Capella University Extends Partnership With Blackboard
Broader Set of Blackboard Solutions Selected to Address Key OpportunitiesWASHINGTON, DC, Jun 03, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), a leading provider of enterprise
learning technology, today announced a five-year extension of its
partnership with Capella University, an accredited, online university
that focuses on master's and Ph.D. degrees.
Capella, one of Blackboard's largest fully online partners, will
continue to use the Blackboard Learning System - Vista Enterprise
License(TM) (formerly WebCT Vista(TM)) and has extended its
partnership with Blackboard to include the Blackboard Community
System(TM) and Blackboard Portfolio System(TM). Together, the systems
create a more powerful and seamless solution for improving student
engagement and achievement, enhancing teaching and learning, and
addressing a wide variety of academic and institutional needs.
"Capella relies on Blackboard for stable, scalable solutions that
will grow with us as we work to adapt to the ever-changing needs of
traditional and non-traditional students worldwide," said Scott
Henkel, Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Information
Officer at Capella. "We are pleased to partner with Blackboard to
address key opportunities for today as well as tomorrow."
Based in Minneapolis, Minn., Capella is one of the nation's largest
fully online institutions, with more than 23,000 students and 1,000
faculty members from all 50 states and 45 countries. Capella offers
nearly 120 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate specializations
and programs and roughly 1,000 different courses -- several of which
have earned some of the industry's top honors and awards in the last
two years.
"We are pleased to extend and enhance our partnership with Capella
University, one of the most innovative institutions in higher
learning and proprietary education," said Tim Hill, president of
Blackboard Professional Education. "Capella has been a true leader in
leveraging technology to make high-quality education more accessible
and affordable for a growing number of global citizens. We look
forward to supporting Capella's continued success through a more
robust set of solutions that will make a real difference for
instructors, learners and administrators."
By adding the Blackboard Community System and Blackboard Portfolio
System, Capella will address key institutional priorities and provide
new online services and experiences for its students, faculty and
alumni.
For example, Capella will use Blackboard Portfolio System to support
its work to achieve greater accountability by collecting and releasing
data on student achievement and outcomes that can be used to drive
improvements for students, programs and departments. These efforts
are central to Transparency by Design, an initiative led by Capella
and a group of other colleges and universities that focus on serving
working adults at a distance that is intended to address the mounting
demand for greater accountability in higher education.
"We look forward to partnering with Blackboard to take a leadership
position in this area that will pay dividends not just for our
students but the broader postsecondary community," said Kim Pearce,
Capella's Director of Assessment and Institutional Research.
For more information on Blackboard's private education solutions,
please visit http://www.blackboard.com/private_education.
Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) is a leading provider of enterprise
software applications and related services to the education industry.
Founded in 1997, Blackboard enables educational innovations
everywhere by connecting people and technology. Millions of people
use Blackboard solutions everyday at academic institutions around the
globe, including colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other
education providers, as well as textbook publishers and
student-focused merchants that serve education providers and their
students. Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with
offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
Blackboard
Educate. Innovate. Everywhere.(TM)
Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans
and prospects for Blackboard and other statements containing the words
"believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar
expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning
of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual
results may differ materially from those indicated by such
forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors,
including the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our
Form 10-Q filed on May 9, 2008 with the SEC. In addition, the
forward-looking statements included in this press release represent
the Company's views as of June 3, 2008. The Company anticipates that
subsequent events and developments will cause the Company's views to
change. However, while the Company may elect to update these
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company
specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking
statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's
views as of any date subsequent to June 3, 2008.
CONTACTS
Matthew Maurer
Blackboard Inc.
(202) 463-4860 ext. 2637
matthew.maurer@blackboard.com
Amy Storey
Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
(202) 828-8819
storeya@fleishman.com
SOURCE: Blackboard Inc.