FAQ: Blackboard’s Beta Program
One day, you hear one of your peers at another institution talking about Blackboard’s Beta Program. Is this some strange fraternity for system administrators? Did you miss something at the orientation session for new staff? Here are a few answers to frequently asked questions designed to demystify the mystery behind the Beta:
What is the Blackboard Beta Program?
Clients who join the Beta Program receive access to the latest Blackboard softwares releases (initially for their development environment and then later production). The software comes to them in several software code drops where they can test it out and report back what issues or bugs they find. This means our Beta participants also get heightened support with a fast track to development during the Beta period.
Why does Blackboard offer a Beta Program?
Blackboard strives to reinforce and improve our quality assurance processes to provide clients the best releases possible. Through efforts like the Beta Program, we have more interaction with our clients and receive valuable input that benefits the entire user community. Prior Beta programs have been helpful in uncovering scalability and configurability issues that would not have been found without the vital input we received from our Beta partners. Ultimately, participation in the Beta Program ensures a more stable product release.
Who can participate?
While the Beta Program is open to all Blackboard clients, there are both resource and time commitments to take into consideration when evaluating whether the program is a good fit for your institution. Beta participants receive several iterations of the software and are asked to give feedback with each Beta release. Additionally, you need the ability to run the software in a test and production environment.
What’s new in the Beta Program?
We just completed a Beta Program for Application Pack 2 for the Blackboard Academic Suite™ with 17 clients, and another for the Blackboard Outcomes System™ with nine participating clients. For both programs, Beta clients reported several issues that we were able to act on before general availability. Similarly, there is a Beta Program underway for Application Pack 2 on the Blackboard Learning System™ – CE and Vista platforms with 26 participants. Beta clients are currently installing the software on their test servers, and several are putting the next version of the Beta software into production. Finally, we have a Beta program for the Vista 3 to 4 Upgrade Utility with 12 clients testing the improved upgrade utility on their test environment, helping us improve both the overall quality and speed of the upgrade.
How do I get involved?
We have numerous opportunities for interested clients. If you would like to be considered for a future Beta Program, please contact Cindy Barry, Manager, Client Programs at ClientPrograms@blackboard.com.