Managing and maintaining an LMS can be a daunting and time-consuming task, prompting numerous organisations to seek LMS hosting providers to manage their LMS on their behalf. This article looks at the concept of LMS hosting providers, explores the benefits of cloud hosting for online courses, and presents guidelines for selecting the most suitable hosting services for online courses. Furthermore, we talk about our preference for Amazon Web Services (AWS) for our cloud-based learning management platform, and the reasons for our choice.
What is a Learning Management System (LMS)?
A learning management system (LMS) is a software platform that provides the tools and features needed to create, manage, and deliver training courses.
LMSs typically include features such as course creation and management tools, student and instructor dashboards, grade book and assessment tools, and support for multimedia content such as videos and podcasts.
LMSs are commonly used by schools, universities, and businesses to deliver content and training programs to their students or employees.
What is a Learning Management System (LMS) hosting provider?
An LMS host refers to the use of a third-party provider to host a learning management system (LMS) for organisations.
By using an LMS provider, organisations can outsource the technical aspects of running an LMS, such as hosting, maintenance, and support, to a specialised company. This allows organisations to focus on creating and delivering high-quality online learning content, while the web hosting provider handles the underlying LMS technology.
Cloud Learning Management System Hosting vs Onsite
Hosting services and onsite LMS deployment are two different approaches to running a learning management system. A hosting package refers to the use of a third-party provider to maintain an LMS for an organisation. In this model, the provider handles the technical aspects of running the LMS, such as maintenance and support, and the organisation focuses on creating and delivering online courses and training programs.
Onsite LMS deployment, on the other hand, refers to the installation and maintenance of an LMS on the organisation’s own infrastructure. In this model, the organisation is responsible for all aspects of running the LMS, including dealing with problems, upgrades, and making sure that it is backed up!.
The choice between hosting services and onsite LMS deployment will depend on the specific needs and requirements of the organisation. Cloud hosting may be a good option for organisations that do not have the necessary expertise or resources to manage and maintain an LMS in-house, or that want to save on the costs of maintaining and supporting the platform.
Benefits of cloud hosting for online courses
There are several benefits to using hosting services for online courses. Some of these benefits include:
Cost savings:
By outsourcing the technical aspects of running an LMS to a third party, organisations can save money on the costs of maintaining and supporting the platform in-house.
Improved performance and reliability:
An LMS provider will typically have specialised infrastructure and expertise in running and maintaining LMS platforms, which can result in improved performance and reliability for online training.
Scalability:
Providers can typically provide the necessary resources and support to handle large numbers of students or employees accessing online education, without the need for organisations to invest in additional hardware or infrastructure.
Expertise and customer support:
LMS providers typically offer a support team and assistance with the setup and use of their LMS sites, as well as ongoing technical support and maintenance. This can be particularly helpful for organisations that do not have in-house expertise in managing and running an LMS. Our excellent support is both user friendly, and dedicated to your hosting needs.
Enhanced security:
Your provider will often provide additional security measures and safeguards to protect the personal data of users, students and instructors. This can help to ensure that online learning content is secure and confidential.
How to Choose the Best Hosting Services for Online Courses
When choosing a hosting service, there are several factors to consider to ensure that the provider is a good fit for your organisation’s LMS needs. Some key factors to consider include:
Features and capabilities: Make sure that the hosting provider offers the features and capabilities that your organisation needs to create, manage, and deliver courses and training programs. This may include support for multimedia content, assessments and grading tools, integrations and social and collaboration features.
Scalability and support: Make sure that the provider can provide the necessary resources and support to handle large numbers of users or students accessing an online course, and can scale to meet your organisation’s future needs. For instance, we offer a variety of hosting packages.
Reputation and customer satisfaction: Research the reputation and customer satisfaction of the company, and read reviews and testimonials from other organisations that have used their services. Do they offer great support?
Pricing and value for money: Compare the LMS pricing and plans offered by different providers, and consider the value for money that each provider offers in terms of features, support team, and scalability.
Lastly, you may want to look for a provider that offers advanced features such as backups, SSL certificates, and open source options. These can help improve the functionality, give you the best LMS site and enhance the learning experience for your students.
