Udutu
Online training software that’s hard to pronounce but easy to use.
Finalist for:
Innovative Excellence (Software or Service)
When – and how – was your company born?
Udutu was born in 1996 when a team of researchers at Royal Roads University decided they could do for the teaching and training community what Blogging tools had done for writers, and what music editing tools had done for musicians. Udutu is meant to imply empowerment of Subject matter experts, as in “You Do Too”! So Udutu has created tools to allow SME’s to create and deploy effective and interactive training without becoming web technicians or programmers.
Who are some of your clients? What projects are you working on right now, and what do they do?
Clients range from multi-national corporations and Governments, to small businesses and grocery stores. Some of the more interesting clients are the soldiers of fortune who want to teach their clients how to NOT get kidnapped in remote places, or the convenience store chain that teaches managers how to prevent being robbed. Oil companies, pulp mills, shipyards, retailers, construction, management. Everyone needs some training about something. Major clients include the United Nations and the US Justice Department, IBM, Microsoft, DelekUS Oil, and Canadian organizations include BC and Ontario Lottery Corporations, Crown corps, such as Worksafe BC, BC Hydro; and Tim Hortons.
What was a pivotal moment for your company?
In late 2015 we suffered the sudden death of a founding member of the team and a key player. The aftermath involved questioning our mission and purpose, followed by hiring new people and evolving a new culture and a fresh approach to both our product development and our marketing.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned along the way?
Quote from the CEO, “When you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it is usually the headlight of an oncoming train!” We have learned to adapt when brilliant ideas don’t work out as expected, and that tenacity and enthusiasm are the keys to survival and success.
What does the future 10 years look like for your company?
Fortunately people will not cease to need training, and as a new generation of just in time learners becomes the dominant force in the workplace, we believe that technology assisted learning will become a critical element for businesses and Governments to succeed. So our ongoing mission will be to keep evolving and to take advantage of emerging technologies that can enhance training. We are also enhancing our value proposition and moving into the market for pre-built generic content on a wide variety of topics, and we will continue to expand our library of available courses and turnkey training solutions. As we invest more into our marketing approach we are beginning to see an exponential increase in client acquisition, and so we fully expect that during the consolidation that will take place in the industry over the next decade we will either expand by merging with other solutions or be acquired by a larger company.
Why Victoria?
With three post secondary institutions, Victoria keeps seeding the market with talent who don’t want to move away from the pleasant living and work life balance that Victoria affords. Victoria has great connectivity, and our servers are located elsewhere, so we see no reason to give up the wonderful lifestyle and climate of Victoria in order to serve a global market.