What is a Microsoft LMS?

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Updated January 31, 2020

Microsoft is well known in the corporate world for revolutionizing the way we do business. Who doesn’t have Microsoft Office Suite, right?

It’s a universal mainstay.

And, because of its immense popularity, the skills employees have working on the software are immediately transferable to new jobs and companies.

So,

1) Lots of companies are using Microsoft because of its cutting edge technology that helps them operate more efficiently and,

2) Employees actively use the product in their daily work lives.

Microsoft essentially has their hand in all aspects of your business, so why not include learning?

This begs the question...is there a Microsoft LMS?

Well, the short answer is ‘not really.’

Naturally, one would assume Microsoft already has some type of LMS, but this is simply not the case.

SharePoint Learning Kit

Over 10 years ago, Microsoft created a free tool for very basic learning management called SharePoint Learning Kit (SLK). However, this was never intended to be a full blown learning management system and was very limited in scope. It was also geared towards the educational sector, not for corporate needs.

Currently, SharePoint Learning Kit is not actively being developed and only works for on premise versions (2007, 2010 and 2013). It has been untested on 2016, but there is a small possibility it may work. SharePoint Learning Kit will not work with Office 365 and never will be as it is written in full-trust code.

Microsoft Education

In 2017, Microsoft introduced a set of educational products and services, inspired by teachers and students. The new tools work with Office 365 and include Microsoft Teams, Class Notebook, Office Apps, Education Apps and files built into every class.

While Microsoft Education is great for the educational sector, much like SharePoint Learning Kit, it simply is not a solution for the corporate world.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources

In February 2020, Microsoft will relaunch Dynamics 365 Talent as Dynamics 365 Human Resources.

Dynamics 365 Talent Attract and Onboard apps are being retired in favor of positioning LinkedIn TalentHub as its recruitment solution and LinkedIn Learning as its learning, skills development and career solution.

The new Microsoft Dynamics 365 HR will focus on compensation, benefits, leave and absence, compliance, payroll integrations, performance feedback, training and certification and self-service programs.

Is this a learning management system? No. Microsoft has positioned this product as a Human Resource Management System (HRMS).

From the information on Microsoft’s website, it appears that the system does a little bit of everything. However, for companies in highly regulated industries or those that require complex training, there could be concerns around the depth of functionality required to meet these types of demands.

That is why it’s so important to do your research and ask important questions such as,

Is it possible to train the extended enterprise if they aren’t using Microsoft Dynamics? Will I have to pay additional licensing fees?
Does the system provide granular administrative and managerial permissions?
Is there an enrollment engine that assigns and tracks by role, region or another group association, can this be automated for all training paths and skill gaps?
How are certifications handled? Are there notifications for learners, managers, and administrators?
Can the system keep thousands of SOPs and work instructions up to date and with a version history?
What are the reporting capabilities, and can they be customized?

Microsoft LMS alternatives

So, what other options are available if the goal is to incorporate Microsoft products into training?

Since Microsoft doesn’t have a true LMS, the next best option is to identify an LMS that is Microsoft-friendly. By that, we mean a system that can easily and seamlessly assimilate within the entire business ecosystem. This method saves a lot of time and is very cost effective.

For instance, ShareKnowledge can be built right on top of a company’s Microsoft SharePoint environment. Therefore it automatically assumes all security protocols and authentication requirements, processes and workflows etc.

We are also a gold-certified Microsoft partner and Brandon Hall silver award winner for compliance. In addition to being Microsoft pros, we can work with just about any requirement - from on premise to the cloud.

So, when getting information about Microsoft-friendly systems be sure to ask,

Is the LMS built on top of the Microsoft environment or just integrated? In the case of integration, be sure to ask lots of questions. It doesn’t always work in a unified way and as a result you could be faced with an LMS that isn’t able to ‘talk’ to all your business systems.
Is the system built for corporate use or educational?
Do you have simple or complex business needs? Other LMS options that could be considered ‘Microsoft-friendly’ often times only cater to very small groups with limited needs. Scaling in the future will be a huge problem.

ShareKnowledge, is an enterprise learning management system that seamlessly integrates with existing client technologies while automating training, reporting and other business processes. Easy to use and intuitive, ShareKnowledge provides an arsenal of training tools to help you quickly reach your business goals. Whether you have the toughest compliance requirements, complex learning needs or strict security protocols – we have a solution. And, since ShareKnowedge is highly customizable and scalable, when your needs change so does our solution.

We want to be your partner in training. Contact us today for your personalized demo of ShareKnowledge.