CellCast mSCORM Player Announced

We're pleased to announce the availability of the CellCast mSCORM Player, the latest extension to our CellCast Solution platform for enterprise mobile learning delivery. This new functionality allows mobile workers to access learning content deployed as standard SCORM v1.2 and v2004 SCORM packages (as generated by a variety of 3rd party authoring tools) and allows for full content playback and tracking in both online AND offline settings. We launch with support added to most of our core CellCast Widgets including all Android-based devices, Apple iPhones, iPad and iPod touch media players, BlackBerry devices (running BBOS 4.5 and higher) and smartphones running Windows Mobile v6.1 and v6.5. We also expect to add support for Symbian/S60 later this summer.

We have to admit we weren't the first ISV to jump onto the "SCORM + Mobile" bandwagon; after all, the very nature of the current SCORM v1.2 and SCORM v2004 specifications suggest a mobile learner needs to be "online" whenever they launch a SCORM assignment to ensure connection between their mobile device and the content source/server running a SCORM API. Given OnPoint's dual strategy of supporting content consumption via mobile web AND native app (preferred!!) delivery models, the priority to add "SCORM support" slipped several times due to the technical complexities imposed by the web browsers of most mobile devices. But our larger enterprise customers and prospects kept begging the question: "What's the deal with SCORM on mobile?" so we set off in earnest to devise a workable strategy. Deep thought and hard work yielded an elegant cross-platform solution in the form of a new mobile content player that met all of our requirements and integrated nicely with our core platform and tools. And for those select mobile devices that support Flash-based content, playback of mobile SCOs produced with tools like Articulate Presenter and Engage now works as well although the experience isn't ideal just yet due to the screen size limitations on most mobile devices plus memory allocation issues and slower-than-desktop processing speeds which hamper rendering.   

Special thanks goes out to Mike Palmer, our resident SCORM guru and the architect of our innovative CellCast mSCORM Player, who discovered a viable way to design a cross platform player that overcomes the myriad security restrictions virtually all mobile browsers impose on the operating environment of smartphone devices. Once perfected, Mike's player was integrated into all of other CellCast Widgets in a matter of a few days expanding our range of mobile SCORM support quickly and easily. Our efforts along the way have also been greatly assisted by Jason Haag and Judy Brown over at Advanced Distributed Learning ("ADL") who offered insights and advice as to where SCORM + Mobile is today and listened to our list of aspirations for where we hope it evolves in the future.

Click the link below to view a short 3-minute demonstration of the new CellCast mSCORM Player on a Windows Mobile device; the clip was prepared by Mr. Palmer from "down under" in New Zealand who delights us with his Kiwi accent.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO