In a previous blog post, we explored the many benefits of using cloud-based authoring tools for eLearning. However, when considering whether to choose a cloud-based or installed authoring tool, it’s important to weigh your specific situation or use case. Factors such as team dynamics, security needs, and content complexity can all influence which setup is the right choice.
This article aims to help you determine which option—cloud-based or installed—best suits your needs by breaking down the key advantages and challenges of each.
Cloud-Based Tools: Cloud-based authoring tools like Mindsmith and Articulate Rise provide a massive advantage in terms of accessibility and collaboration. These tools allow team members to work from anywhere, at any time. Real-time collaboration allows multiple contributors, such as instructional designers, editors, and subject matter experts, to simultaneously work on a project, especially if your team is spread across different locations or time zones. With these tools, development time is drastically reduced.
Installed Tools: Installed authoring tools like Adobe Captivate, Lectora Inspire, or Articulate Storyline require installation on specific devices and are typically more isolated. While they might offer robust local performance, collaboration is often a manual process, requiring teams to exchange files or work sequentially rather than concurrently. This setup works well if you’re in a centralized office environment but can slow down progress in distributed teams.
Which is Right for You? If remote work, real-time collaboration, and flexibility are priorities, cloud-based tools are the better choice. However, if your team is centralized and prefers offline work, installed tools may be more effective.
Cloud-Based Tools: Most cloud-based platforms follow a subscription model, offering various pricing tiers based on the number of users and required features. This model is often more cost-effective for small to medium-sized businesses or educational institutions since it eliminates upfront hardware costs and provides automatic updates without additional IT support.
Installed Tools: Installed software often requires a larger initial investment, followed by occasional update costs. Additionally, IT teams must manage ongoing maintenance, making this option more expensive in the long run, especially for small organizations. However, these tools might provide more powerful features suited to specific high-performance tasks
Which is Right for You? Cloud-based tools are cost-effective if you're looking for lower upfront costs and automatic updates. Installed tools may be better suited for organizations with larger budgets and complex content development needs.
Cloud-Based Tools: Cloud-based tools excel in flexibility but may face performance limitations, especially when creating high-powered simulations, rich multimedia, or VR content. They are well-suited for quizzes, video courses, and interactive textbooks but can struggle with heavier tasks unless paired with fast internet connections and efficient servers.
Installed Tools: Installed tools provide superior performance when dealing with media-rich content like virtual reality (VR) integration, simulations, or courses with high multimedia demands. They’re also more reliable in offline settings, allowing creators to work uninterrupted regardless of internet access.
Which is Right for You? If your eLearning content requires cutting-edge features and advanced interactivity, cloud-based tools are likely the better choice. Installed tools, however, are ideal for standard eLearning content creation, offering flexibility and ease of use.
Cloud-Based Tools: Scalability is where cloud platforms shine. They allow organizations to quickly increase or decrease resources according to their needs without additional infrastructure investments. This makes cloud-based platforms perfect for growing organizations or those with fluctuating training demands. For instance, seasonal training demands can be easily managed by adjusting user accounts on platforms like Adobe Captivate Prime.
Installed Tools: Scaling with installed tools requires more effort. Organizations might need to upgrade their hardware, purchase additional licenses, or increase IT support to handle more users or more intensive projects. Often, as in the case of Articulate Storyline, they are only available on Microsoft computers. This can slow down the process and increase costs. However, one key advantage is that installed tools often offer more customization and control over the platform’s performance and resource allocation, allowing organizations to tailor the software to their specific needs. This level of control is particularly useful for companies with specialized content that requires high-end functionality or unique integrations that cloud tools might not easily support.
Cloud-Based Tools: Cloud platforms, like AWS or Google Cloud, offer strong security measures such as end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular backups to prevent data loss. These platforms comply with regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), ensuring high data protection standards. Providers also undergo third-party audits and automate security updates to safeguard against emerging threats. However, organizations must trust these providers to handle sensitive data securely, which can be a concern in industries like finance, healthcare, or government, where confidentiality is paramount. Compliance with frameworks such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) or SOC 2 (Service Organization Control) adds further complexity. To address these concerns, cloud platforms offer advanced features like customizable encryption keys, allowing companies more control over data protection. For example, Google Cloud’s customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) let healthcare organizations secure their data, ensuring that even the provider cannot access it without permission.
Installed Tools: Installed tools give organizations full control over their data by keeping everything on internal servers, allowing companies to tailor security measures according to specific compliance standards like HIPAA, PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), or FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program). This is particularly valuable for industries like healthcare, finance, and government, where strict data privacy is critical. With installed tools, companies can implement customized security protocols, such as firewalls and encryption methods, and isolate sensitive data on dedicated servers to minimize external threats. However, this level of control also means organizations are responsible for maintaining IT infrastructure, managing regular security updates, and monitoring for vulnerabilities, which can be resource-intensive and costly. For example, financial institutions using installed tools retain complete control over customer data, ensuring no third-party access and aligning with compliance frameworks like SOC 2 and PCI-DSS, which require stringent user access controls and security management.
Ultimately, the decision between cloud-based and installed eLearning authoring tools depends on your organization's unique needs and long-term goals. Both options bring distinct advantages, and your choice will hinge on factors like your team's workflow, content complexity, and security requirements. If you're looking for seamless collaboration, easy scalability, and lower upfront costs, cloud-based tools may be your best bet. On the flip side, if control over data security, customization, and compliance with stringent industry standards are critical, installed tools offer the necessary oversight and functionality to match those demands. However, it is also worth considering a hybrid approach, where cloud-based tools are used for collaboration and ease of access, while installed tools handle high security or performance-intensive tasks.
In the end, the right choice, whether cloud or installed, should empower your team to create engaging, impactful learning experiences that resonate with your audience. And remember—whether your head is in the clouds, or your feet are planted firmly on the ground, the goal is always the same: to deliver exceptional learning content that makes a real difference
