Blackboard Sees Strong Momentum with Enhanced Mass Notification Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard announced today that Blackboard Connect™ 5, the latest release of its leading mass notification service, has reached an important milestone: after just 90 days in the marketplace, the service now serves clients representing more than 1 million community members across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The next generation system has experienced rapid adoption by more than 200 school districts, higher education institutions and local governments around the world for its superior user interface and customizable outreach tools.

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New and previous Blackboard Connect users alike have found that the latest version of the product, which was recently identified as the most widely used notification service in higher education by the 2011 Campus Computing survey, helps them create and send messages faster and ensure that they are more targeted and relevant to specific audiences.

"I have experience with a number of SaaS platforms and have been a Blackboard client for three years, and this was the smoothest transition I've ever encountered," said Jim Hendry, chief information officer at Lester B. Pearson School Board, one of the largest school districts in Quebec, Canada. "We made the change over the weekend, and by Monday we were back at work sending 41 messages to thousands of parents without a hitch. We're excited to leverage new features that will enhance parental involvement in our schools, including the customized messages, smartphone app and message templates."

Lester B. Pearson School Board is among the many Blackboard Connect clients that helped to shape the new platform with key insights and real-world usage scenarios. Client participation in the product development process influenced key features, such as a naturally intuitive, one-page message workflow and the ability to create and send messages from any phone, desktop or laptop computer, iPhone®, iPad® or iPod touch®.

"Our latest release was built to be both easy-to-use and powerful, and we are excited to see its continued adoption across multiple markets," said Ed Miller, president of Blackboard Connect. "Our goal is to work with our clients to deliver the most innovative technology that helps them engage communities on their own terms. That means parents are more involved, students are more engaged, and communities are more connected."

Through Blackboard Connect, users can record, send and track personalized voice notifications to home phones, businesses, local agencies and mobile devices in minutes. The system also sends email, text messages (SMS), posts to Facebook and Twitter and messages to TTY/TDD devices for people who are hearing impaired. In addition, built-in features, such as message scenario templates, automated language translation and real-time delivery reports ensure users receive urgent messages during time-sensitive events and critical situations.

Blackboard Connect has been a trusted leader in mass notification service for more than 10 years. Based on client surveys, the platform has maintained a 95 percent or higher overall client satisfaction rate over the past three years. Most recently, Blackboard Connect was voted one of the "Top 100 in Tech" award-winners by District Administration magazine's K-12 readership.  

Clients that have already made the move to Blackboard Connect 5 include K-12 districts, such as Asheville City Public Schools (N.C.), Baltimore County Public Schools (Md.), Federal Way Public Schools (Wash.), Prince William County Public Schools (Va.) and Lester B. Pearson School Board (Quebec); colleges and universities, such as Alabama A&M University, Baker College System (Mich.), Benedictine University (Ill.); as well as Harford County (Md.) and other local governments.

For more information about Blackboard Connect, visit www.blackboard.com/connect5.

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.

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 Inc.