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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Blackboard Collaborate

    Score9.8 out of 10
    N/ABlackboard Collaborate is an online, collaborative learning platform well-suited for the education industry and corporate learning needs. It includes features such as screen and application sharing, web conferencing, and integration with Blackboard Learn.

    $300

    per year

    Microsoft Teams

    Score7.7 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Teams combines video conferencing software with team collaboration tools. The communications platform allows MS Office users to conduct conference calls and share files via SharePoint, and join or initiate a group chat.

    $4.80

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Blackboard CollaborateMicrosoft Teams
    Editions & Modules
    Classroom
    $300.00
    per year
    Department
    $9000.00
    per year
    Microsoft Teams Essentials
    $4.80
    per month per user
    Microsoft Teams Enterprise
    $5.25
    per month (paid yearly) per user
    Microsoft Teams Enterprise
    $5.25
    per month per user
    Microsoft 365 Business Basic
    $7.20
    per month per user
    Microsoft 365 Business Standard
    $15
    per month per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Blackboard CollaborateMicrosoft Teams
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—Discounts are available for non profit organizations.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Blackboard CollaborateMicrosoft Teams
    Considered Both Products
    Class Technologies, Inc
    Chose Blackboard Collaborate
    Canvas LMS is a far more superior product, in fact, many schools switched to it from Blackboard while 0 switched from Canvas to BB. The reason is that Canvas is a Cloud-native tool and it is faster at implementing new features, fixing bugs, etc. It has a bigger advantage in the …
    Incentivized
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    86%
    Would buy again
    6 Answers
    89%
    Would buy again
    201 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    180 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    86%
    Happy with the feature set
    6 Answers
    90%
    Happy with the feature set
    202 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    91%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    115 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    92%
    Implementation went as expected
    139 Answers
    Features
    Blackboard CollaborateMicrosoft Teams
    Project Management
    Comparison of Project Management features of Blackboard Collaborate and Microsoft Teams
    Feature
    Blackboard Collaborate
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Teams
    4.2
    192 Ratings
    59% below category average
    Task Management00 Ratings4.9147 Ratings
    Gantt Charts00 Ratings3.276 Ratings
    Scheduling00 Ratings3.9162 Ratings
    Workflow Automation00 Ratings3.8101 Ratings
    Mobile Access00 Ratings5.3184 Ratings
    Search00 Ratings4.2169 Ratings
    Visual planning tools00 Ratings4.1118 Ratings
    Communication
    Comparison of Communication features of Blackboard Collaborate and Microsoft Teams
    Feature
    Blackboard Collaborate
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Teams
    5.8
    201 Ratings
    31% below category average
    Chat00 Ratings5.6200 Ratings
    Notifications00 Ratings5.1199 Ratings
    Discussions00 Ratings5.5187 Ratings
    Surveys00 Ratings4.8112 Ratings
    Internal knowledgebase00 Ratings4.1122 Ratings
    Integrates with GoToMeeting00 Ratings6.547 Ratings
    Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts00 Ratings5.743 Ratings
    Integrates with Outlook00 Ratings9.1156 Ratings
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Blackboard Collaborate and Microsoft Teams
    Feature
    Blackboard Collaborate
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Teams
    4.8
    186 Ratings
    48% below category average
    Versioning00 Ratings4.8130 Ratings
    Video files00 Ratings4.2158 Ratings
    Audio files00 Ratings4.8160 Ratings
    Document collaboration00 Ratings5.7173 Ratings
    Access control00 Ratings5.1156 Ratings
    Advanced security features00 Ratings3.7117 Ratings
    Integrates with Google Drive00 Ratings5.353 Ratings
    Device sync00 Ratings4.5132 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Blackboard CollaborateMicrosoft Teams
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    Flock
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft Viva Engage
    Score7.9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    Google Keep
    Score9.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Blackboard CollaborateMicrosoft Teams
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.5
    (31 ratings)
    5.5
    (278 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    3.7
    (9 ratings)
    Usability
    8.5
    (8 ratings)
    5.3
    (62 ratings)
    Availability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.9
    (6 ratings)
    8.3
    (113 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.3
    (7 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (7 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Blackboard CollaborateMicrosoft Teams
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Class Technologies, Inc
    I would say it is very useful for group collaborations online, as well as virtual classrooms where you wish your students/guests to collaborate in an adaptable environment; however I would advise against using the shared screen to display audio or video, nor would I encourage the use of the shared board with a group of people with disciplinary issues (as there is no accountability for who wrote/drew what).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Positive: The virtual workspace created for a work team within the same company, for the resemblance of information and communications in one place.Negative: The access for members of a non-profit organization who have external emails from the host but need the same access as an internal person since their volunteer work is part of the very core of the federation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Class Technologies, Inc
    • The Whiteboard feature is perfect for tutoring. We use it to write out formulas, draw diagrams, etc while in video chat to enhance explanations.
    • The file attachment feature is also very handy. This means we don't have to do a follow-up with a student using their email to send files of handouts, etc.
    • It's great that we only have to share a classroom access link for a student to enter a session. With other products, they had to set up a username and log-in with an account. Link access means 1 less hassle.
    • We are currently beginning to use the "record session" feature video sessions to use as training for new employees.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Virtual meetings - ease of set up and execution
    • File sharing! We build channels for projects, and being able to invite only project members is huge!
    • Peer-to-peer communications - being able to "ping" one of my colleagues, either text, video or call-only, on-demand, is what runs our business.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Class Technologies, Inc
    • Some of the newest computer high resolution screens are not as compatible with the interface. The font and windows are much smaller and the user is not able to increase the size of the windows to make it easier to read/navigate.
    • The audio can sometimes be inconsistent and tune in and out when someone is speaking. This is not every time though and many times the audio is clear.
    • The login process takes a bit longer to get into the program. You have to go through a few step process and loading time to get into the application.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • The feature of notifications in the mobile application could be improved. Sometimes notifications of different teams are not visible and are only visible when the application is opened.
