Eighty-Five Percent of PC Magazine and The Princeton Review's 20 Top Wired Colleges Rely on Blackboard

WASHINGTON, DC, Mar 20, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Seventeen of the 20 "Top Wired Colleges" ranked by PC Magazine in partnership with The Princeton Review use Blackboard(R) technology to enhance teaching, learning and campus services. Nearly half of the academic institutions recognized in this survey, released in January 2007, use both the Blackboard Academic Suite(TM) and the Blackboard Commerce Suite(TM), two separate but integrated solutions which enhance academic and student life experiences across campus. Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) is a leading provider of enterprise software and related services to the education industry.

Among the top 20 most wired institutions, the following schools use technology from both the Blackboard Academic Suite and the Blackboard Commerce Suite:

• Creighton University
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of Southern California
• Quinnipiac University
• Temple University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Pomona College

Creighton University, a small Jesuit school in Omaha, ranks number five on the list and leverages Blackboard technology for a variety of purposes, including offering 24X7 access to course materials online, allowing students and faculty to make purchases on and off-campus through their university ID cards and selling course packs and lab supplies online through the Blackboard Community System(TM), a central online portal.

"Our students and faculty have high expectations for technology reliability, access and functionality, especially when it comes to creating a rich learning environment," said Colette O'Meara-Hanson, assistant vice president Academic and eLearning Technologies, Division of Information Technology at Creighton University. "They use the Blackboard platform to integrate technology into the entire student experience from community building in the residence halls to conducting research in the labs and everything in between. I'm continually amazed at their creativity and thankful that we have a tool to support them."

Temple University, a large public research university in Philadelphia, has been using Blackboard technology since 1999.

"Whether as part of an on-line or face-to-face class, a student organization or an administrative committee, use of Blackboard technology at Temple University is widespread," said Timothy O'Rourke, vice president of Computer and Information Services at Temple University. "Students rely on the Blackboard platform and tools to access notes, grades, class captures, podcasts, assignments, blogs and wikis, and they view it as a connection between them, their instructors, and, in some cases, their classmates. In a recent survey of Temple University students, use of the Blackboard application ranked as one of the items with which students expressed the highest degree of satisfaction."

"Higher education institutions today have a much bigger challenge than ever before; there is much more information and many more options available to college students than in previous years," said Michael Chasen, president and CEO of Blackboard. "Many colleges and universities are using technology as a key distinguisher in this challenge. Blackboard is excited to be part of this process and applauds the many innovations of our clients."

For a complete list of PC Magazine's Most Wired Colleges, please visit http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,1874,2064811,00.asp.

About Blackboard Inc.

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. Millions of people use Blackboard everyday 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, Australia and Asia.

Blackboard
Educate. Innovate. Everywhere.(TM)

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 23, 2007 with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of March 20, 2007. 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 March 20, 2007.

Senior Manager Public Relations at Blackboard:
Melissa Chotiner
Blackboard Inc.
202-463-4860 ext. 2404

Media Contact, Fleishman-Hillard:
Amy Storey
Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
+1 202 828-8819

SOURCE: Blackboard Inc.