HowNow

HowNow Learning & Skills Platform

A modern learning platform that ensures you can deliver personalised learning to every employee, where and when they need it (Directly in the flow of work). We support LMS and LXP use cases, integrating all learning sources, as well as 9000+ pieces of specialist content in an integrated marketplace.

Features

Learning Management System
Learning Experience Platform
Skills Management and Mapping
Learning in the flow of work eg. MS Teams
Learning Content Library (9000 pieces of content)
AI powered skills mapping to job roles and content
AI generated learning pathways, unlocking all content
Mobile Learning (IOS & Android)
Integrate internal tools like Sharepoint & Google Drive
Comprehensive reporting on learning activity and compliance

Benefits

Accessible, mobile, single home for learning and skills
Fully integrate and surface all learning in one place
Create a skills framework and map to job roles instantly
Index all learning content and map to skills instantly
Deliver personalised learning paths to address skills gaps
Enable every employee to understand their skills and growth priority
Assess, track and report on all learning & compliance
Unlock all learning sources through integration e.g. Sharepoint
Create, Consume, and Share learning in MS Teams
Integrate seamlessly with HR & People systems for accurate data

£6 to £82 a user a year

Free trial available

Service documents

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at kuvera@gethownow.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

Contact

HowNow Kuvera Sivalingam
Telephone: 07932024264
Email: kuvera@gethownow.com

Service scope

Software add-on or extension: Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
What software services is the service an extension to: HowNow is a standalone platform with extensions that provide access directly within web browsers such as Chrome and MS Edge. There are also apps for flow of work tools like MS Teams and Slack, as well as mobile applications for IOS and Android devices
Cloud deployment model: Public cloud

Private cloud
Service constraints: HowNow is configured for the individual organisation to meet their requirements. There are no constraints other than access the user needing internet access.
System requirements: Internet access using a Web Browser e.g Edge or Chrome

IOS or Android device for mobile learning

User support

Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
Support response times: Tickets are responded to in real-time through a live agent within UK business hours, Monday-Friday.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
Phone support: No
Web chat support: Web chat
Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Web chat accessibility testing: We follow a 4 step process:

1. Review current compliance: Test all systems and ensure that all endpoints, network tools, etc are configured to send their logs to AWS CloudWatch
2. Testing compliance: OGs are collected, parsed and categorised by AWS Cloudwatch, data presented on dashboards and SIEM tools
3. Key features: Screen Readers, Aria Labels, Magnification, Xoom, Keyboard Navigation, Colour Contrast and Descriptive Errors Messages & Accessible Forms implemented
4. Maintaining Accessibility: We Endeavour that any new build functionality is built to AA standards, and ongoing enablement & upskilling of all UI/UX and QA team members.
Onsite support: No
Support levels: Every HowNow customer has access to 3 x support resources.

Initially you will collaborate with your implementation lead to support the configuration and integration of the HowNow platform, rooted in best practice and an extension of your team throughout.

In parallel you will partner with your dedicated Customer Success Manager, who acts as an extension of your L&D team throughout the partnership, providing 10 'personal sessions' for 1 to 1 coaching, support and best practice advice. This is delivered alongside your regular quarterly reviews and adhoc support.

Whilst your Customer Success Manager focused on platform adoption & success, your dedicated Account Manager is on hand to support and guide you through any commercial questions that may arise during the contract period.

Lastly every customer has access to 24/5 live chat embedded in the platform to provide real-time assistance in the unlikely event there is an issue. This is available alongside our FAQ/Support Hub, accessible at all times, providing video and text-based support for your FAQ's.

All of the above is included within the annual license fee at no extra cost. In the event a customer feels they need additional support sessions, these can be added on request.
Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started: As part of the implementation process, buyers are supported by a dedicated Implementation Lead and Customer Success Manager.

