Replacement for Oracle UPK

Support for Oracle’s User Productivity Kit (UPK) ended in December 2022. Although there is no set date at which point organisations will have to stop using the tool, organisations are understandably concerned about the risks of continuing to use this unsupported software. Oracle has not issued any updates for Browsers or Operating Systems and UPK hasn’t had any meaningful enhancements since 2014. This places a burden on IT teams, in terms of both security and updates to software on which UPK is dependent. For example, internet browser updates are likely to be a deciding factor outside of an IT team’s control. As other software continues to be developed and updated, UPK may become incompatible, leaving users unable to access the existing content.

The biggest factors impacting the decision on UPK replacement is whether content authors can continue to develop and maintain their existing UPK content - and that users across the organisation can still access it.

Prior to choosing your Oracle UPK replacement software, and to help you make an informed decision, we recommend that you download and read our UPK Content Migration Guide.

Oracle UPK Alternatives

If you have been using UPK to develop your eLearning for some time, you may be concerned about the existing resource and learning content you’ve already invested. If it has been kept up to date, it’s a valuable asset, and you won’t want to lose this when you replace UPK with an alternative software. The good news is that you don’t have to write off your UPK content. There are alternative options for the conversion of your UPK content, and Larmer Brown can provide Oracle UPK alternative tools and support in implementing them.

Once your UPK content is migrated, both tools enable you to continue to update and maintain your content as well as create new learning content for all your IT applications. We discuss both of these replacements to Oracle UPK in more depth below.

Opus Digital Adoption Platform

The Opus digital adoption platform is a cloud-based platform that in many respects is a newer and slicker update of UPK. Like UPK, Opus provides user support content throughout the entire lifecycle of an IT Project – from initial project planning through to onboarding new users, supporting existing users, as well as any future changes and system upgrades. The Opus Recorder collates process steps recorded in an application and automatically generates editable assets, including Job Aids, Demo and Interactive Simulations, User Acceptance Test Scripts and Self-Assessments, as well as in-application Performance Support.

Opus UPK Content Conversion

The Opus digital adoption platform features a robust yet simplistic UPK converter that recognises the complexities of UPK. This software was developed by an experienced team who also developed UPK, resulting in unrivalled understanding and technical alignment. In summary:

  • Opus converts all steps, messages and frames, ensuring existing UPK content is fully converted and productive quickly.
  • The converted files become Opus files and are fully editable, so content developers can modify and update as needed.
  • Editing is fast and easy with Opus' powerful drag-and-drop editor.
  • Existing UPK ODARC files can be loaded and converted in bulk, or individually.

As Opus was designed and built with enterprise-level applications in mind, it will support an organisation's ongoing digital adoption strategy, no matter what the application, including Oracle, SAP, Workday, ServiceNow and Microsoft.

Key Features of Opus

  • Managed Hosting
  • Annual subscription including all upgrades, fixes and support
  • Licence Model – Named Author and End User Licences
  • Different simulation modes, aligning with those in UPK
  • Downloadable documentation
  • UPK Content Converter
  • Real time collaboration and review to improve content creation and management, and accelerate projects
  • Courses created can be uploaded into your LMS for additional tracking and reporting (SCORM and xAPI)

dominKnow Capture

Capture is the software simulation mode within the dominKnow | ONE platform. It is easy to record the steps to carry out a software task, edit the captured steps and publish the lesson straight to dominKnow’s other content authoring modes - Flow or Claro. Once in dominKnow | ONE, a simple one-click action from the author tells the lesson how the Capture should behave. The simulations are responsive and the recorded Capture steps can be edited and audio added. The completed Capture recording can simply be dragged and dropped onto the content page and set to behave as an interactive step-by-step video or a list of guided steps.

Whilst Capture doesn’t currently offer a UPK content converter, the dominKnow Product Development team is developing this facility and it is on the roadmap for a future release.

An example of the dominKnow Capture software shown on a silver desktop computer screen

dominKnow UPK Conversion Utility

Content in UPK can quickly and easily be migrated to dominKnow | ONE via the UPK conversion utility. This is a service provided by Larmer Brown at no additional cost. Once content is converted it’s uploaded into the client content library in dominKnow | ONE for ongoing maintenance.

Converted content provides an equivalent to UPK simulations - known as Show Me, Guide Me, Try Me and Test Me, as well as published document outputs including Job Aids and Training Guides. dominKnow | ONE also offers a searchable knowledge base (a bit like an internet search engine) for on-the-job performance support.

UPK converted content will also see added benefits from dominKnow | ONE, including responsive content (automatically resizing for any device), the inclusion of xAPI statements (either generic or customised) as well as SCORM for tracking and reporting in either an LMS or LRS.

Key Features of dominKnow Capture

  • Managed Hosting - High security UK Cloud, managed by the Larmer Brown Technical Team
  • Annual subscription including all upgrades, fixes and support
  • Licence Model – Named Author Licence only
  • Different simulation modes, aligning with those in UPK
  • Downloadable documentation
  • UPK Conversion Utility
  • Real time collaboration and review to improve content creation and management, and accelerate projects
  • Courses created can be uploaded into your LMS for additional tracking and reporting (SCORM and xAPI)

UPK and Larmer Brown

Larmer Brown has over 30 years UPK technical and development experience and appreciate how much the tool has to offer, and how difficult it could be to replace it within your organisation. Having undertaken extensive investigations into finding a suitable replacement for UPK, we can offer you advice on how best to manage UPK end of life and your migration to an alternative tool. We can help you choose the right UPK Migration Solution for you, ensuring a fast, simple and cost-effective way to convert your existing UPK content.

If you require development services, we can provide a fixed price proposal upon request. We also offer Consultancy, Technical, Training and Support Services designed to ensure your Authors can confidently utilise your chosen UPK replacement tool.