Skillsoft, the giant e-learning courses and services business, looks set to be bought. The company, with a turnover c£200 million, is currently courting a $1.1 billion offer.

Clearly the prospective buyer, a new company formed from a group of three private equity firms who are raising over half the cost from the banks, clearly see the future of e-learning in the upcoming years as very rosy indeed. And rightly so: Skillsoft posted higher than expected figures for Q3, and other reports are suggesting that the e-learning sector is in for a boom. (Although this growth in the e-learning sector has been reported practically every year since the late nineties, the global economy this time round, together with the maturing nature of e-learning make this a real prospect.)

The deal has yet to be done… so others may well consider making a move if they believe an acquisition of this type strengthens them and fits their strategy.

Update: Josh Bersin has posted an article on the Skillsoft acquistion with some interesting thoughts that’s certainly worth a read.