Leveraging our implementation hub (powered by EverAfter) each buyer is carefully guided through the implementation process, through a combination of both live sessions (online and/or face to face depending upon preference) focused on setup, followed by a series of live training workshops for the different user types (e.g. Admins, First line managers etc)

This is a 'high-touch' process, where we ensure not only is there regular and very clear guidance around the process of implementation, this is backed up by detailed live action plans/project plans, check-in's, and launch programmes.

HowNow will/can provide guidance around launch approaches, including recent examples of marketing for learning, ongoing enablement strategies, and even recent examples like Trainline.com where the team were on site for a live, branded, all day launch event.

Traditional LMS solutions average 17-20% engagement rates (people coming back to learn regularly) where as HowNow averages approx. 80%. This level of adoption and system usage comes from a proven hands-on approach to supporting buyers launching new learning culture/initiatives.
Service documentation: Yes
Documentation formats: HTML

PDF
End-of-contract data extraction: As per GDPR requirements, HowNow can remove any learners personal data upon request.

Buyers can also export data (with the appropriate admin rights) at any time, as well as HowNow offering a Bi Tool export to push learner data to a data lake or reporting system like PowerBi.

At the end of the contract term, should the buyer choose not to renew, HowNow shall promptly and in any event within 10 business days of the date of cessation of any Services involving the Processing of Customer Personal Data, delete and procure the deletion of all copies of the Customer Personal Data (except as may be lawfully retained under Data Protection Laws).

Data will be held for a minimum of 90 days after termination. If requested by the Customer, HowNow will provide user learning data in a machine readable format (e.g. CSV files) to the Customer.
End-of-contract process: In this scenario, a combination of your Dedicated Customer Success Manager and Account Manager will partner with the Customer to agree upon a mutually comfortable & realistic off boarding timeline, including dates for both commercial and platform related access to be terminated.

As per our contract, HowNow is the Data Processor and the Customer always the Data Controller, therefore the process of notification and export is as per our contractual terms as follows:

The Data Processor shall promptly and in any event within 10 business days of the date of cessation of any Services involving the Processing of Customer Personal Data, delete and procure the deletion of all copies of the Customer Personal Data (except as may be lawfully retained under Data Protection Laws). Data will be held for a minimum of 90 days after termination. If requested by the Customer the Data Processor shall provide user learning data in a machine readable format (e.g. CSV files) to the Customer.

The above is all included within the contracted price, however, if further custom exports are required, these can be agreed, scoped and priced in advance, but remain highly unlikely to be necessary.

Using the service

Web browser interface: Yes
Supported browsers: Microsoft Edge

Firefox

Chrome

Safari

Opera
Application to install: No
Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
Differences between the mobile and desktop service: HowNow offers a native app for IOS and Android devices that allows learners to search, consume and create bitesize learning content directly from their mobile device. Content can also be downloaded to the device to allow 'offline' learning, that once completed, will update results when the device has connectivity.

It is important to note that the content being consumed must be created or designed to accommodate being consumed on a mobile device. (This could be created within the platform in our native authoring tool, or using external providers and then uploaded to the HowNow platform.
Service interface: Yes
User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Description of service interface: HowNow's platform is fully configurable and as a HowNow customer, you will have access to our admin/dashboard area where you can manage the user experience for all users.
Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Accessibility testing: We follow a 4 step process:

1. Review current compliance: Test all systems and ensure that all endpoints, network tools, etc are configured to send their logs to AWS CloudWatch
2. Testing compliance: OGs are collected, parsed and categorised by AWS Cloudwatch, data presented on dashboards and SIEM tools
3. Key features: Screen Readers, Aria Labels, Magnification, Xoom, Keyboard Navigation, Colour Contrast and Descriptive Errors Messages & Accessible Forms implemented
4. Maintaining Accessibility: We Endeavour that any new build functionality is built to AA standards, and ongoing enablement & upskilling of all UI/UX and QA team members.
API: Yes
What users can and can't do using the API: Rather than offering a public API with documentation, HowNow offers fully managed integrations with a wide range of solutions used across most organisations, this ensures we are responsible for configuration, as well as the ongoing maintenance and support of any integrations required. Pre-built use cases include:

- API-based integration with HRIS systems to ingest employee/learner user data to enable us to automatically configure user access and learning content recommendation. HowNow have and continue to integrate with almost all known/reputable HR platforms.

