Navigate 2.1.3 Commercial versus Open Virtual Classrooms Quest

Commercial products are most commonly used by schools.  These products are licensed to the school and can't be used outside the school or system that paid for it.  One major concern I have about these products is that students would be required to have purchased these programs as well in order to communicate and submit assignments.  Products such as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, etc. all require a license purchase.  Adobe .pdf files allow teachers and students to exchange files between each other without and money paid to purchase a license. When considering the financial requirement of some of these products, it makes them seem very limiting.