Contact Information: CONTACTS Matthew Maurer Blackboard Inc. (202) 463-4860 ext. 2637 matthew.maurer@blackboard.com
New Blackboard Learn(TM) for Apple(R) iPhone(TM) Application Lets Users Take Learning on the Go
Free Application Lets Users Tap Into Mobile Learning Opportunities
| Source: Blackboard
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - March 26, 2009) - Building on its efforts to engage students
and learners in a more personalized learning experience, Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ : BBBB ) today
announced the release of a free application that lets users of the Apple® iPhone™ and iPod touch® take learning on
the go by accessing course information wherever and whenever they prefer.
With the application, millions of students and learners accustomed to
logging in to their institution's Blackboard® platform every day can now
tap in to mobile learning opportunities by receiving updates and alerts on
grades, assignments, tests and other information from courses as well as
groups and organizations of which they are part on their iPhone or iPod
touch.
"Many students and learners today live in a mobile world, and now they can
learn in one too," said Michael L. Chasen,
president and CEO of Blackboard. "This application is part of our focus to
help students more deeply engage in the educational experience by creating
learning opportunities that are not bound by time or place."
Mobile learning has drawn the attention of administrators and educators as
handheld devices, PDAs and smart phones have become increasingly popular in
educational settings and among young people. The Blackboard Learn™ for Apple iPhone application is
available as a download from the Apple iTunes® App Store and makes mobile
learning a reality by linking course information to devices that are
quickly becoming commonplace in high school hallways, on college campuses
and in the workplace.
The application follows the earlier release of Blackboard's popular
integration for the Facebook®
platform, which enables users to access academic information within the
Facebook interface and opens the door to social learning and networking
opportunities.
Like the integration for the Facebook platform, Blackboard Learn for the
iPhone and iPod touch is open to users at any of the thousands of K-12,
higher education, and professional, corporate and government organizations
that work with Blackboard worldwide, and is central to the Company's effort
to help those institutions better meet the needs of learners and promote
higher achievement through greater engagement.
"The application is great for quickly checking Blackboard on the go, and it
helps me be more engaged and organized even if I'm away from campus," said
Nate Schumacher, a freshman at Grand
Rapids Community College in Michigan who participated in the Beta
program for the application. "With Blackboard on my iPod touch, I'm
checking more often for new grades and updates the same way I check my
email. Because it's so accessible, I can see my progress instantly and get
feedback from professors on how I'm doing, so it helps make me a better
student. This application has great potential. I would definitely recommend
it to other students."
Students and learners can freely download applications for the iPhone and
iPod touch and the Facebook platform, while institutions and organizations
have the ability to provide greater support for the applications, limit
access to certain kinds of information, or block the applications entirely.
In order to protect sensitive information, each student and learner
receives information from only the courses in which he or she is
registered.
For more information about Blackboard, please visit
http://www.blackboard.com.
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-K filed on February 26, 2009
with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this
press release represent the Company's views as of March 26, 2009. 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 March 26, 2009.
iPhone is a trademark and Apple, iPod touch and iTunes are registered
trademarks of Apple Inc.
Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.