Blackboard Updates Mobile Learning App With New Innovations, Capabilities

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) today announced new innovation and expanded access to its mobile learning application, Blackboard Mobile™ Learn, with an updated release that brings new features and capabilities to one of the industry's most widely adopted mobile apps, now in use at more than 500 institutions worldwide.

Released just six months after the initial launch, Blackboard Mobile Learn 2.0 enables students and faculty for the first time to create and upload content to their courses – including videos, photos and other non-media files – rather than just consuming content. The release also offers a redesigned user interface to support threaded discussions and the ability for students to mark courses as "favorites" so they can more easily manage, search and filter the courses they access most frequently.

In addition to the new capabilities, Blackboard also announced expanded access to the first version of Blackboard Mobile Learn, which is now available to institutions using selected versions of the ANGEL and WebCT platforms.

"With our focus on rapid development and innovation, we're committed to being a leader in mobile learning and education," said Kayvon Beykpour, Vice President of Blackboard Mobile. "We're making big investments to continue innovating our mobile learning tools. We're excited to see how instructors and students will use our content-creation tools to interact with their courses from their mobile devices in new and interesting ways."

Developed by Blackboard's dedicated mobile team, Blackboard Mobile Learn brings two-way teaching and learning to mobile devices and gives students full access to their course information directly from their smartphones. With elegant, intuitive applications designed specifically for each mobile platform, students can check grades and assignments, view documents, create threaded discussion posts and comment on blogs and journals, upload content and view documents, view course rosters and more. Instructors can also post announcements.

Blackboard Mobile Learn is currently available in native applications for Android™ and BlackBerry® smartphones as well as the Apple® iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®. After being enabled by their institution, students and faculty can download the apps for free in app stores.

Schools can deploy Blackboard Mobile Learn through an annual license that supports all device platforms. Higher education and professional institutions in the United States can also leverage a no cost option, made possible through a special partnership with Sprint (NYSE: S), which supports Android and BlackBerry smartphones on the Now Network™, as well as iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod touch® devices over a Wi-Fi connection.

With today's announcement, the first version of Blackboard Mobile Learn is now available to institutions using ANGEL Learning Edition 7.4 and WebCT CE Enterprise/CE Enterprise Limited and Vista 8.

For more information about Blackboard Mobile Learn, please visit:

http://www.blackboard.com/Mobile/Mobile-Learn.aspx

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

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 November 5, 2010 with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of January 19, 2011. 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 January 19, 2011.

Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

Apple, iPhone and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.

SOURCE Blackboard Inc.