WASHINGTON, April 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Blackboard
Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) today announced that 150 municipalities within
the State of Texas utilize the
Blackboard Connect™ mass notification platform to help keep
residents safe, informed and connected.
Representing more than 600,000 households across the state of
Texas, local government leaders
have taken the lead in enhancing communication and preparedness by
adopting the Blackboard Connect service to communicate quickly,
accurately and consistently with their communities.
Statewide, Blackboard Connect has been leveraged by local
officials to quickly notify residents and provide critical
direction in a number of urgent situations. Last December, for
example, an explosion at a chemical plant near the city of
Seabrook saw nearby communities
Galveston County, Kemah, LaPorte and League City send more than 30,000 voice, email
and text messages to residents and businesses, guiding them to
shelter in place immediately following the explosion.
"The performance of the Blackboard Connect platform was
stellar," said Bill Kerber, city
administrator for Kemah, Texas.
"We used the system to rapidly instruct residents to shelter in
place, and then to give them consistent updates until we could send
the all clear. Because so many of the surrounding communities use
the service, we were able to get the word out to a wide range of
the affected area, keeping everyone safe until the danger had
passed."
The Galveston chemical
explosion warranted the most widespread alert within the county
since Hurricane Ike in 2008, when Blackboard Connect was a trusted
tool for Gulf Coast communities who used the platform to deliver
millions of messages on evacuation notices, status updates during
the storm, and debris cleanup and FEMA resource notices in the
months of recovery that followed.
Terry Lucas, emergency management
director for the City of Alvin,
Texas, notes that in an event like Ike, it's important to
establish a trusted, familiar voice to maintain calm and keep the
community safe. "Our residents came to rely on the Blackboard
Connect messages we sent. They knew that every day, at least one
time a day, I'd be communicating with them. I don't think anything
can touch Blackboard Connect's technology for keeping your
community safe and aware."
Beyond urgent communications, many Texas municipalities use the Blackboard
Connect service to support a variety of proactive communications,
from road closures and important town events to utility and pet
registration reminders.
"We are proud to support communities across the state of
Texas, who recognize the positive
impact that reliable, timely and personalized communications with
residents can have in both day to day and urgent situations, to
help keep their communities safe and connected," said Ed Miller, President of Blackboard Connect.
For more information about Blackboard's mass notification
solutions for government, visit
http://www.blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/Government/Blackboard-Connect-for-Government/Overview.aspx
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 17, 2010 with the
SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included
in this press release represent the Company's views as of
April 20, 2010. 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
April 20 2010.
SOURCE Blackboard Inc.