Grovo Launches Training Videos On Web Tools, ServicesGrovo Launches Training Videos On Web Tools, Services

Grovo Learning on Thursday announced a video-based training site that teaches people and companies how best to use web-based tools and services and cloud-based environments. Included in Grovo.com are social media, e-commerce and business productivity sites, the company said.

Current topics on the site include GoogleDocs, GoDaddy, DropBox, Twitter, Gmail, security, Facebook, YouTube, Yelp, PayPal, and Mint. Grovo organizes topics into "packages," such as Small Business Jumpstart, Social Media, Internet Basics, Online Finance, and Shopping and eCommerce. The courses are typically 15 to 20 minutes per subject, divided into two-minute video lessons.

Grovo offers free lessons for users of all skill levels: from beginners who want the basics, such as searches and security, to savvy users looking to learn advanced features on Facebook, GoDaddy, Mint and Quora, among others. Lessons are displayed in Grovo's online learning platform, which "allows users to easily take notes, bookmark lessons, share information with friends and track their progress," the company said.

There's no shortage of free and paid online video tutorials, from technology vendors like Microsoft and video training companies like Lynda.com, CBTClips, and Train Signal. For example, here's a look at free and for-fee video training for Windows 7. Likewise, YouTube and other video sites are full of "how to" videos.

Grovo Learning writes, creates and produces all of its videos -- more than 300 of the two-minute lessons so far. The videos tend to be annotated, narrated screen sessions, with brief labeling slides at the beginning and the end.

One beta user, John R. Sedivy, president and CEO of consumer products company Analytica, who took Grovo courses Yelp, MeetUp and Amazon, said, "I have enjoyed using Grovo. I'm already a fairly knowledgeable Internet user, and was pleasantly surprised to find information in the courses that I hadn't known." He said that he sees Grovo as a good way to ensure that employees and business partners are up to speed on topics.

Currently, all Grovo content is available free. "You get five free lessons when you sign up, five more when you invite someone, and 10 more when somebody you invite signs up," explained CEO Jeff Fernandez. By the end of the year, according to Fernandez, Grovo plans to add other user options, including paid access as an alternative to the invite/accept freebies, premium paid content, and a training platform that lets businesses buy and track employee access.