WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc.
(Nasdaq: BBBB) today announced new innovation and expanded access
to its mobile learning application, Blackboard Mobile™
Learn, with an updated release that brings new features and
capabilities to one of the industry's most widely adopted mobile
apps, now in use at more than 500 institutions worldwide.
Released just six months after the initial launch, Blackboard
Mobile Learn 2.0 enables students and faculty for the first time to
create and upload content to their courses – including videos,
photos and other non-media files – rather than just consuming
content. The release also offers a redesigned user interface to
support threaded discussions and the ability for students to mark
courses as "favorites" so they can more easily manage, search and
filter the courses they access most frequently.
In addition to the new capabilities, Blackboard also announced
expanded access to the first version of Blackboard Mobile Learn,
which is now available to institutions using selected versions of
the ANGEL and WebCT platforms.
"With our focus on rapid development and innovation, we're
committed to being a leader in mobile learning and education," said
Kayvon Beykpour, Vice President of
Blackboard Mobile. "We're making big investments to continue
innovating our mobile learning tools. We're excited to see how
instructors and students will use our content-creation tools to
interact with their courses from their mobile devices in new and
interesting ways."
Developed by Blackboard's dedicated mobile team, Blackboard
Mobile Learn brings two-way teaching and learning to mobile
devices and gives students full access to their course information
directly from their smartphones. With elegant, intuitive
applications designed specifically for each mobile platform,
students can check grades and assignments, view documents, create
threaded discussion posts and comment on blogs and journals, upload
content and view documents, view course rosters and more.
Instructors can also post announcements.
Blackboard Mobile Learn is currently available in native
applications for Android™ and BlackBerry® smartphones as well as
the Apple® iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®. After being enabled by
their institution, students and faculty can download the apps for
free in app stores.
Schools can deploy Blackboard Mobile Learn through an annual
license that supports all device platforms. Higher education and
professional institutions in the United
States can also leverage a no cost option, made possible
through a special
partnership with Sprint (NYSE: S), which supports
Android and BlackBerry smartphones on the Now Network™,
as well as iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod touch® devices over a Wi-Fi
connection.
With today's announcement, the first version of Blackboard
Mobile Learn is now available to institutions using ANGEL Learning
Edition 7.4 and WebCT CE Enterprise/CE Enterprise Limited and Vista
8.
For more information about Blackboard Mobile Learn, please
visit:
http://www.blackboard.com/Mobile/Mobile-Learn.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-Q filed
on November 5, 2010 with the SEC. In
addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press
release represent the Company's views as of January 19, 2011. 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
January 19, 2011.
Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is
subject to Google Permissions.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and
symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In
Motion Limited.
Apple, iPhone and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple
Inc.
SOURCE Blackboard Inc.