Bluewater
Bluewater Learning is a privately held Texas-based managed services company that operates, administers, and optimizes enterprise Learning Management Systems for over 1,000 organizations through outsourced administration, proprietary Journey Maps technology, and custom content development.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersRichardson, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Bluewater does
Bluewater Learning, Inc. is a privately held managed services and consulting company specializing in learning and talent management technology, founded in 2003 by Chris Bond and headquartered in Plano, Texas. The company serves enterprise and mid-market organizations by operating, administering, and optimizing their existing Learning Management Systems (LMS) on an outsourced basis. Its core product portfolio includes Bluewater Managed LMS (team-based outsourced administration), Bluewater Journey Maps (proprietary gamified learning pathway tool), Bluewater Assurance (on-demand learning technology support), and Bluewater Custom Content. A sub-brand, Bluewater Interactive, was launched in 2022 to extend the business into custom integrations, data visualization, and content development under a dedicated president.
The company's technical posture is distinctive for its emphasis on enhancing rather than displacing existing LMS investments: Bluewater Journey Maps integrates with Cornerstone, Docebo, SumTotal, and Saba, and Bluewater provides managed administration across at least seven platforms including Schoox, Sage, Absorb, Training Orchestra, Cognota, and NovoEd. Revenue is generated primarily through multi-year managed services contracts (priced on organizational size, number of administrators, curriculum volume, and content library scope), supplemented by professional services for consulting and implementation, custom content development, and subscription-based add-on support services such as Tier One User Support and Live Chat for Admins. Bluewater operates a sales-led, direct go-to-market with named enterprise clients including Abiomed, Chewy, Intel, Volvo, FreddieMac, United Airlines, Pizza Hut, Rheem, Fossil, Novocure, Navistar, and ATI, and claims over 1,000 organizations served cumulatively.
The leadership team is anchored by founder and CEO Chris Bond, with COO Tiffany Faulkner (joined 2014), VP of Business Services Lisa Garcia (joined 2019), VP of Strategic Partnerships Bennett Jensen (joined 2012), and Curt Swayne appointed President of Bluewater Interactive in 2022. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, operates with 51–100 employees across the United States, and pursues thought leadership through a blog, the Shark Tales podcast, and participation in industry events such as DevLearn, Docebo Inspire, and HR Tech.
Bluewater firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bluewater
- Legal name
- Bluewater Learning Inc.
- Website
- https://bluewaterlearning.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Bluewater Learning is a privately held Texas-based managed services company that operates, administers, and optimizes enterprise Learning Management Systems for over 1,000 organizations through outsourced administration, proprietary Journey Maps technology, and custom content development.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bluewater industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Learning Management Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Training (611420)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Learning Management (LMS) & Talent Development (BPACAPAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Extended Enterprise LMS (Customer/Partner/Franchise Training) (EDAFAAAC), Learning Technology & LMS/LXP Implementation (BPACANAH), Core LMS Platforms (Academic & Corporate) (EDAFAAAA)
Keywords
Where Bluewater is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richardson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bluewater business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Managed LMS Services: Recurring managed services revenue from outsourced LMS administration. Bluewater operates client LMS platforms more efficiently and cost-effectively, with pricing based on organizational size, number of administrators, curricula releases per year, and content library size.
- Professional Services and Consulting: Strategic consulting, implementation services, and advisory services for learning and talent management technology selection, deployment, and optimization.
- Custom Content Development: Design, development, and delivery of custom learning content for business-critical operations, new systems, workflows, and product launches. Content creation includes needs assessment, building, testing, delivery, and efficacy auditing.
- Add-on Support Services: Tiered add-on services including Tier One User Support, Live Chat for Users/Admins, Learning Analysis, Program Analysis, Technology Analysis, Engagement Analysis, 24x5 Global Support, and Weekend Support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Managed LMS - Core Service |
| Subscription | Monthly | Managed LMS Add-on Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Bluewater product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bluewater provides outsourced Learning Management System (LMS) administration, proprietary learning engagement technology (Bluewater Journey Maps), custom learning content development, and strategic consulting for learning and talent management. The company operates client LMS platforms through a team-based managed service model covering User Experience, Content, Administration, Technology, Process, Data, and Reporting, with the ability to go live in less than two weeks and deliver full competency in 60 days.
Product overview
Bluewater is a full-service consulting and services company for Learning & Talent Management technology, offering a portfolio of managed services and products that enhance every aspect of the learning experience. The core offerings include Bluewater Journey Maps (interactive LMS tours that gamify training), Bluewater Managed LMS (outsourced LMS administration), and Bluewater Assurance (on-demand support services). These are complemented by add-on modules including Bluewater Custom Content (custom content development), Bluewater Extended Enterprise Service Center (external training program management), Live Chat for Admins (real-time support), and Compliance Dashboards. Bluewater Interactive, a sub-brand launched in 2022, provides custom integrations and data visualization services. The company operates by partnering with major LMS platforms (Cornerstone, Docebo, SumTotal, Saba, Schoox, Absorb) and provides comprehensive administration, content, technology, and process services to help organizations maximize their learning technology investment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bluewater Interactive: Custom content development, custom integrations, and data visualization services launched in 2022 to expand Bluewater's service offerings.
- Bluewater Managed LMS
- Bluewater Assurance
- Bluewater Journey Maps
- Bluewater Custom Content
Products and services
- Bluewater Managed LMS Outsourced LMS administration service providing expert teams to operate, manage, and optimize clients' Learning Management Systems more efficiently and cost-effectively. Covers content management, user administration, system configurations, interface monitoring, and reporting.
