Commercial vs. Open Virtual Classroom

Consider for a moment the role of synchronous learning in the virtual classroom and the exploration of various synchronous applications. When would an open source application take precedence over a commercial product? Using these quests as a point of reference, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the open source versus commercial software in relation to synchronous learning in your blog.

There are a number of applications available for synchronous learning - some are commercial and some are open source.  I have little experience using any of these, but having read about a number of commercial platforms and read and used one open source platform, I will make a few comments about their strengths and weaknesses.

Commercial software may offer better features.  However, many of the commercial synchronous communication applications I read about offered recording tools.  Google Hangouts, the open source app that I used does not.  Commercial apps may also offer more security.  However, I think the biggest pro for commercial synchronous learning software would be customer support.

Open source apps for synchronous communication are free.  They may offer less features, but many of these features can be made up for with other open source tools.  For example, I recorded my open source Google Hangout with another open source program, Techsmith Snagit.  I do worry about security with some open source though. Snagit tried to get access to everything on my computer almost.  This is sometimes especially true if you run the quick install instead of a custom install.  While there is no professional support for these products, weblinks and youtube videos abound for Hangouts and other open source programs.  If someone is moderately tech savvy and willing to work a little to learn the applications out there, open source communication tools can be just as good as commercial.