Blackboard Acquires MyEdu

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc. today announced the acquisition of MyEdu, a provider of a popular technology platform that helps college students create an academic roadmap tailored to their academic and career goals and build their first "professional profile" to connect to jobs and internship opportunities.

The Austin, Texas-based MyEdu has already helped 1 million students at over 800 schools successfully manage their college experience, share their skills, credentials and capabilities and connect to employment opportunities.

The core product from MyEdu is free to students and simplifies the academic planning and course scheduling experience. Students can manage their course schedule and map out their personal education plan using information on classes and schedules drawn from a database of degrees, courses, schedules and information on professors at over 800 schools. The experience simplifies the complex process of course and degree planning, which is key in helping students achieve their academic goals, especially as more and more take courses at multiple institutions.

As students use MyEdu, they simultaneously build unique profiles with information on their majors, courses, and relevant experiences that showcase their skills and interests. Students can make their profile and data visible to employers working with MyEdu to connect to job opportunities. College recruiters from leading companies have worked with MyEdu to find qualified, interested students for open positions.

"Everyone is looking for ways to help more students obtain degrees more quickly," said Jay Bhatt, CEO of Blackboard. "MyEdu has created user-friendly tools that help students succeed and create a stronger connection between higher education and the workforce. MyEdu is highly complementary to our current solution set and will help us drive more value and a higher quality experience for learners and enable new paths to support student goals. This strengthens the focus we have on learner success, which is a big priority for us going forward."

MyEdu has already successfully implemented partnerships with some of the largest higher education systems in the country, including the University of Texas System, where over 50 percent of students have a MyEdu profile. The company works with institutions to drive higher student adoption rates, better collect and showcase student achievements, and make stronger connections between students and employers. MyEdu has recently expanded its partnership with the University of Louisiana System where it is working in collaboration with state officials on identifying a dynamic talent marketplace for all UL System students and Louisiana employers.

"We need stronger connections between higher education and the workforce and MyEdu has been strengthening those connections in a way that benefits students, institutions and employers," said Michael Crosno, CEO of MyEdu. "We are excited to join the Blackboard family of solutions as the company increases its focus on learner needs and student success. This is directly aligned with the core mission of MyEdu and we are anxious for the opportunity to reach even more students and make an even greater impact."

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About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. 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.

About MyEdu
MyEdu is the leading academic and careers platform helping students complete college and find internships and jobs.  MyEdu's free tools and rich academic data have been used by millions of students to graduate on time while reducing the cost of earning their degree. The MyEdu Student Profile is a credentialing platform that allows students to visually showcase their coursework, skills, talents and experiences. MyEdu for Employers brings students and employers together on a common platform, extending MyEdu's mission to maximize each student's return on education by improving the job placement process. MyEdu is currently used by millions of students at over 800 campuses nationwide and has been endorsed by major higher education institutions. Please visit www.myedu.com to learn more.

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Blackboard represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release. Actual results may differ materially as a result of various important factors. 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 statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.

SOURCE Blackboard