Learning Management Systems 1 Types of LMS Deployment & Common Features Daisyane Barreto, Amy Rottmann, & Salena Rabidoux In cooking, you have many different types of tools you can use to make a meal. For example, you have mixers, measuring cups, cutting boards, and so many other tools. Each tool is designed to meet the needs of the cooker and serve a specific purpose in the cooking process. An LMS is not different in that sense. There are several types of LMSs in the market being used for educational as well as training purposes, and one of the most difficult choices for organizations and institutions to make is deciding the type of LMS to select based on deployment or license (Pappas, 2014). Of course, many other factors (e.g., pricing, support, additional features, and others) must be considered and weighed in this decision. Still, the cost combined with financial and technical requirements are still the main focus when selecting an LMS (Croitoru & Dinu, 2016). Indeed, it is important to analyze and examine the type of LMS deployment because of its influence in the overall cost as well as other relevant requirements that can inform the decision about an LMS. There are two main types of LMS deployment you need to be familiar with: (1) proprietary, and (2) open-source. Within those two solutions, there are two other distinct categories to be considered: (a) Software as a Service (SaaS) or cloud-based system and (b) Installed LMS. In order to determine what type of LMS is beneficial to an organization or institution, a clear understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each solution must be reviewed. The following sections of this chapter will provide a definition for each main type of LMS deployment, compare their features based on the benefits and drawbacks, and discuss additional components/apps that can enhance an LMS. Defining Proprietary (or Commercial) LMS Imagine that you came up with an amazing recipe on your own, now you are faced with the dilemma: do I share this recipe with everyone? Or do I charge a fee to share my recipe partially with others? Well, if you choose the latter option, you follow a proprietary software model. In a proprietary software model, the "recipe," which is the source code, is composed of written commands developed by a programmer, and is often hidden from user’s view not only as a technical, but also as a legal matter (Zittrain, 2004). The reason for this secrecy on the source code is to prevent others from developing new software without the proper permission from the copyright holders. In the case of an LMS, a solution is considered proprietary, also known as commercial, when its software is licensed under an exclusive legal right of the copyright holder (Pillai & Kevin, 2013). For example, if your organization has adopted an LMS such as Blackboard, which is a popular commercial LMS at the time this chapter has been written, then its company gives your organization the right to use the software under certain conditions based on a license fee. The conditions are stipulated by the LMS company in the form of a contract or agreement between the parties involved and the cost of the licensing fee is often based on annual per-user licenses. The license fees usually