- Bluewater Journey Maps Interactive, gamified learning tour application that integrates with existing LMS platforms (Cornerstone, Docebo, SumTotal, Saba) to guide learners through personalized training paths with visual milestones, badges, role-specific journeys, and real-time progress tracking.
- Bluewater Assurance On-demand learning and talent management system services providing resourcing, optimization, and innovation support for learning and talent management technology.
- Bluewater Custom Content Custom content development services for business-critical operations, new systems, workflows, and product launches, including needs assessment, content building, testing, delivery, and efficacy auditing.
- Bluewater Extended Enterprise Service Center Outsourced extended enterprise support service that builds and maintains strategic external training programs without startup time or maintenance expense, used to train partners, customers, and franchisees.
- Live Chat for Admins Real-time chat support service for LMS administrators, trainers, and learning support teams providing immediate answers and direction for LMS tasks with rapid response times.
- Compliance Dashboards Dashboard solutions for tracking and reporting on compliance training and regulatory requirements within learning management systems.
- Strategic Consulting Consulting services for learning and talent management process optimization and technology strategy, including advisory services for technology selection, deployment, and optimization.
- Bluewater Interactive Sub-brand providing custom content development, custom integrations, and data visualization services focused on innovative learning solutions for new and existing L&D systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70-90% cost savings compared to typical FTE costs for LMS administration
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Bluewater
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bluewater technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Feature3 records
Bluewater partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CognotacoreBluewater Learning expanded its partnership with Cognota to enhance learning operations maturity assessment and technology implementation. The collaboration aims to help organizations improve planning, resource management, and reporting for measurable business impact.
- NovoEdcoreBluewater partnered with NovoEd, the leading social and collaborative learning platform for deep capability building. The partnership expands services to help clients build comprehensive organization-wide NovoEd deployments and support scalable cohort-based learning journeys.
- CornerstonecoreCornerstone is one of four major LMS platforms with which Bluewater Journey Maps is fully integrated. Bluewater provides implementation, consulting, and managed services for Cornerstone customers.
- DocebocoreDocebo is one of four major LMS platforms with which Bluewater Journey Maps is fully integrated. Bluewater participates in Docebo Inspire conferences and provides services for Docebo customers.
- SumTotalcoreSumTotal is one of four major LMS platforms with which Bluewater Journey Maps is fully integrated. Bluewater provides managed services and consulting for SumTotal customers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Bluewater competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GP Strategies Corporation: GP Strategies is a large global performance improvement provider offering managed learning services, custom content development, and LMS administration for enterprise clients. It is a broader incumbent with adjacent capabilities to Bluewater's managed LMS and custom content offerings.
- NIIT (Managed Training Services): NIIT's Managed Training Services business offers outsourced learning administration, custom content, and learning operations for global enterprises. It is a larger, broader competitor operating in the same managed L&D services category as Bluewater.
Direct peers
- Intrepid Learning Solutions: Intrepid provides learning strategy, managed learning services, and LMS implementation for enterprise clients. It competes head-to-head with Bluewater in outsourced LMS administration and extended enterprise learning programs.
- Cornerstone OnDemand: Cornerstone is both a Bluewater partner and a leading enterprise LMS/talent management platform that increasingly bundles managed services and implementation support. As a partner-then-competitor dynamic, it is the most strategically comparable peer.
- Docebo: Docebo is a leading AI-powered LMS platform and a core Bluewater partner. Docebo's expanding professional services and partner ecosystem overlap with Bluewater's managed services and Journey Maps integrations.
- Schoox: Schoox is a workforce LMS that partners with Bluewater for implementation and managed services. It is comparable as both a partner and a direct alternative for clients seeking a turnkey LMS with embedded services.
- Absorb Software: Absorb is an enterprise LMS that Bluewater manages and supports for clients. Absorb's growth into services and partner ecosystems positions it as both a partner and a comparable competitor.
Emerging players
- Thought Industries: Thought Industries focuses on extended enterprise and customer/partner training LMS, overlapping with Bluewater's Extended Enterprise Service Center product and Journey Maps engagement layer.
- Skilljar: Skilljar delivers customer and partner training LMS solutions, intersecting with Bluewater's extended enterprise segment and Journey Maps use cases. Both target external-audience learning programs.
- Workramp: Workramp is a modern LMS with built-in content authoring and customer/partner training features that overlaps with Bluewater's Journey Maps and extended enterprise offerings, particularly for mid-market accounts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bluewater social profiles
Digital presenceBluewater financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bluewater leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Bluewater subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Bluewater funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bluewater M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bluewater
What does Bluewater do?
Bluewater provides outsourced Learning Management System (LMS) administration, proprietary learning engagement technology (Bluewater Journey Maps), custom learning content development, and strategic consulting for learning and talent management. The company operates client LMS platforms through a team-based managed service model covering User Experience, Content, Administration, Technology, Process, Data, and Reporting, with the ability to go live in less than two weeks and deliver full competency in 60 days.
Is Bluewater a public or private company?
Bluewater is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bluewater founded?
Bluewater was founded in 2003. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Bluewater based?
Bluewater is headquartered in Richardson, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bluewater make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Managed LMS Services are the primary driver. The others are professional Services and Consulting, custom Content Development and add-on Support Services.
Who are Bluewater's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GP Strategies Corporation and NIIT (Managed Training Services). Direct peers are Intrepid Learning Solutions, Cornerstone OnDemand, Docebo, Schoox and Absorb Software. Emerging players are Thought Industries, Skilljar and Workramp.
Does Bluewater have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bluewater.
What industry is Bluewater in?
Bluewater's product category is Learning Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAPAG, Learning Management (LMS) & Talent Development, with a secondary code of EDAFAAAC, Extended Enterprise LMS (Customer/Partner/Franchise Training). Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 7370.