This software platform can be purchased and programmed yourself, or you can purchase a subscription to
a vendor supported option that is ready to use.
While
a vendor supported option may appear more expensive at first glance, the amount of resources required to program and maintain an open source LMS are very high.
Not exact matches
Community forums and
vendor tech
support are two other
support options to consider.
Unfortunately, between
vendor lock - in, proprietary file formats, no
support for standards, and limited export
options, a lot of Learning and Talent Development platforms lack in the import / export area.
One of their most defining characteristics is the
support for encrypted EPUB and PDF ebooks, which allows consumers the
option to purchase ebooks from a variety of
vendors.
However, distributors don't always
support all of the
options that you could get if you dealt with
vendors individually, so you may give up some control and flexibility.
Both standards are garnering
support from
vendors; in fact, some
vendors are offering both
options in the same equipment so that users can use whatever standard is in place in their office.