Blackboard Inc. And Microsoft Agree to Partner on Educational Technologies for Online Learning Environments

Business Wire, Oct 21, 1999

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 1999--

Blackboard Inc., a leading online education company that powers online teaching and learning environments at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the Internet, today announced an agreement with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) that will enhance the delivery of online learning by colleges and universities that use both Microsoft(R) Windows NT(R) and the Blackboard CourseInfo(TM) server software product line. Under the agreement, the companies commit to ensure smooth compatibility between the products as they are upgraded in the future

As part of the two-year agreement, Blackboard will enhance its current Blackboard CourseInfo product line for the Windows server platform. Future versions of Blackboard CourseInfo products will benefit from joint development work centered on Microsoft BackOffice products, such as Microsoft SQL Server and Internet Information Server (IIS), and provide tighter integration of Microsoft Office 2000 suite applications such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

Blackboard is one of the oldest and largest online teaching and learning companies and it has become the de facto standard platform for education delivery. Prestigious colleges, universities and K-12 schools -- in every state and in 60 countries -- have made Blackboard software their online teaching and learning environment. Developed with faculty at Cornell University, its Blackboard CourseInfo product line and Blackboard.comSM Web site power more courses for more users than do the products of any other company in the marketplace.

"Working with educational software developers to develop leading solutions for schools is part of Microsoft's continuing efforts to help create a global "Connected Learning Community" in which students, parents and educators have access to technology and information online to support learning today and for a lifetime," said Joe Powell, Marketing Manager in Microsoft's Education Group. "By naming Blackboard, a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider, as a principal online learning solution provider, we are formalizing an ongoing and collaborative relationship with a company that shares our vision for the future of teaching and learning."

As members of the EDUCAUSE IMS specification project, Blackboard and Microsoft developers have worked closely on designing and implementing a common set of specifications for online learning technologies. As a result, the two companies have agreed to intensify their work around online learning solutions.

"Improved integration of Blackboard CourseInfo products, Windows operating system and Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 means educators and students will benefit from greater ease of use between products," said Lou Pugliese, CEO of Blackboard Inc. "Our partnership with Microsoft allows us to develop products that deliver on the decade-old promise of the Internet -- to deliver seamless, multimedia education in a 24/7 environment."

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard is the leading online education company. Its software powers the online teaching environments at more than 1,100 of the most prestigious colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other organizations in every state and in 60 countries. The Blackboard CourseInfo product line, created specifically for the Web, provides an easy-to-use, flexible system for creating online courses and full campuses with education communities, course materials, collaboration and assessment tools for faculty and students. Blackboard CourseInfo Enterprise Edition is designed for institutions with mission-critical needs for their online teaching and learning environments. It provides a sophisticated technology base for total integration, customization, scalability and large-scale system management, and it is built from the ground up to fully support the emerging IMS standards. Blackboard.com is a free service for all teachers and learners - at institutions and elsewhere. Without specific programming knowledge, educators can easily create a course that can be accessed from anywhere on the Internet. Blackboard education partners include Archipelago, GEO Interactive, Houghton Mifflin, KPMG LLP, NextEd, Norton Publishing, Microsoft, PeopleSoft, Sun Microsystems, Sylvan Learning Systems and The TLT Group. Additional information about Blackboard can be found at http://www.blackboard.com/company