ISG Software Research Analyst Perspectives

IT Is at the Heart of the AI-Enabled Economy

Posted by Jeff Orr on 26 August 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept but a current reality, and enterprise leaders are recognizing its profound impact on the IT sector. The development and deployment of AI-driven applications across various industries hinge on a robust IT infrastructure and skilled expertise. The words of industry leaders reinforce this sentiment: Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy indicates that... Read More

Topics: GRC, Operations, Learning Management, Business Planning, Cybersecurity, Generative AI, IT & Technologies, AI and Machine Learning, IT Management, Skills Gap, Bias, Risk Management

Learning That Learns: How AI is Changing the LMS Game

Posted by Matthew Brown on 02 July 2025

The learning management system (LMS) market is evolving, with the lines that once rigidly defined categories becoming increasingly blurred. Today, an LMS that lacks Learning Experience Platform (LXP) capabilities risks becoming obsolete in an environment where user expectations are shifting rapidly. In a similar vein, an LMS and LXP that fail to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI)... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Employee Engagement, Learning Management, Employees & HCM - Business & Technologies

Oracle Summit 2025: Agentic HCM Moves from Hype to Hands On

Posted by Matthew Brown on 24 June 2025

I recently attended the Oracle Apps & Industry Analyst Summit in Redwood City, California. Over the course of two days, Oracle offered a concentrated look at a market that is both racing ahead and tripping over its own shoelaces. Generative, predictive and now agentic artificial intelligence (AI) have become the new currency of competitive advantage across HCM; Oracle alone has delivered more... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Employee Engagement, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, Employees & HCM - Business & Technologies

HR Metrics That Matter: Why Your Turnover Rate Isn’t the Whole Story

Posted by Matthew Brown on 07 May 2025

Turnover rates have taken center stage in workforce discussions, often being the first metric leaders request when assessing the state of the workforce. Yet, in isolation, turnover is one of the least understood indicators we have. Relying solely on turnover is like driving a vehicle using only your side and rearview mirrors; you’re reacting to what has already happened, without a clear view of... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Business, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience

Employee Experience: Is Software Helping or Hurting HCM?

Posted by Matthew Brown on 01 May 2025

HR software for HCM is supposed to be the great enabler of a better employee experience. It promises to streamline processes, create seamless engagement and elevate the workplace into something dynamic, personalized and intuitive. Yet, for many organizations, the reality is far from the promise. Instead of making work better, HR software often becomes a tangled web of disconnected tools,... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience

Workforce Planning Reimagined: AI Makes Forecasting Smarter

Posted by Matthew Brown on 17 April 2025

Workforce planning has long been a cornerstone of business strategy, yet many enterprises still approach it with outdated methods. Traditionally, it has been rigid, reactive, subjective and often siloed. But as industries evolve—especially those with high turnover and a large frontline workforce, like retail, healthcare and hospitality—companies must rethink how they forecast talent needs.... Read More

Topics: HCM, Human Capital Management, Employee Engagement, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Total Compensation Management

isolved’s Bold Vision for HR Tech and Services: After the Summit

Posted by Matthew Brown on 15 April 2025

Attending isolved’s first Analyst Summit was more than just an opportunity to hear about their latest innovations—it was a front-row seat to their vision for the future of HR technology and services. A central theme emerged quickly—they are deeply committed to supporting small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), not just with technology but also with robust services and an ecosystem of partners that... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Employee Engagement, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management

Skills vs. Jobs: Using Tech to Power Talent and Workforce Development

Posted by Matthew Brown on 26 March 2025

If you’ve ever held the same job title at two different companies, you know firsthand how misleading job-based approaches to work can be. I’ve had the same title across different organizations, and the roles couldn’t have been more different. The responsibilities, expectations and even the skills required varied so significantly that it made me question why we continue to define work through the... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Employee Engagement, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Total Compensation Management

Demystifying APIs: What Every HR Buyer Needs to Know

Posted by Matthew Brown on 18 March 2025

If you’re an HR professional, the term “API” might make you want to hand things off to IT and move on with your day. After all, you’re here to focus on people, not tech jargon, right? But here’s the thing—APIs play a major role in making sure your HR technology works for you. And no, you don’t need to be an engineer to understand why they matter. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) might... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience

