Universidade de Aveiro Selects Blackboard
WASHINGTON, Aug 10, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ — Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) announced today that Portugal’s Universidade de Aveiro has chosen Blackboard to provide the university’s Enterprise wide e-education platform.
Blackboard will provide Universidade de Aveiro the Blackboard Learning System(TM). The university intends to migrate more than 700 courses from its previous WebCT platform to the Blackboard Learning System by Fall 2004.
Founded in 1973, Universidade de Aveiro is one of Portugal’s leading universities. Known for using the latest educational technology to serve its 15,000 students, Universidade de Aveiro is considered to be among the most innovative institutes of higher learning in Europe.
The Blackboard Learning System features curriculum-driven content management and content sharing, providing instructors with flexibility and control over their course programs. Discussion boards and Blackboard’s new Virtual Classroom tool enable dynamic collaboration and communication in the e-learning environment. The Blackboard Learning System also lets institutions reduce administrative overhead, and provides data management for integration with student information, identity management and authentication systems.
“Blackboard is pleased to provide its e-education solutions to one of Portugal’s leading centers of higher learning,” said Andrew Rosen, President of Blackboard’s international operations. “We believe that the Blackboard Learning System will allow Universidade de Aveiro to continue its tradition of being one of Europe’s leading champions of new e-education tools and applications.”
“The Blackboard Learning System was selected as the result of a competitive evaluation in which we compared all of the leading e-education platform products,” said Dr Ramos, Professor of Communication Technologies and Director of the Multimedia and Distance Education Centre, Universidade de Aveiro. “After an extensive assessment, we determined that Blackboard’s open architecture and extremely flexible functionality made the Blackboard Learning System an ideal choice to replace our previous platform.”
Dr. Mario Figueira, Associate partner of Novavbase, Blackboard’s systems integrator and channel partner in Portugal, also commented on the occasion. “We are very pleased to have assisted Universidade de Aveiro in its selection of a world leading e-learning platform and in supporting them in their implementation.”
< B>About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard is a leading provider of enterprise software applications and related 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.
Some of the statements in this news release may constitute “forward- looking statements” that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts. These forward-looking statements reflect our intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include known and unknown risks, including those stated in the “Risk Factors” section of Blackboard’s most recent quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Because actual results could differ materially from our intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about the future, you are urged to view all forward-looking statements contained in this news release with caution. Blackboard Inc. does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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