- API-based integration with Content Libraries & 3rd party tools: Often customers have knowledge/learning they wish to surface sitting within Microsoft, Google, and other content management tools. In addition this includes external content libraries like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Pluralsight etc. etc.

- API-based integration with Microsoft 365/Teams and G-Suite: HowNow can directly integrate with these applications to support the discovery of learning assets, as well as calendar sync etc for event management, webinar link creation etc.

- Data Export - HowNow also offers the ability (using SFTP) to automate the extraction of learner data to a preferred BI-Tool for the visualisation and ongoing analysis of data, if that is the preferred analytics approach.
API documentation: No
API sandbox or test environment: No
Customisation available: Yes
Description of customisation: It is important to emphasise that we support configuration rather than customisation.

Buyers have the ability to work with your implementation lead to support the setup and configuration of the platform, including logos, colour schemes etc.

Please be mindful that the platform is hyper-personalised, whereby other than colour schemes and logos, each user will have a personalised dashboard that is reactive to them, their skill level and mandatory learning requirements.

Scaling

Independence of resources: HowNow is hosted on AWS, a globally proven infrastructure, with capacity to support customers ranging from 50 up to 100's of thousands of employees.

We carefully monitor platform capacity, usage and performance to ensure platform consistency in performance at all times and operate scaling servers that optimise capacity based upon platform load.

Our current uptime (a great indicator of overall reliability & performance) average over the last 12 months is 100%)

Analytics

Service usage metrics: Yes
Metrics types: Within the platform there is a live dashboard full of usage metrics, showing the likes of:

- Daily platform usage (including volume of users, location, time spent etc)
- Device usage (what did the users use to access the platform)
- Content engagement & completion, along with wider user activity
- Search activity (see what topics people are searching for support on)

As well as a whole host of other pre-built reports. In addition, Admins & Managers can build custom reports for system/user activity.
Reporting types: Real-time dashboards

Regular reports

Reports on request

Resellers

Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
Government security clearance: Up to Security Clearance (SC)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom

European Economic Area (EEA)

Other locations
User control over data storage and processing locations: No
Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
Protecting data at rest: Physical access control, complying with another standard

Encryption of all physical media
Data sanitisation process: Yes
Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach: As per the previous answer, there are a number of ways users can export data:

- The individual learner can request an export from their manager of their learning record/details

- A Manager can export data on their team at any point

- An Administrator can export custom reports at any time

- HowNow offers a direct integration/SFTP data transfer service to a data warehouse/BI Tool

- Data can/will be provided in full upon termination of the contract
Data export formats: CSV
Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability: As per our contract terms, HowNow shall use reasonable endeavours to ensure that the uptime for the HowNow Digital Learning Platform is at least 99.97% during each calendar month. (Our 12 month average to-date is 100% at time of writing)

HowNow operates a Service credits model as follows:

- In respect of each calendar month during which the uptime is less than the commitment specified above, Customer shall earn service credits in accordance with the provisions of Part 3 of our contract

The service credits earned by the Customer shall be as follows:

- One-week Credit: Includes Seven (7) days of Services added to the end of your billing cycle, at no charge to you, if the Monthly Uptime Percentage for any calendar month is between 99.97% and 97.00%;

- Two-week Credit: Includes Fourteen (14) days of Services added to the end of your billing cycle, at no charge to you, if the Monthly Uptime Percentage for any calendar month is between 97.00% and 95.00%;

- One-month Credit: Includes Thirty (30) days of Services added to the end of your billing cycle, at no charge to you, if the Monthly Uptime Percentage for any calendar month is less than 95.00%.
Approach to resilience: Available on Request
Outage reporting: Email alerts will be distributed via HowNow support on any outage taking place. These will be sent to the nominated system Admin(s) for the Customer account

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed: Yes
User authentication: 2-factor authentication

Username or password
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: As a SaaS platform, user access is controlled at an individual level, with each user having specific and unique access rights granted based upon business rules, assigned to their profile.

