Inkling (company)

Inkling is an American company based in San Francisco, California. Inkling is a mobile learning enablement platform built for distributed workforces. It produces a set of tools that businesses use to build, manage, and distribute digital content, which includes its cloud-based authoring environment, called Inkling Habitat. Brands such as Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Verizon entrust Inkling to help them onboard employees, ensure performance enablement and successfully execute corporate initiatives while providing increased levels of visibility into critical operating metrics.[1]

Inkling
IndustrySoftware
FoundedAugust 2009 (2009-08)
FoundersMatt MacInnis
Josh Forman
Robert Cromwell
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Key people
Jeff Carr, CEO
ProductsSoftware as a Service and consumer E-books
WebsiteInkling.com

History

Matt MacInnis, Josh Forman, and Robert Cromwell founded Inkling in August 2009. While working at Apple Inc., MacInnis heard rumors about a new device (which would later become the Apple iPad). Believing the device had potential to host interactive electronic textbooks, he left Apple to found the new company several months before the iPad was officially announced.[2] MacInnis became the CEO, with Forman as the VP, Product and Cromwell as the VP, Engineering.[3] In August 2010, the company launched its iPad app and announced partnerships with John Wiley & Sons, McGraw-Hill, and Wolters Kluwer.[4]

The company initially focused on creating interactive e-book versions of existing textbooks. In 2011, it added other types of general-interest non-fiction titles, such as travel guides and cookbooks.[5] The company creates e-books in HTML5 and includes features not normally available in conventional e-books such as video, interactive animations, and the ability to share notes with other readers.[6]

In early 2014, Inkling pivoted from a business-to-consumer model to a business-to-business model by selling their authoring platform, Inkling Habitat, to publishers.[7] Today, the majority of their revenue comes from licensing fees under the Software as a Service model. Both publishers and enterprises use Inkling's cloud-based content creation tools. Inkling no longer produces e-books, but continues to sell its existing e-books through its online bookstore, publishers’ online stores, and the Apple App Store.

On December 13, 2016, Inkling announced a $25 million round of funding. Sapphire Ventures led the round, with participation from Sequoia Capital and Tenaya Capital.[8]

On August 21, 2018, Inkling announced a new featured called “Notices” designed to immediately deliver critical communications to mobile workforces. Its main features include Training Updates, Project Announcements, and ‘HQ to Field Communications’.[9]

On November 26, 2018, Inkling appointed Jeff Carr as their new CEO.[10]

Products

Inkling Knowledge

Inkling Knowledge is a A modern content system that simplifies the creation and distribution of mobile-ready, interactive training and reference materials. Its main features include content creation, multi-platform content, and advanced analytics.[11]

Inkling Collaboration

Inkling Collaboration enables better execution by connecting frontline workers to the people and resources they need. Its main features include prioritized tasks, group messaging, completion tracking and issue resolution.[12]

Inkling Learning Pathways

Inkling Learning Pathways guides employees through the training process in a way that improves engagement, performance and information retention, while enabling managers to easily track and verify trainee skills.[13]

Press

In February 2014, Fast Company named Inkling one of the most innovative companies, calling the company's product “a huge advancement over the usual, flat boring PDFs under glass.”[14]

In August 2014, Inkling was named #105 on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing companies.[15]

On Dec 11, 2018, Inkling was awarded “Gold for Best Advance in Mobile Learning Technology” and “Silver for Best Advance in Content Management Technology” in the Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards.[16]

On Feb 12, 2019, Inkling released a new Press Release where they announced that they had added 10 major brand-name companies to their client roster. Among the major brands to deploy Inkling in 2018 were Hikvision, Horace Mann, Orange Theory Fitness and Vera Bradley.[17]

Awards
  • 'Gold for Best Advance in Mobile Learning Technology' - Brandon Hall Excellence Awards[18]
  • 'Silver for Best Advance in Content Management Technology' - Brandon Hall Excellence Awards[19]
  • 2017 - Top 20 Companies - 'Training Delivery'[20]
  • 2018 - Top 20 Companies - 'Training Delivery'[21]

See also

References
  1. inkling.com https://www.inkling.com/who-we-help/. Retrieved 2019-04-30. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. Bury, Erin (20 January 2012). "Digital Textbook Publishing Turns Into David vs. Goliath Battle". Betakit. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  3. Wan, Tony (17 July 2013). "An Inkling of the Future of Books". edSurge. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  4. Ingram, Mathew (23 August 2010). "Inkling Says the iPad is the Textbook of the Future". Gigaom. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  5. Graham, Jefferson (21 December 2012). "Inkling cooks up multimedia iPad books". USA Today. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  6. Kucera, Danielle (17 February 2013). "Inkling gives e-books more visual punch". SFGate. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  7. http://www.fastcompany.com/3028090/bottom-line/what-happened-when-a-digital-textbook-company-was-forced-to-redefine-its-custome
  8. "Inkling raises $25 million to make files extinct". VentureBeat. 2016-12-13. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  9. "Inkling Introduces Notices | Press Release". Inkling. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  10. "Inkling Accelerates Growth with New CEO Jeff Carr". Inkling. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  11. "Inkling Knowledge".
  12. "Inkling Collaboration". inkling.com/.
  13. "Inkling Learning Pathways". inkling.com/.
  14. Fast Company
  15. Inc Magazine
  16. "Inkling Wins Gold & Silver Awards from Brandon Hall Group for Excellence". Inkling. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  17. "Press Release: Inkling gaining momentum with over 10 new major brands as customers". Inkling. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  18. "Inkling Wins Gold & Silver Awards from Brandon Hall Group for Excellence". Inkling. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  19. "Inkling Wins Gold & Silver Awards from Brandon Hall Group for Excellence". Inkling. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  20. www.inkling.com, Inkling San Francisco California. "FindCourses". Training Industry. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  21. www.inkling.com, Inkling San Francisco California. "FindCourses". Training Industry. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
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