Pandora’s box? Or just look the other way?

Articulate's Storyline and Rise authoring tools have become almost ubiquitous in elearning development. They have always had limitations, and many new releases carry pesky bugs, and accessibility has always been questionable. But… they dominate the market as THE go to tools for most organisations and also elearning vendors.

Some elearning vendors only use these tools. Why? Primarily it’s their ease of use, especially Articulate Rise. However, with such market dominance and the rise of cyber security threats, let’s ‘black hat it for a moment’ and scrutinise the potential risks associated with relying so heavily on these tools. This exploration delves into the often-overlooked concerns of data storage, vendor lock-in, and the necessity for adaptable, future-proof elearning solutions – using Articulate as an example (similar risks may be present in other tools).

Data sovereignty: Where’s your content stored?

When organisations develop elearning content using Articulate, sensitive materials—including proprietary information and internal training resources—are uploaded to the cloud. Articulate hosts all user content through Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the us-east-1 region and also in Frankfurt, Germany (also see *update below), meaning data is stored outside of Australia. This raises critical questions about data sovereignty and compliance with local regulations.

*UPDATE: Since drafting this article, late in 2024, we have seen an update to Articulate hosting, stating that from 21st of February 2025, new users, when signing up, can assign a regional location for storage. We don’t know if current customers will be able to change their current location (which will predominantly be in the US for Australian customers), nor do we know that Australia will be on the list of regional choices. Assuming it is, this is a positive, but also noting that Articulate states that “Articulate Global, LLC is located in the USA, and certain storage and processing may continue outside of the Location, including in the USA” (Regional data hosting coming in 2025).

Also see, Articulate’s hosting statement

It's important to consider:

• Compliance with local regulations: Many countries have stringent data protection laws that require certain data to be stored within national borders. Storing data overseas may inadvertently violate these regulations, leading to legal and financial repercussions. Many software companies store content/data overseas.
• Security concerns: Data stored in foreign jurisdictions may be subject to different security standards and governmental access policies, potentially exposing sensitive information to unintended parties.

Dr. Jane Bozarth, Director of Research at The Learning Guild, emphasises the importance of understanding where data resides: "Organisations must be vigilant about data storage locations to ensure compliance with local laws and to protect sensitive information from potential breaches."

Read more from Dr. Jane Bozarth here: https://www.learningguild.com/insights/307/resilience-and-adaptability-future-proofing-the-organization/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Vendor Lock-In: The cost of commitment

Articulate's subscription-based model (and many other providers) offers convenience but also introduces the risk of vendor lock-in. According to Articulate's policy, they retain user content on their servers for up to six months after a subscription expires. After this period, access to content is may be lost, which could pose significant challenges for organisations.

What are the implications?

• Loss of content access: Without an active subscription, organisations may lose access to their own training materials, making it difficult to update or repurpose content. You cannot edit the majority of Articulate produced content without a live subscription to Articulate.
• Financial constraints: Continuous subscription fees can strain budgets, especially for organisations looking to explore alternative tools or facing financial limitations. With a plethora of advances in tools like Synthesia (AI video creation), Chameleon Creator, Lumens5 and many AI generation tools, it can be difficult for L&D teams to get extra budget to take on additional authoring tools whilst having to hold on to Articulate.

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Exploring alternatives: Beyond the status quo

While Articulate remains a dominant force, emerging tools offer compelling alternatives that address some of the aforementioned concerns. For instance, Chameleon Creator, developed by a local company in Australia and New Zealand, provides enhanced design flexibility and forward thinking analytics, while there’s so many options coming from new generative AI tools.

Considering the risks of creating so many courses within a subscription model, whereby you will lose access to editing the courses if you stop the subscription, where do we find budgets to ‘use alternative tools’ to challenge the status quo?

This is a tough question.

One option may be to explore alternative paths for development of elearning training solutions i.e. from the get-go, ensure your L&D function can include custom options from time to time i.e. acknowledging that not everything has to be maintained internally: allowing your team to explore different options (for the right learning initiatives).

Custom-built solutions may be an option here too.

For organisations seeking complete control over their elearning design (not being limited to what an authoring tool can do – and can’t), custom-built HTML courses present a viable option. These solutions offer higher accessibility standards, open the door to much greater creativity for interactivity and learning design, and eliminate ongoing licensing fees, as the content is owned outright by your organisation.

What are the benefits?

• Full ownership: Complete control over content, with no dependency on third-party vendors for updates or access.
• Enhanced accessibility: Ability to meet and exceed accessibility standards, ensuring inclusive learning experiences for all users.

The downside:

Most organisations won’t be able to fully edit courses built in a completely custom way (due to front-end development capability) and will need to engage a developer from a custom elearning company, or directly, to edit the courses. The flipside is there will be no licencing fees.

Dr. Karl Kapp, Instructional Technology Professor at Bloomsburg University, says, "Custom solutions provide unparalleled flexibility and control. They empower organisations to create learning experiences that are precisely aligned with their objectives and learner needs."

Read more from Dr Karl Kapp here: https://www.td.org/content/atd-blog/karl-kapp-focus-on-the-learner

Strategic considerations: Making informed decisions

To navigate the complexities of elearning tool selection, organisations should consider the following:

1. Data compliance: Ensure that the chosen platform complies with local data protection laws and organisational policies.
2. Content ownership: Clarify terms regarding content access and ownership, especially in scenarios involving subscription lapses or vendor changes.
3. Future flexibility: Evaluate the scalability and adaptability of the tool to accommodate evolving learning needs and technological advancements.

While Articulate offers a suite of powerful tools (it really does!), it's essential for organisations to critically assess the potential risks associated with data storage, vendor lock-in and adaptability. By exploring alternative platforms and custom solutions, organisations can develop elearning strategies that are secure, compliant, and tailored to their unique needs.

At The Learning Hook, we’re seeing more and more reliance on Articulate products, and while there is absolutely a place for them, it’s important to understand the risks in relying on them. We’ve made it our focus to guide our clients through these decisions, ensuring that elearning solutions are not only effective but also aligned with strategic objectives and compliance requirements.

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