Only the nominated system Administrator has the capacity to make any changes to the user type and access rights.
Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
Management access authentication: 2-factor authentication

Username or password

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
How long system logs are stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: The British Assessment Bureau
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 18/09/2023
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: @KUVERA
ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
CSA STAR certification: No
PCI certification: No
Cyber essentials: Yes
Cyber essentials plus: Yes
Other security certifications: Yes
Any other security certifications: ISO27001 and 9001

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
Security governance certified: Yes
Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
Information security policies and processes: HowNow operates in accordance with ISO27001 and ISO9001 security standards. We have a full IT Security Process/Review/Overview available for review upon request.

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
Configuration and change management approach: The key components are:

1. Change initiation which involves identification and evaluation of the changes required.

2. Change Planning - Technical details of the changes are planned and all risks associated are assessed.

3. Approval - proposed changes reviewed and approved by the management team.

4.Implementation of the changes - Development and testing

5. Deployment of the changes and documentation
Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
Vulnerability management approach: We assess potential threats by carrying out regular scans every 2 weeks. We also carry put scans following any significant updates or changes.
We utilise industry-standard tools and technologies for conducting vulnerability scans, ensuring comprehensive coverage and accurate reporting.

The Our SLAs are as follows:

Critical Vulnerabilities: Remediate within 48 hours of identification.

High Severity Vulnerabilities: Remediate within 3 days of identification.

Medium Severity Vulnerabilities: Remediate within 7 days of identification.

Low Severity Vulnerabilities: Remediate within 30 days of identification.
Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
Protective monitoring approach: We identify potential compromises using real time monitoring with automated alerts. We respond to incidents based on classification. The SLAs are as follows:

Critical Vulnerabilities: Remediate within 48 hours of identification.

High Severity Vulnerabilities: Remediate within 3 days of identification.

Medium Severity Vulnerabilities: Remediate within 7 days of identification.

Low Severity Vulnerabilities: Remediate within 30 days of identification.
Incident management type: Undisclosed
Incident management approach: Our incident management process begins with an immediate verbal report to a senior person, followed by a detailed written report within 48 hours using the Incident Report Form. This procedure helps quickly assess and escalate incidents based on severity. A formal incident review is conducted within a week to confirm details and discuss procedural changes, focusing on non-traumatic discussion points. Regular follow-ups ensure the implementation of identified changes. Additionally, a senior person maintains an Incident Database to monitor trends and effectiveness of current policies, enhancing the organisation's ability to prevent and manage future incidents effectively.

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v3.0)

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks: No

Pricing

Price: £6 to £82 a user a year
Discount for educational organisations: No
Free trial available: Yes
Description of free trial: As part of a commercial selection process, if necessary, HowNow is happy to grant a Customer access to a trial of our platform at no cost for a defined period of time. This is not a fully integrated or implemented instance, but does support validation of user experience and functionality.
Link to free trial: N/A

Service documents

Request an accessible format

Cookies on Digital Marketplace

HowNow Learning & Skills Platform

Features

Benefits

Pricing

Service documents

Framework

Service ID

Contact

Service scope

User support

Onboarding and offboarding

Using the service

Scaling

Analytics

Resellers

Staff security

Asset protection

Data importing and exporting

Data-in-transit protection

Availability and resilience

Identity and authentication

Audit information for users

Standards and certifications

Security governance

Operational security

Secure development

Public sector networks

Social Value

Pricing

Service documents