or line of business can have its own set of customized reporting templates N/A; not a current feature
End users can change a majority of the business rules by changing pre-defined parameters (e.g.,
engage self-registration or supervisory approval by simply turning on the feature)
Supervisory approval for course registration N/A; not a current feature
Can set up to require approval from multiple sources prior to course registration N/A; not a current feature
Can enable self-registration for specific courses or across the entire learning portal Automatic
Can define new user types (with special security rights and access) N/A; not a current feature
Other features: Tracker.Net can be configured to limit students to a particular organization and display the corresponding logo. Available roles are: * Student * Reporter (supervisor only) * Reporter (all levels) * Administrator (supervisor only) * Administrator (all levels - advanced) * Administrator (all levels – basic)
Technical abilities required to modify business rules
Specific levels of conformance achieved: Tracker.Net conforms to the SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 (1.3) runtime environments. It does not use SCORM manifest files and, therefore, does not conform to SCORM manifest specifications. It also implements its own linear sequencing and does not support the various SCORM 2004 sequencing permutations.
Section 508 compliance
Yes Compliance comes from being built on top of ASP.NET.
Vendor participation in standards and specification groups
Learners can add comments to course materials and save them as individual study resources N/A; not a current feature
Other features: None.
Collaborative learning highlights and differentiating features
Tracker.Net has no built-in collaborative learning tools. As an ASP.NET application (with available source code), clients may add any one of a large number of third-party controls and applications for additional functionality.
Virtual classroom highlights and differentiating features
Tracker.Net has no built-in virtual classroom tools. As an ASP.NET application (with available source code), clients may add any one of a large number of third-party controls and applications for additional functionality.
Localization and Multilingual Support
Features
On-screen text is centrally located and isolated for easy language translation (not in multiple
files or locations)Automatic
Multi-byte support (to support complex fonts and characters sets for languages such as Chinese and
Korean)Automatic
Right-to-left script support (e.g., Hebrew) Semi-automatic
Management of multiple time zones N/A; not a current feature
Multiple currency support N/A; not a current feature
Language can dynamically change (based on learner profile) at log-in Automatic
Language preference can be set by the learner Automatic
Other features: None.
Learner interface is currently available in the following languages
Administrative interface is currently available in the following languages
English (US)SpanishGermanFrench (European)
Countries where this LMS has been implemented
Total number of countries: 6
Countries listed by the vendor
GermanyEnglandIrelandAustraliaCanadaUnited StatesPhillipinesSouth Africa
Vendor works with a translation partner
No.
Hosted Solution Options
Vendor's position on providing their LMS as a hosted solution
Most of the company's clients will locally install the LMS solution on their server. The company does, however, offer a hosted solution as part of their package of services for customers who are looking for a hosted solution.
Percentage of customers who use this vendor's hosted solution
20%
Percentage of customers who locally install their solution
If yes, name of hosting partner(s): A number of clients have remote-hosted Tracker.Net at securewebs.com. The 20 percent listed above reflects remote hosting at this or other third-party hosting companies.
Hosting support services provided
Other services: N/A
Vendor's "up-time" declaration
N/A
Hosting services highlights
Platte Canyon does not provide hosting. They recommend that customers host with a reputable third-party hosting company, such as securewebs.com.
Customization
Method for customizing the interface
The learner interface only allows minor changes such as color schema, logos, and turning on/off functionality. These changes can be made by a relatively non-technical person.
Additional customization features
Administration interface can be customized
Administrator has options for editing labels, formatting requirements (regular expressions), what data is required (telephone number, Social Security number, etc.), notification events and e-mail addresses, etc.
Customization highlights and differentiating features
A considerable portion of the interfaces are controlled by style sheets. Adding and editing
information is a consistent "editable grid" interface across the system.
E-Commerce Capabilities
Features
Handle credit card transactions without manual effort N/A; not a current feature
Track and report departmental charge-backs N/A; not a current feature
Automatically provide customer billing reports N/A; not a current feature
The system can provide commerce transactions for items other than courses, such as books, tapes, and other items
N/A; not a current feature
Automatically maintain order status information for transactions N/A; not a current feature
Other features: None.
LMS would be suitable for a commercial learning portal (to sell e-learning content)
No.
E-commerce highlights and differentiating features
There are no built-in e-commerce capabilities. As an ASP.NET application (with available source code), clients may add any one of a large number of third-party controls and applications for additional functionality.
Implementation Time and Process
Average implementation time
High range = 1 weeks Low range = 0.1 weeks Average time = 0.2 weeks
Implementation process
Tracker.Net has a single installation and configuration utility that configures the Web server and the
SQL Server database. It will go over the Internet and set up the SQL Server database on a remote server hosted by a third party (user must know IP address, database name, user name and password). The system administrator needs to use IIS to create a virtual directory. The installation does this on the "local host," to allow the client to test locally before deployment. Platte Canyon has never gone on-site to help a customer install the product. Average time is about one-half day to get up and running.
People required for implementation
One semi-technical person who knows how to run installations, and either has administrative rights on the Web server or who can ask a system administrator to create the required virtual directory and provide the necessary SQL server information.
System Requirements
Server requirements
OS: Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional or Windows 2003 server
Database: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or 2005
System requirements for learners
Internet Explorer 5.5 or laterNetscape 7.1 or laterFireFox 1.0 or laterNo plug-ins or Java virtual machine required. JavaScript must be enabled.
System requirements for administrative users
Internet Explorer 5.5 or laterNetscape 7.1 or laterFireFox 1.0 or laterNo plug-ins or Java virtual machine required. JavaScript must be enabled.
Pricing
Pricing estimate for an installed solution (on the client's server)
Price is for one Web site (domain), but up to two instances on that site. Technical support is $995 per year (phone and e-mail) or $695 per year (e-mail only). Hosting is note provided by Platte Canyon but is estimated at $100 per month (user must purchase license in addition).
Prices for additional services
Technical support is $995 per year (phone and e-mail) or $695 per year (e-mail only). Additional services available at $90/hour, plus expenses.
Technical support is provided by the developers who wrote the product. Phone/e-mail ($995 per year) or e-mail-only ($695 per year) options are offered. Tracker.Net does not have a classroom training course but is covered in conference sessions at the e-Learning Authoring Conference, held by the vendor every summer in Colorado.
User communications
VBTrain.Net listserv, as well as an annual user's conference.
Miscellaneous
Features
Automated system to help learners who have forgotten their password Automatic
Batch registration Semi-custom
Allows setting of prerequisites Automatic
Can disable a course without removing it from the LMS catalog Automatic
Supports connectivity to PDAs N/A; not a current feature
Other capabilities: Tracker.Net has no specific mobile capabilities. As such, the lack of pop-up windows on these devices inhibits the necessary SCORM communication.
Delivery to mobile devices
None.
Contact Information
Platte Canyon Multimedia Software Corp.8870 Edgefield Dr.Colorado Springs, COUnited States 80920
![North Platte Tribune. (North Platte, NE) 1894-11-07 [p ].](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/6194f7b6b7b4a03a236f33dd/north-platte-tribune-north-platte-ne-1894-11-07-p-.jpg)