Today we are excited to announce the general availability of Microsoft Viva Learning!
The Viva Learning capabilities included in your existing Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription started rolling out on Nov 1st, and will continue rolling out over the next few weeks until all tenants have access (details below).
Since our initial announcement back in February of this year, we have committed ourselves to designing and building a fundamentally new way to learn at work. During that time we received invaluable insights and feedback from dozens of partner and analyst organizations, hundreds of preview customers, and thousands of internal Microsoft beta users.
On behalf of the whole team, I want to thank everybody who provided these insights, suggestions, and encouragements that led us to build a learning product that will lead the charge over the next horizon of enterprise learning.
The next generation of enterprise learning solutions
So what is that next horizon? We believe it is learning in the flow of work. Instead of asking employees to visit point solution apps for siloed learning activities, with Viva Learning we’re bringing those learning experiences to where they spend their workday – in Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365.
We know the services and resources employees need are often undiscovered or locked up in systems of record rather than a natural part of people’s daily communication and workflow. The problem is not insufficient content – most organizations have already invested in massive volumes of learning resources – it’s facilitating easy access to that content. When you solve for that, you also answer a burning question on the mind of many CLOs: Am I maximizing the ROI on my existing learning services? If you’re not bringing those services into the flow of work the answer is simple: No, you’re not.
With Viva Learning, the next generation of enterprise learning goes beyond the traditional structure of LMS or LXP – instead seamlessly integrating the critical learning capabilities your employees need into their existing work platform.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. With Viva Learning now publicly available, you can experience for yourself what it really means to bring learning into the flow of work.
Viva Learning access and licensing
Beginning today, you can get started using the full set of Viva Learning features with the purchase of one of the SKUs listed below. This includes the app in Teams (desktop & mobile), core social learning features, search/discover/share capabilities, interest based personalization, Microsoft content integration, and advanced features including admin featured content, LMS integration, 3rd party content integration, and recommendation capabilities.
- Microsoft Viva Learning SKU
- Microsoft Viva SKU
- Microsoft Viva with Glint add-on SKU
In addition, a subset of Viva Learning capabilities is included at no cost in the Microsoft 365 and Office 365 SKUs listed below. With these SKUs you will be able to use the Viva Learning app in Teams, but your content access will be limited to just Microsoft sources (LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, Microsoft 365 Training, and SharePoint). You will also not be able to recommend content, or access advanced admin features.
- Microsoft 365 F1/F3/E3/A3/E5/A5
- Office 365 F3/E1/A1/E3/A3/E5/A5
For pricing details, a comprehensive list of what’s included in your existing subscription, and what’s unlocked with Viva Learning SKU or Viva suite SKU purchase, see this page.
For details on how to start rolling out Viva Learning in your tenant, visit our docs page for step-by-step configuration and admin guidance.
You can also get started today with a Viva Learning trial. Ask your Microsoft account representative, your Cloud Solution Provider, or sign up yourself at aka.ms/VivaLearning.
Viva Learning capabilities
Now let’s take a look at some of the features that deliver learning in the flow of work with Viva Learning. We will continue to add more exciting capabilities to this list in the future. Make sure to watch the Viva Learning session at Microsoft Ignite for a product demo, roadmap discussion, admin walkthrough, and complete feature breakdown.
Viva Learning app in Teams for desktop & mobile
Simply search for “Viva Learning” in the Teams app menu, pin to your nav rail, and start using today!
Discover and browse content in the Home view
The home page for learning in your organization focused on discovery, inspiration, and staying up to date on learning activities. This view is personalized for you and provides an access point to all the content sources your admin configures for Viva Learning.
Personalize your learning experience with selected interests
Select learning interests to cater your Viva Learning experience to help you upskill and grow – both personally and professionally.
Search across all connected sources
Search for learning items from all the learning libraries connected to Viva Learning. You can filter by interest, provider, or duration to quickly and easily find the right content at the right time.
See your personal learning snapshot with the My Learning view
My Learning is your personalized window to track learning activities, see assigned learning from your connected LMS, check recently viewed and recommended content, and stay in control of your learning journey.
Share learning content in chat
A recent LinkedIn study found that 30x more hours of learning content was consumed by learners who use social features. Infuse learning into the natural conversations already happening throughout the workday by embedding learning into chats.
Recommend learning content
Spark conversations and strengthen connections with built-in tools to recommend content to others. This is a helpful scenario for managers and leaders to promote important learning topics with their teams.
Note: You’ll need to have Exchange Online enabled in order to recommend content and manage recommendations.
Manage recommendations
See the recommendations you’ve made to others to keep track of learning connections. Filter by status, and see the reported completion rate by individual.
Add a dedicated learning tab to existing Teams channels
Bring a curated set of learning resources into the space where work is happening. With Viva Learning tabs alongside your Teams files and conversations, it’s easier than ever to bring learning into the flow of work.
Integrations
We previously announced a great set of learning partners we’re working with to build out-of-the-box integrations for Viva Learning. I’m pleased to share that the following integrations are live today:
- Cornerstone OnDemand
- SAP SuccessFactors
- Saba
- Skillsoft
- Coursera
- Pluralsight
- edX
- Go1
- Josh Bersin Academy
- Infosec
- Udemy Business
Note that all 3rd party and LMS integrations require a separate subscription with that 3rd party or LMS company.
The integrations above are in addition to the Microsoft owned content sources included with Viva Learning:
- Microsoft Learn (full library included)
- Microsoft 365 Trainings (full library included)
- Your organization’s custom content stored on SharePoint
- LinkedIn Learning (125 courses included; separate subscription required for full library integration)
Let's hear from a couple of our out-of-the-box integration partners. You can hear more from Sam and Potoula by watching the Viva Learning session at Microsoft Ignite:
“It has become more important than ever to place learning in the immediate context of employees’ day-to-day activities. Learning while working is the new normal, and we want to support our customers to foster greater productivity and collaboration through learning in the flow of work. We look forward to evolving the SAP and Microsoft partnership in this area.”
- Sam Passman, Viva President Product Management-Talent, SAP SuccessFactors
“We all know that learning in the flow of work is the next horizon in enterprise learning, but the question has been how? Microsoft is answering that question with Microsoft Teams and Viva Learning. And that’s why we’re so excited to be part of this partnership and why our clients are so excited for this partnership.”
- Potoula Chresomales, Senior Viva President Product Management, Skillsoft
We’ll have more exciting partner news in the next few months, including details on the Graph APIs we're building to enable connection with any learning provider, or even your own custom-built learning platform.
In addition, we expect the following integrations to be available soon:
- Harvard Business Publishing
- Edcast
- Udacity
- OpenSesame
For details on how to configure and manage content sources within Viva Learning, please visit our Viva Learning docs page.
For more details on Microsoft Viva extensibility, please read our Viva extensibility blog.
Let’s get started!
Enterprise learning is a challenging space, with employees spending less than 1% of their week on formal learning. We think it’s time for a new approach to position personal development along with formal work and embed learning into daily functions – making it easier to focus on learning throughout the work week.
We hope you’ll join us on this journey to help individuals learn and grow, as a foundational aspect to our mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
We’ll see you soon, learning in the flow of work!
To stay up to date on the latest with Viva Learning, see details on features & licensing, and get started with a trial, visit aka.ms/VivaLearning