The Challenge – Keeping Pace with the Rate of Change
InterSystems has supported some of the world’s most important applications with their leading database technology. For many years, InterSystems subscribed to a traditional classroom program, requiring their learners to travel onsite for product training or to have a trainer come to their site.
InterSystems structured their classroom courses utilizing tutorials, how-to videos, and quizzes. However, with thousands of customers, partners, and employees scattered across the globe, InterSystems began to find it challenging to scale their traditional training program to keep pace with rapid technological advances and program growth.
The InterSystems leadership team wanted to augment their training program with an online and interactive training experience that meets learners where they are, and on their time. Whether in the classroom or in their own kitchens, InterSystems clients can now access the training they need to create things that matter.
The Solution for InterSystems- Engaging Hands-On Virtual Labs
At a crossroads, InterSystems made the decision to retool their training program using Open edX and Appsembler’s Virtual Labs platform. Over the last three years, Doug Foster, Manager of Online Learning and Janine Perkins, Project Manager at InterSystems led the training front taking InterSystems’ technical training to the next level using immersive, individualized, and online lab environments.
“The biggest advantage of using Virtual Labs has been our ability to isolate learning for our audience. We can preconfigure each environment to keep them focused on learning objectives – not all of the other stuff.”– Doug Foster, Manager of Online Learning at InterSystems
Designed using Docker container technology, Virtual Labs has allowed InterSystems to pre-configure individualized labs for each student so they’re focused on the learning objective at hand, and not distracted by IT and administrative elements. “Our learners are constantly requesting them,” said Perkins. “Everyone wants labs.”
The Results – Accelerated Product Training
Virtual training labs have now become a natural extension of InterSystems’ training program and are embedded in almost every course. “Working with Appsembler’s Virtual Labs has actually made our own product better,” said Foster. “Because we use it so much with our learners, that feedback goes back into our own product and makes it run better.”
At any given time, you can expect to find over 100 learner labs running within InterSystems, and InterSystems plans to double that number over the next 6 months. Foster and Perkins have even embedded the labs into their larger conference initiatives like the annual InterSystems’ Summit – allowing their customers and prospective customers to preview and test products before they go to market.
“Appsembler’s Virtual Labs is 100% the right choice for us” said Foster. “We’ll be doing more, and are already working with the Appsembler team for our upcoming Summit.”