SAP launched a significantly expanded version of SAP Learning Hub, SAP’s central e-learning environment for all SAP users. PAC was given a sneak preview of the platform in December 2013, and we must say we were positively impressed. Here’s why.

First of all, let’s take a look at what’s new: SAP initially introduced its SAP Learning Hub in 2012, and in fact more than 230 customers and more than 22,500 learners are using the platform today. So, what does the “new” refer to? The new SAP Learning Hub has been expanded considerably to include the complete range of SAP learning content and will become SAP Education’s central platform for continuous learning for consultants, SAP professionals, as well as SAP users.

Previously just one of many offerings from SAP Education, SAP Learning Hub will shift to the forefront and become the umbrella over all of SAP’s training activities. SAP now understands the importance of covering education in a holistic way, while eliminating the patchwork effect of different types of learning content and approaches (classroom, online, blended, etc.). In a nutshell, this helps clients (i.e. employers) and in particular the learners to better manage the qualification process.

This brings us to the next strong point of the new platform. PAC really appreciated the features and functions of the new SAP Learning Hub, which now places the learner at the center and not “just” the employer. We see more and more power at the SAP users’ side taken into account here – just consider trends like Bring Your Own Device, or the growing influence of members of “Generation Y” who bring new requirements to their working environment. .Based on SuccessFactors Learning and SAP Jam, SAP Learning Hub ensures a state-of-the-art user experience. Also worth mentioning is SAP’s ambition to consider the social collaboration aspects with its community and learning room concepts.

Learners first? Just keep in mind that SAP has more than 250,000 customers using its software. On top of the enormous amount of SAP users, PAC estimates that there are an additional 360,000 SAP experts active in SAP’s ecosystem. And these figures are growing. SAP needs a scalable model to educate and qualify all these knowledge workers. SAP’s traditional education models were challenged to cope with this aspect. The cloud-based SAP Learning Hub concept presents a solid foundation which SAP Education can build on. It will be a suitable and efficient complement to traditional classroom training, giving the learner more freedom of choice with regard to when and what to learn. For those learners who prefer the online concept, SAP Learning Hub will cover just about every SAP-related learning need. – except for the final certification by SAP.

Last but not least, let’s discuss the pricing aspect, which is usually one of SAP’s best kept secrets. In line with SAP’s goal to reach as many members of the worldwide SAP community as possible with SAP Learning Hub, the pricing concept is based on a scalable per-user subscription model. The price per user starts in a lower three-digit range, decreasing – depending on the number of subscribers per company – to a low double-digit amount per user. In contrast to what we are used to with SAP’s license pricing scheme, this is a very pragmatic, transparent and above all affordable approach.

Our first impression of the new SAP Learning Hub idea from SAP is very positive. It shows that SAP seriously thought about its customers’ (the learners’) needs first. Therefore, we are positive that SAP Learning Hub will not only become the centerpiece for SAP Education but will also contribute to the successful implementation of SAP’s overall strategy.