Arapahoe Community College Expanding Educational Reach and Access with Blackboard
WASHINGTON, Aug 9, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ — Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) has announced that it will provide Blackboard Application Service Provider hosting services and the Blackboard Learning System(TM) to Arapahoe Community College (ACC) in Littleton, Colorado. The new Blackboard(R) system will build on ACC’s successful two-year implementation of the Blackboard Learning System-Basic Edition(TM), a limited version of the award winning Blackboard Learning System enterprise software application.
The Blackboard powered solution will expand the school’s ability to serve its quickly growing community college program. Arapahoe, the oldest community college in the Denver metropolitan area, serves nearly 8,000 students per semester and provides community education courses to another 10,000 students each year.
“During the last two years, Arapahoe has enjoyed a very positive experience with Blackboard,” said Lin Claussen, Arapahoe’s Director of Enrollment Management, Research, & Education Technology. “We believe that the Blackboard Learning System and 24 x 7 ASP services we have selected provide a definite cost advantage to our institution. Blackboard will furnish ACC with an enterprise-grade solution that will satisfy our budgetary requirements-and still scale to our expanding user base, supporting the variety of teaching styles employed at our institution.”
Arapahoe Community College is one of more than 250 community colleges in the U.S. relying on the Blackboard Learning System to better serve existing students and expand reach to serve additional students. ACC has chosen to implement the Blackboard Learning System in a hosted environment, providing a turn-key, fully managed 24 x7 service for its mission critical e-Learning application, backed by industry leading Service Level guarantees.
“Blackboard is dedicated to helping community colleges such as ACC fulfill their commitments to local educational needs,” said Matthew Pittinsky, Chairman of Blackboard. “Blackboard ASP services will provide Arapahoe with a stable, scalable and affordable way to manage its Blackboard based solution- and accommodate its growing responsibilities to the Denver community.”
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.
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. 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.
