Academic Institutions Increasingly Rely on the Blackboard Platform for Mission Critical e-Learning Initiatives

WASHINGTON, DC, Jun 06, 2006 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- As higher education institutions in the United States and abroad recognize the increasing value and importance of e-Learning initiatives, Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), a leading provider of educational technology solutions, is pleased to announce the addition of several new clients. Blackboard recently completed its first quarter as a combined entity with WebCT. The combined companies' technology solutions are now used by more than 3,650 academic institutions in the United States and abroad. Millions of students and teachers use Blackboard and WebCT solutions to supplement class, participate in distance learning and access an array of campus service offerings.

Growth at Home and Abroad

Some of the academic institutions in the United States which licensed Blackboard and WebCT solutions in the first quarter of 2006 include:

University of Houston - Downtown, Texas
Mesa Community College, Arizona
Lubbock Independent School System, Texas
Barton College, North Carolina
Campbell University, North Carolina
Bloomfield College, New Jersey

International academic institutions which licensed Blackboard and WebCT solutions in the first quarter of 2006 include:

Spiru Haret University, the first Blackboard client in Romania
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
Shizuoka University, Japan
De Montfort University, UK
Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
Verzlunarskoli Islands, Iceland
Seoul National University, Korea

Growth for Blackboard Content System Licenses

Blackboard also noted continued adoption of the Blackboard Content System(TM), one of the three products in the Blackboard Academic Suite(TM), which enables members of an academic institution to easily share and reuse learning objects across sections, course, organizations and institutions.

Academic institutions who licensed the Blackboard Content System in the first quarter of 2006 include the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Fox Valley Technical College, University of Michigan - Flint, Albany College of Pharmacy and Florida Atlantic University, among others.

About Blackboard

Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) is a leading provider of enterprise software applications and related services to the education industry. Founded in 1997, Blackboard enables educational innovations everywhere by connecting people and technology. With two product suites, the Blackboard Academic Suite(TM) and the Blackboard Commerce Suite(TM), Blackboard is used by millions of people at academic institutions around the globe, including colleges, universities, K-12 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 in North America, Europe and Asia. WebCT is a wholly owned subsidiary of Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard

Educate. Innovate. Everywhere.

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 Annual Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 10, 2006 with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of June 06, 2006. 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 June 06, 2006.

Senior Manager, Public Relations; Blackboard:
Melissa Chotiner
Blackboard Inc.
+1 202 463-4860 ext. 2404
Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=BDB2D8104CBE0477

SOURCE: Blackboard Inc.