WASHINGTON, July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Blackboard Inc. , a global leader in education technology, today announced the general availability of Echo360 lecture capture as an integrated offering within the Blackboard Learn(TM) platform. With the partnership, instructors at thousands of institutions working with Blackboard can provide a customized, on-demand learning experience that complements the traditional classroom setting and gives students greater control over their education.
The personal capture solution from Echo360 gives instructors simple tools to record, edit and publish lectures, tutorials, learning modules and course content directly to the Blackboard Learn platform with a click of the mouse. Students can then access lectures and other course materials online at any time, whether they are in a student union, dorm room, on vacation or on the road.
"Lecture capture has become make or break for our students to access their education," said Loren Farr, Coordinator of Media and Distance Learning, Tulsa Community College. "Students would have trouble attaining their degree if not for the flexibility to review or see streaming lecture materials on their own time."
Lecture capture technology enables full motion playback of the entire lecture -- including supporting course visuals and materials -- on a personal computer or mobile device. Students can learn at their own pace by viewing lectures from start to finish, pausing at challenging sections or jumping directly to particular segments within the lecture.
"The classroom experience is no longer limited to the classroom," said Michael Chasen, President and CEO of Blackboard. "Our clients have told us that Echo360 lecture capture and the Blackboard Learn platform are highly synergistic. Together, we are creating new learning opportunities by putting the core elements of the educational process online."
Colleges and universities working with Blackboard in the United States and Canada will receive a limited number of licenses for personal lecture capture at no cost. The service offered through the Blackboard partnership with Echo360 works with any Webcam-enabled personal computer and does not require any additional investments in software or hardware infrastructure.
"We're witnessing a fundamental change in the delivery of education -- we make it possible to extend learning anytime, anywhere at an affordable cost," said Fred Singer, Echo360 Chief Executive Officer. "This partnership allows faculty and students to quickly and easily experience the powerful benefits of Echo360 lecture capture through the platform most familiar to them: Blackboard."
Access to the technology is currently available as a Blackboard Building Block(TM) download from Blackboard's client Web site, Behind the Blackboard.
For more information about lecture capture within Blackboard Learn, please visit http://www.blackboard.com/echo360.
About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. 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.
About Echo360
Echo360 envisions an opportunity for every student to be freed from traditional barriers to learning with an on-demand education experience. Full-time, part-time, distance, continuing, and online all describe today's student living in a 24/7 world. On-demand media and education converge at the newly-formed Echo360, helping colleges and universities engage students on the students' terms with full and unbounded access to classroom-based content via multiplatform replay. Developed in partnership with the University of Western Australia, Echo360 means scalable and affordable lecture capture solutions that can provide institutions of all sizes with universal availability of lecture content.
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 May 7, 2009 with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of July 23, 2009. 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 July 23, 2009.
Blackboard Inc.
CONTACT: Matthew Maurer, Blackboard Inc., +1-202-463-4860, ext. 2637,
matthew.maurer@blackboard.com
Web Site: http://www.blackboard.com/