HiBob: A Modern HCM That Puts Culture and Simplicity at the Core

Posted by Matthew Brown on 05 March 2025

The HCM market has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Legacy providers, long the dominant force, built their platforms primarily for administrative efficiency—streamlining HR processes but often overlooking the broader employee experience. However, today’s workforce expects more. Employees and managers now demand intuitive, engaging and connected HR experiences that extend... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Employee Engagement, Learning Management, Talent Management

Building Inclusive Workplaces: HR Tech's Role in DEIB Transformation

Posted by Matthew Brown on 14 January 2025

Technology should be viewed as an enabler of program success for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, providing extended support that enables teams to expand their reach and ability to execute more complex business processes. AI-powered recruiting platforms, for example, help remove bias from the hiring process by analyzing job descriptions and identifying language that may unintentionally... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience

Beyond Buzzwords: How HR Tech Can Drive DEIB Success

Posted by Matthew Brown on 06 November 2024

For many years, HR teams encountered an endless stream of buzzwords often intended to garner excitement about new technological developments or further evolution of the HR profession. Unfortunately, this often leads us down unproductive paths in the attempt to be part of the conversation. Often, executives and senior leaders will express a requirement to include the latest buzzwords in any... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience

Embracing the Skills Economy: A Talent Management Revolution

Posted by Matthew Brown on 19 September 2024

The topic of skills is not new to the world of talent management or development, making many appearances in the talent conversation over the years. Recently, it has been a permanent fixture in the discussion, focusing on the total integration of skills across all aspects of the employee experience. The term “skills economy” describes the evolution of how value is assigned in the workplace and... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience

The Buyers Guides for Learning Management Systems Classifies and Rates Software Providers

Posted by Matthew Brown on 25 July 2024

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Buyers Guide, an assessment of how well software providers’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Learning Management Systems: Ventana Research Buyers Guide is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Over the last several years, the learning technology industry has experienced a remarkable evolution,... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management

AI and Learning: A Tech Evolution

Posted by Matthew Brown on 01 May 2024

It has been a predominant buzzword for several years across all areas of human resources (HR), but artificial intelligence (AI) and learning and development (L&D) are finally beginning to integrate at scale, and it is one of the most transformative evolutions for the function of learning and development in the last 15 years. For a few years, we have been learning more about how AI will impact our... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, employee experience

Technology Maximizes Investment in Learning Experiences

Posted by Matthew Brown on 21 March 2024

The workforce of today has been very clear with their needs, wants and expectations. They need to feel seen, valued, heard, included and empowered. They want to work in an organization that feels like a community and aligns with their personal value systems. Importantly, they expect access to technology and to be developed and supported as they navigate their careers. Learning opportunities can... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management

The 2024 HCM Market Agenda: Using AI to Transform Experiences

Posted by Matthew Brown on 09 February 2024

Ventana Research recently announced its 2024 Market Agenda for Human Capital Management, continuing the guidance we have offered for two decades to help enterprises derive maximum potential from workforce- and people-related technology investments and initiatives. In crafting this Market Agenda, we focused on essential themes that are critical for HR organizations and for the software providers... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience

Learning Management Systems Value Index Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by ISG Research on 20 March 2023

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Value Index research, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Learning Management Value Index 2023 is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the real-world... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management

Learning Management Systems: An Integral Resource for Any Organization

Posted by ISG Research on 17 March 2023

Having recently completed the 2023 Ventana Research Value Index for Learning Management Systems (LMS), I’d like to share some of my observations about how the market has advanced since our assessment three years ago. The evolution of the LMS technology market has accelerated exponentially as a result of shifts in employer and worker expectations that occurred during the pandemic and continue... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management

HCM Market Agenda: A Focus on Experience and Engagement

Posted by ISG Research on 26 January 2023

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 Market Agenda for Human Capital Management, continuing the guidance we’ve offered for two decades to help organizations derive maximum potential from workforce- and people-related technology investments and initiatives. In crafting this Market Agenda, we focused on three critical themes top-of-mind for both HCM vendors and buyers: Organizational... Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Employee Engagement, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience