This guidebook is for managers and trainers in Small and Medium Enterprises who are interested in the possibilities of e-learning. It may also be of interest to researchers, and e-learning developers and providers working with Small and Medium Enterprises, larger companies or in the education and training sector.

The handbook is intended as a practical guide. That is not to pretend that it answers all the questions. There are many choices to be made about e-learning, some will be dependent on the many different contexts in which Small and Medium Enterprises operate, some are related to ambition and finance and others come down to making an informed choice from the many different possibilities. Neither am I trying to persuade readers of the value of e-learning. I think e-learning has great potential but there are still many problems to be solved.

There are already many hard copy and web based guides to e-learning, and a number of them are focused on Small and Medium Enterprises. What makes this one different? Throughout the guidebook I have been at pains to focus on learning, rather than technology. Technology should be used to support learning, rather than learners adapting to technology. My starting point is to look at what learning and training needs may exist in Small and Medium Enterprises and then to ask how (and if) e-learning can be used to meet those needs.

Although much of the guidebook looks at e-learning courses and programmes - formal learning - I also point out the importance of informal or non-formal learning, especially n the workplace. I suspect that in the longer term the main use of Information and Communication technologies for learning will be to support the development of knowledge and skills though informal and non-formal learning.

The handbook is designed for use throughout Europe. Inevitably this leads to some generalisations, because legislation and incentives for learning and training vary in different European countries. However given the diversity of activities and organisation in SMEs some degree of generalisation would be inevitable, even if the handbook was based on one countries legislation.

This handbook has been produced as part of the European Commission Framework 5 'e-Compete' project. It also draws on research undertaken as part of the European Commission Leonardo da Vinci project, 'The use of ICT for Learning in Small and Medium Enterprises.'

The handbook is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. This means it is freely available for reproduction and for re-editing for non commercial use, as long as the source is acknowledged. I hope that different organisations may find parts of it helpful in their own advice and support for SMEs and will welcome them 'repurposing' it in this context.