In its ninth year, the study has identified a real trend towards benchmarking, with a record 600 organisations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors participating in the 2011 study, fifty percent more organisations than in 2010. Participation among European, US, Middle East, and Asian-Pacific companies also increased.

The Towards Maturity Benchmark Study provides a unique opportunity for organisations to review their current approach to learning, compare their progress with peers, and use this information to take action to improve performance. In 2011, 73% of the participants reported that just taking part in the study had given them new ideas to improve the impact of their learning services.

This year's study is even more thought provoking, thanks to input of leading industry experts including Jane Hart, Charles Jennings, Clive Shepherd, Nigel Paine, and Rob Hubbard. Taking part in the confidential 2012 Benchmark Study is easy; it takes between forty minutes to an hour to review an organisation's approach to learning using the online survey.

Mike Booth, Learning Technologies Manager for Cable and Wireless Worldwide and winner of this year's eLearning Industry award for individual outstanding achievement, says, "It's encouraging to see a rise in benchmarking, and may it long continue. I've been taking part in the Towards Maturity learning-technology Benchmark Study since 2003. I find the results thought provoking and a great source of ideas for performance improvement."

Within the personalised benchmark report available to each participant of the study is their organisation's unique Towards Maturity Index (TMI) - the measurement of how mature an organisation's learning-technology implementation is and, more importantly, how to improve it. Companies in the top quartile of the TMI scale engage twice the audience and also save an additional 33% of cost and 50% in reduced study time.

Laura Overton, Managing Director of Towards Maturity says, "Despite the growing investment in learning technologies, a shocking percentage of organisations are not using these tools to their full potential. I urge the learning industry to avoid reinventing the wheel in these difficult economic times. Our free 2012 Benchmark Study will help you identify priorities, reduce risk, and deliver business benefits."

The Towards Maturity 2012 Benchmark Study is free to participate in thanks to the Towards Maturity's Ambassador Programme, made up of twenty leading learning organisations.