Blackboard and Grupo Positivo Partner to Strengthen e-Learning in Brazil

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard, a global leader in technology solutions for the education industry, and Positivo Informatica (IT), Universidade Positivo (University) and Editora Positivo (Publisher) today announced a strategic partnership to offer Blackboard's teaching and learning solution to thousands of Brazilian students.

"With more than seven million students in higher education and projections to double over the next few years, Brazil is one of the most dynamic countries in the world for education," said Matthew Small, managing director and senior vice president, international at Blackboard. "We are very excited about this agreement. Not only will it extend our reach and elevate our brand in Brazil, but we will be able to work with Grupo Positivo on the shared mission of taking an innovative approach to how education is delivered."

"Seventy two percent of the world's top universities use Blackboard solutions," said Lucas Guimaraes, vice president of Grupo Positivo. "This is one of the reasons why we chose to partner with them, along with the certainty of bringing cutting edge technology to our students."

With this agreement, Positivo University will adopt Blackboard's platform for its students and teachers. In addition, nearly 40 higher education institutions using Portal Universitario - one of the education portals created by Positivo Informatica - will have the option to transition onto Blackboard's online solution and start to enjoy the new features.

Used by millions of students in over 70 countries, Blackboard solutions extend far beyond a traditional learning management system (LMS) to include virtual classes and mobile access to course content so students can create and view important information from their personal devices.

In Brazil, Blackboard is distributed exclusively by Grupo A, an educational holding company that has been working for more than 40 years in the Brazilian market. Blackboard's platform for distance learning will also innovate teacher training programs offered by Editora Positivo and Positivo Informatica.

For more information about Blackboard, click here or follow @Blackboard on Twitter. For more information about the Positivo Group and its units, click here.

About Blackboard

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, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

About Positivo Informatica

Positivo Informatica (BM & FBOVESPA: POSI3) is Brazil's largest computer manufacturer, and has a prominent presence in Argentina.Employs around 4500 employees at its plants in Brazil, located in Curitiba (PR), Manaus (AM) and Ilheus (BA), and Argentina, in Tierra del Fuego and Buenos Aires. In its portfolio of products desktops, notebooks, tablets, smartphones and mobile phones. Presence in more than 10 000 points of sale in Brazil and Argentina in 2000, in addition to about 7000 registered dealers throughout Brazil. More information available on http://www.positivoinformatica.com.br/ri .

About Division of Educational Technology Positivo Informatica

Founded twenty years ago, the Division of Educational Technology Positivo Informatica offers solutions that enrich the teaching-learning process and transform the classroom into a stimulating and challenging environment for students. Are portals, educational tables, platforms, applications and digital content, equipment for schools, students and teachers and training and educational programs present monitoring in approximately 14,000 schools across Brazil and in over 40 countries.

About Editora Positivo 

Founded in 1979, Editora Positivo specializes in educational segment and develops textbooks, children's and youth literature, dictionaries and educational systems, with emphasis on Aurelius, the most important dictionary of the Portuguese language. Editora Positivo is present in thousands of private and public schools in Brazil and Japan with the Positivo Education System and Education System Learning Brazil. In production base has a its own research center in which hundreds of experts from different fields of knowledge, providing support and intellectual support to the development of new works and products.

About Positivo University

Positivo University was born of the experience of four decades of Positivo Group. The institution originated in 1988 with the Positivo College, that ten years later, was transformed at the Positivo University Center (UnicenP). In 2008, it was authorized by the Ministry of Education to be transformed into University. Currently, occupies an area of 424.8 thousand square meters and offers 56 Undergraduate courses (29 courses and Bachelor Degree Courses and 27 Superior Technology), three Doctoral programs, four masters programs, hundreds of programs and MBA Specialization and dozens of Extension programs. In 2013, also started to operate in Distance Education segment, with Positivo Online University, through which offers courses Undergraduate, Graduate and Extension in dozens of centers across the country.

About Grupo A Educacao

Grupo A Educacao, a Brazilian holding company with 40 years of experience in the educational market, brings together a diverse business portfolio. Integrating solutions in content, technology and services, Grupo A has consolidated publishing brands - Artmed, Bookman, Penso e Artes Medicas - and partnerships with leading companies in their industries, such as Blackboard, Kaltura and McGraw-Hill Education.

SOURCE Blackboard Inc.