Why we use AWS for your cloud-based LMS website
At Pukunui, we use Amazon Web Services (AWS) for our cloud-based learning management platform because it offers a number of key advantages over other cloud platforms. One of the main reasons we use AWS is because it is a highly scalable and flexible platform. This means that it can easily accommodate the changing needs of our business as it grows and evolves. AWS allows us to quickly and easily scale up or down our usage of cloud services and server resources making it a cost-effective option for our business.
Another reason why we use AWS hosting is because of its reliability and security. AWS has a proven track record of uptime and availability, which is essential for mission-critical applications like our LMS. Additionally, AWS offers a wide range of security features (like two factor authentication) and tools to help protect your data and ensure compliance with industry standards. Multiple data centers help us to build in redundancy.
How about LMS plugins, add ons and upgrades? Can Pukunui add plugins to our site?
As a provider of LMS support services, Pukunui has an established policy for the use of third-party plugins (TPPs) on our client’s Moodle™ sites.
We will install a TPP on a client’s LMS site if it is familiar or previously tested. Otherwise, Pukunui will assess the code for security issues and provide a recommendation, development quote, or decline installation.
Let Our Migration Team Do The Heavy Lifting
Do you want the hassle out of moving and upgrading your Moodle based LMS from an older server or hosting platform? We will help you in a fast and efficient manner and save time and money. Our approach to hosted learning management will ensure the same speed you experience during the process.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pukunui’s LMS Hosting
What is the difference between cloud and onsite LMS deployment?
Cloud hosting services involves using a third-party provider to host and maintain an LMS, while onsite LMS deployment involves installing and maintaining the course management system on the organisation’s own servers and infrastructure. We only provide cloud hosting for your e-learning.
Can you customise the learning management systems to meet my organisation’s specific needs or integrate with WordPress sites?
Yes. We offer customisation options to tailor the LMS platform to your organisation’s needs, including WordPress integration or integration with your other systems like campus management systems.
As a hosting provider, will you also give technical support and assistance with using the LMS?
Yes, we offer support and assistance with using the platform to the site administrator (but not your end users).
Can you handle large numbers of logged in users accessing an online course at the same time?
Yes, we have the resources and support to handle large numbers of users accessing online courses concurrently. Some of our larger universities have thousands of concurrent users.
What security measures do providers have in place to protect the LMS, online courses and our users’ data?
We have various security measures in place to protect your LMS, online courses and user data. Contact us for more information. Our servers are ISO/IEC 27018 certified, SSAE 16 (SAS/70) and ISO/IEC 27001 compliant.
Can I integrate my organisation’s existing systems with an LMS hosted by a third-party provider?
We provide custom development and integrations for clients with an LMS hosted on our servers.
Can I try out your LMS before committing to a long-term contract?
Sure. Ask us about a demo, and try out the best LMS (and our excellent customer service) before committing to a contract 😀
Do you offer scalable pricing plans to accommodate my organisation’s growth?
Yes, we offer scalable pricing plans, that can be adjusted to increase in capacity as you grow.
Can you help with data migration and management?
Of course! We assist with data migration and management as part of our services. As far as we can we try to do free migrations of your existing Moodle LMS. If the migration is for another system then we’ll have to see what is possible.
Are there any limitations to using a course management system hosted by a third-party provider?
Not really. The only limitations are set by the package your sign up for. As proud supporters of open-source software, the software code is yours to keep at the end of your time with us.
Can you provide additional tools and services, such as analytics and reporting, to support online learning?
Yes, we offer services like as analytics and reporting (Intelliboard), to support online learning. We can also help with content creation and training.
Can you assist with implementing the best practices and strategies for online learning?
Our staff have years of teaching experience, so yes, we can provide assistance and expertise in implementing best practices and strategies for online learning. We know the pedagogy, as well as the technical side.
Can we host multiple sites with you?
Of course! We are happy to provide multiple sites for your users, including a staging site for your LMS platform.
How about HTTPS?
Yes, we make sure your site is set up properly, including free SSL certificates.
We’re here to help you with your LMS hosting. Contact us today if you would like to know more.
