U.S.News & World Report’s Top Ranked Colleges and Universities Use Blackboard
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) announces that more than 150 of the 239 schools included in the 2005 U.S.News & World Report ranking of top tier national universities and liberal arts colleges rely on Blackboard(R) software to create a networked learning environment. In the U.S.News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2005’s Top National Universities, nearly 75% of the 129 universities listed use the Blackboard Academic Suite(TM), the Blackboard Commerce Suite(TM), or both. Top-five ranked national universities, including Princeton University and Duke University, are among the 96 U.S.News & World Report’s Top National Universities using Blackboard systems.
In the U.S.News & World Report’s ranking of Top Liberal Arts Colleges, 60 of the top 110 are efficiently managing online learning or student ID card transactions using Blackboard(R) systems. The 60 Blackboard clients on this list represents 55% of the schools in the Liberal Arts Colleges category and many of the remaining ranked colleges do not use any networked learning solutions. Additionally, the top three schools in this category — Williams College, Amherst College and Swarthmore College — are all active Blackboard clients.
“We have been using the Blackboard Learning System for the past five years, and faculty and students here have come to depend on it,” said Amy Campbell, Senior Academic Technology Consultant at the Center for Instructional Technology at Duke University. “A growing proportion of classes at Duke use Blackboard to support teaching and learning, and students and faculty report a high level of satisfaction with Blackboard functionality and ease of use.”
“I would like to congratulate our clients on their positions of leadership in the U.S. higher education community,” said Matthew Pittinsky, Chairman of Blackboard. “It is exciting to see the incredible work of so many of our clients recognized.”
About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard is a leading provider of enterprise software and services to the education industry. The Company’s product line consists of five software applications bundled in two suites, the Blackboard Academic Suite(TM) and the Blackboard Commerce Suite(TM). Blackboard’s clients include colleges, universities, schools and other education providers, as well as textbook publishers and student-focused merchants that serve education providers and their students. Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices and staff in North America, Europe and Asia.
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 most recent 10-Q filed with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of October 19, 2004. 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 October 19, 2004.
CONTACTS:
Investors:
Michael J. Stanton of Blackboard Inc.
+1-202-463-4860, ext. 2305
Media:
Darren Spinck of DBC Public Relations
+1-866-774-4720
for Blackboard Inc.
Web site: http://www.blackboard.com
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