    • It uses lots of computational resources while running and thus, slows down the system sometimes.
    • It allows a few channels per team. The number of channels could be increased for better productivity.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Class Technologies, Inc
    It is a tool that faculty likes to use. It has so much flexibility to allow students to see a class even if they happen to not be available in the classroom.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    Microsoft Teams is included with our Office 365 subscription and we have no intention of migrating off of Office 365 and Microsoft products. Since Microsoft Teams is included for free with our Office 365 subscription, and since we enjoy all the features, benefits, and functionality, there is no question that our team will continue to use the product
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Class Technologies, Inc
    Blackboard Collaborate is reliable and feature-rich. It's a great web conferencing tool for teaching & learning, offering polls, chat, video and audio, whiteboard, content sharing, and breakout rooms. Blackboard Collaborate can be used for virtual office hours, lectures, guest speakers, training, professional development, conferences, technical support, academic advising, and so much more. Blackboard Collaborate can be used separately from the learning management system or it can be integrated for a single sign-on experience. It supports recordings, playbacks, private sharing, and MP4 downloads. Overall, it's a solid tool and very reliable.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    User experience has been much better than the previous Skype for Business app. It has an easy-to-use interface with persistent chats. The search feature is very fast and useful. MS Teams has mostly focused on Collaboration and team building features which are very useful for organizational communications. Since Teams is accessible from multiple platforms like Laptop, Desktop, Mobile phones, etc it has been very convenient from a Mobility perspective.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Class Technologies, Inc
    The availability of the software is quite impressive. You can access it at any time that you want and from anywhere that you want, but that depends on how the software is set up by the University. There might be sudden outages due to not having enough space on your database, which we had that very issue happen recently here at our University. During that time, you could not access their blackboard at all until it was brought up online again.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    Rare, but outages do happen
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    Performance
    Class Technologies, Inc
    The performance of the software is remarkable. The loading speed of the pages is more than satisfying, it all depends on the users internet package. So far, there wasn't any issue of Blackboard slowing down other software or systems when integrated with them
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    Sometimes about once a week I get a message that says "Sorry, there seems to be something wrong". But it goes away in a few minutes.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Class Technologies, Inc
    Sometimes they do planned maintenance. Depending on the time zone you’re in, this may be in the middle of the night. That’s great. Sometimes this maintenance isn’t completed overnight however, and you need to use the platform and it is down. I’ve never been able to successfully contact them to report an outage or get assistance when it is down. I just have to wait until it comes back up to go to class, review sessions, etc.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    Using Microsoft Teams has resulted in much faster business communications with both co-workers and consultants. There has been little need for support with this software as the interface is very intuitive and the product is overall very well designed. We did encounter an issue with the built-in phone service, however, this was quickly resolved by the support team.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Class Technologies, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    I find everything I need for my day-to-day work.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Class Technologies, Inc
    Nearpod does not allow for the same type of synchronous environment that Blackboard collaborate does. Further, Nearpod, as the name suggests is best suited for a face-to-face classroom that is, preferably, one-to-one. While it has some of the same functions as Nearpod, Blackboard collaborate is best suited for remote transmission rather than face-to-face
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    Our company and IT department previously used Skype for our communication needs. Skype was not dependable in my opinion, because it seems each time I used it during a call and/or a meeting, I and several other team members would get disconnected more than once. This caused a great interruption of our meeting, caused team members to have to ask others to repeat themselves and caused a general lack of interest in employee attendance during meetings.
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    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Class Technologies, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    Honestly, this tool is worth every penny. Yes, it's not free and you pay for the quality of services and the license. But the ROI and the benefits are all there. Also, the renewal, negotiation, and contract terms are all very well explained by our Microsoft account manager, and she's a charm.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Class Technologies, Inc
    The reason for this rating is that the software is a pretty good tool that can be utilized for use in all of the Universities around the world. It has the capability to fulfill the needs of various different education systems. Although, there are slight improvements that are needed, therefore the rating is at 8.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    It does not appear to have a limit to how many teams and employees we can have using it
    Incentivized
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    Professional Services
    Class Technologies, Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    I used Skype for Business to take calls, hold conferences, and provide remote assistance to users. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is superior to Skype for Business in my opinion. My job entails a lot of screen sharing.
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Class Technologies, Inc
    • Because faculty can schedule sessions on-the-fly without IT involvement, they are able to accomplish goals that they plan for weeks in advance as well as impromptu goals that come up at a moments notice.
    • Integration with the campus Learning Management Systems provides quick and easy scheduling of sessions that can be joined easily by students in those courses.
    • Scheduling of meetings can also be done through the web interface directly which enables administrative departments not associated with courses in the learning management system to also schedule meetings not affiliated with courses.
    • On-campus users can schedule meetings without outside participants by sending an open "guest link" URL that allows users to participate despite not having an account within the system iteself.
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • I'm not sure I can point to a specific ROI, but it has improved our ability to communicate and work more effectively together.
    • It's also nice to have records of every interaction, photo, and document that has been shared. Less chance of something completely disappearing.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots