Summary+table+of+pro+&+cons+of+the+major+providers

(Sims Learning Gateway)
 * Some summary observations:**
 * **Product** || **Pros** || **Cons** ||
 * [|SLG]

[|Case Study] || Easy Access to SIMS data Same Layout as SIMS Enables some limited data entry into SIMS Some integration with Exchange data || Limited display options Limited to access only to SIMS data Limited ability for parents/students to manipulate data Quite expensive for a fairly limited scope product Not a VLE, but more of an addon to a VLE If hosted internally requires a SharePoint/WSS Server ||
 * [|Frog]

[|Case Studies] || All-in-one package Seemingly forward thinking and pro-active company Good design skills Very Easy to use AD Integration Social Networking element [|Flexible Parental reporting] Hosted on site Relatively low on-going costs Good Technical Support - UK phone line 8:30-5pm 5 days a week Offers off-site access to software via Secure Gateway Flexible 'frogbrick' concept allows for drag and drop creation of complex pages || Limited online testing/quiz functions No integration with exchange data No display for Maths/Science notation - e.g. Latex etc Weak Forum Tools Doesn't offer full SSO solution Large initial outlay although financing is available to spread this cost ||
 * [|Uniservity]

[|Links to Sites] || Apparently the Leading Learning Platform supplier on BECTA Framework Easy to set up and tailor for school requirements Pedagogical Focussed Ability for schools and users to join a cLc Collaborative Project and collaborate and construct with learners around the world Latest Web 2.0 Social Learning Tools Comprehensive support on/offline and regular User Events Dedicated telephone support from 08.00 - 6pm Mon-Fri Partnership with Capita for MIS integration Relatively low per user costs Primary Icons || Subscription model based on number of users Externally Hosted

No ongoing license costs Good choice for a 'tinkerer' Multiple Authentication Systems - AD/LDAP/POP etc... Excellent supportive online community Highly extensible product that can be made to do almost anything with enough work... Offers SharePoint webparts Option to obtain hosted/maintained solutions MoodleMoot Conference Globally connected Wide variety of Moodle Partners Additional products, e-portfolio / Joomla / Gradebooks Moodle 2.0 repository integrated Fully scalable from one classroom to 100,000 plus || Will need some hosting either internal or external Will need some technical expertise to make the most of it or access to support partner Default theme is very bland but thousands of themes Set up by [|Martin Dougiamas] Some concern about security (why?) Aimed at secondary or older Setup time can be quite significant depending on what you want to achieve Poor SCORM implementation Limited MIS integration at present and only available via a 'hack' to core files - [|CLEO Tool] || Lots of modular options to extend the system Sharepoint Webparts available (at cost) Excellent mobile learning clients || The admin menus are not always clear and obvious No significant options to theme the site If you purchase all the options it is a large annual cost Requires Apple's WebObjects (£500) if not run on an an Apple XServe - [|Hardware Requirements] || and rooms Simple layout Good primary tools Good Forums SIMS integration || External Hosting (overseas) Recently purchased by Pearons, as yet unclear what effect this may have... London Grid For Learning success is mixed. || WSS has a variety of standard templates to fit a business environment including team sites, document workspaces, blogs, wikis, meeting workspaces and blank sites. Microsoft Office Sharepoint Services 2007 (MOSS2007) is the full platform with all functions from WSS but also has a large number of business intelligence tools to allow for different sets of data to be linked together, analysised and re-used. It also has the facility of MySites for a personalised online user space. Similar look and feel to MS Office Integrates well with many 3rd Party products via webparts - e.g. SLG Exchange etc... As it is a commonly used corporate package it is quite easy (if costly) to by in custom coding/support || More of a CMS than a VLE! Requires significant adaptation to use properly as a VLE. Very Corporate feel SharePoint Sites all look/feel the same Not very Student friendly without editing of templates If integrated with other products run the risk of multiple tools (e.g. forums) all doing the same thing Can be expensive depending on schools current MS licensing Sometimes have to buy a pre-built/pre-designed solution in to get what you want. ||
 * NOTE: This entry has been changed by a 'guest' original comments can be seen** [|**here**] ||
 * [|Moodle] || Very flexible and customisable open-source product
 * [|StudyWiz] || Very good tool set - Forums, Wikis, Quizzes, Games, etc
 * [|Fronter] || Interesting design based upon the concepts of corridors
 * [|SharePoint] || Well established portal software in two varieties, WSS v3 and MOSS 2007. Implentation in education usually labelled Microsoft Learning Gateway. Uses the Sharepoint Learning Kit to allow for eLearning actions.
 * [|Blackboard] || Very powerful and established VLE product || Mostly used by universities due to high costs... ||
 * **[|EDU2.0]**

[|Review of EDU2.0] || Hosted fully online for easy access Easy to build content Absolutely free to educational users No email required for student login Blogging facility Courses and content can be locked and released when required Haven't found anything I can't embed, code or attach so far.... Can be managed by whole school, department or by individual course. || Navigation takes a while to get used to. No themes that I have found to brighten it up The promise of continued ad free, charge free service makes me a little uneasy. || Adoption of a number of areas from community led code projects (ie from codeplex) Large scale, centralised system for collaboration between schools in the same cluster / federation / LA depending on how it was purchased. Often linked to the core of LA strategy for personalised learning. || SharePoint Based Seemed complicated to build a multipart page due to the range of webparts available Externally Hosted Significant changes to system-wide templates or addition of web parts has to be checked by the provider to ensure there is no rogue code. Often linked to the core of LA strategy for personalised learning. ||
 * [|LP+] || SharePoint Based so has generically the same tools as most other Sharepoint based systems, but is based on Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007, not WSS so is integrated with Exchange and can be run with Office Communication Server for use of IM or presence management.