Dreamforce 2010 -- Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB), a global leader
in education technology, today announced plans for an improved
learning management solution for corporations and other learning
focused organizations that will emphasize training for sales teams.
The announcement will be made today at Dreamforce 2010, the cloud
computing event of the year.
To support the improved solution, Blackboard will develop a new
application on Force.com, salesforce.com's enterprise cloud
computing platform that will add a range of administrative
capabilities to its flagship learning platform, Blackboard
Learn(TM).
Already noted for its flexibility, ease of use and low cost of
ownership, Blackboard Learn will gain stronger certification,
reporting and tracking abilities commonly associated with more
complex and costly corporate learning management systems. As a
result, customers will be able to more closely align employee
learning and development programs with key corporate initiatives
and priorities and ensure that they have a larger, more measureable
impact on employee behavior, business goals and company
performance.
"This new application combines the strengths of leaders in
education and cloud computing to provide an improved solution for
corporate learning and training that better supports business
goals," said Michael Chasen, president and chief executive officer
at Blackboard.
"Force.com provides the fastest way to bring Blackboard's leading
learning and training platform to the cloud. Now Blackboard's
customers will be armed with the tools and capabilities of the next
generation of cloud-based learning and training," said Kendall
Collins, chief marketing officer, salesforce.com.
Blackboard Learn is currently used by thousands of institutions
worldwide including hundreds of corporations of all sizes,
government agencies, nonprofits and associations. The platform
includes a range of powerful capabilities, social learning tools
and web 2.0 innovations to more effectively engage and develop
learners, and can be enabled for use on mobile devices with a range
of native applications for smartphones and other devices including
the Apple(R) iPad(TM).
"Blackboard offers a flexible option for corporate learning that is
highly focused on ease of use and learner engagement," said Josh
Bersin, president and chief executive officer, Bersin &
Associates. "Combining the strengths of Blackboard and
salesforce.com will give sales and service teams an easy to use
learning platform designed for both formal and informal
learning.Training is one of the largest segments of corporate
learning and this solution will greatly expand the availability of
training offerings for small and mid-sized businesses."
"With deep roots in education, our understanding of how knowledge
is acquired and shared in support of business goals has helped us
grow quickly in corporate and professional learning in the last few
years," said Tim Hill, president of Blackboard's Professional
Education group. "Working with salesforce.com, we can quickly bring
a more robust offering to a wider range of organizations,
departments and teams that seek a more flexible solution."
Chasen will join salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff on stage today at
Dreamforce 2010. The keynote will be available online at
www.salesforce.com/live beginning at approximately 9 a.m. Pacific
time.
For more information about Blackboard's work to support corporate
learning, please visit
http://blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/Corporate.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