Cash and Stock Acquisition Brings Hundreds of IT-Centric Courses to Pluralsight’s Online Content Library 

TrainSignal Founder and CEO Scott Skinger to Lead Pluralsight’s IT Division in Executive Role 

Acquisitions of TrainSignal and Open-Source Resource PeepCode Make Pluralsight a One-Stop Shop for CTOs and CIOs 

SALT LAKE CITY – Developer training platform Pluralsight announced today that it has acquired Chicago-based TrainSignal, the leading online training resource for serious IT professionals. The $23.6 million acquisition comes two weeks after the company purchased Seattle- based PeepCode, a similar service for open-source programmers. With the additions, Pluralsight has become a hub for software developers and IT professionals — two fields that have increasingly coalesced with the rise of cloud-based technology — and a one-stop shop for CTOs and CIOs looking for professional, high-quality, online training. 

Similar to Pluralsight, TrainSignal provides hundreds of online video courses for individual and enterprise users, including Allstate Insurance, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Dell, Disney and Paychex. Its award-winning training spans IT technologies such as VMware, Cisco, Citrix, CompTIA and Microsoft. 

“With this acquisition, Pluralsight has cemented its position as the industry leader in online training for serious software developers and IT pros,” said Aaron Skonnard, CEO of Pluralsight. “The Pluralsight library now covers the entire training spectrum, providing a rich learning environment for individuals, academic institutions and small, medium and large enterprises. Pluralsight has become the ultimate one-stop shop for software developers, IT pros, and every professional under the CTO and CIO umbrella.” 

Over the next few months, the TrainSignal course catalog, along with that of PeepCode, will be incorporated into the Pluralsight network, which had previously revolved around software development. The Pluralsight library will expand from 500 courses to more than 1,000, also effectively doubling its market size. Moreover, TrainSignal's founder and CEO, Scott Skinger, and product development director Gary Eimerman will join Pluralsight in executive roles overseeing the newly created IT division. And, as with PeepCode, TrainSignal's network of instructors (about 65) are expected to join more than 150 other expert authors to continue growing Pluralsight's leading-edge knowledge base. 

Pluralsight, TrainSignal and PeepCode all operate on a premium content model. Users from all three, not to mention the entire developer community, will benefit from the consolidation of their respective catalogs within the Pluralsight platform with no price increase. 

“I have long admired the caliber of service Pluralsight provides for serious software developers, and I’m thrilled to join forces to create the premier training resource for Web and IT professionals,” Skinger said. “This acquisition is a perfect marriage that greatly enriches the experience for both of our communities by providing the best practical training available, all in one place. I look forward to steering the future of IT strategy at Pluralsight to continue creating exceptional content beyond the classroom.” 

Pluralsight's broad array of disciplines will be invaluable for Web developers who may be expected to have a working knowledge of IT topics like networking, security, and cloud computing technologies (or the other way around, in the case of IT pros). CIOs and CTOs increasingly need employees who can adapt their skillsets through professional development, which, in many instances, is becoming a more compelling credential than traditional academic backgrounds. 

Prior to acquiring TrainSignal, Pluralsight had amassed nearly 300,000 individual users and 3,000 corporate accounts across 100 different countries. TrainSignal brings in an additional 100,000 individual users and 1,500 corporate memberships. In January 2013, the company received $27.5 million in funding from Insight Venture Partners. Now, half a year later, the investment has yielded these acquisitions, which instantly elevate Pluralsight's already steep trajectory.