Anaheim, CA – November 05, 2003 – Blackboard Inc., a leading enterprise software and services company for e-Education, and RealNetworks®, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK), today announced a partnership to provide Blackboard customers and educators worldwide with the ability to quickly and seamlessly access digital audio and video in the e-Education environment.

RealNetworks, the global leader in digital media services and software for businesses and consumers, will leverage the Blackboard Building Blocks® open architecture program to integrate the RealNetworks Helix Universal Server technology with the Blackboard Learning SystemTM.  The integrated system will enable the seamless incorporation and delivery of digital audio and video through the Blackboard Learning System. The Blackboard Learning System, the e-Education industry’s most popular teaching and learning environment, provides clients with the ability to successfully manage distance, Web-enhanced and hybrid e-Education programs.

As part of the agreement, Blackboard also announced that it has joined RealNetworks’ RealPartner Program to enable it to fully leverage RealNetworks’ digital media resources. 

 “Blackboard is pleased to be able to work with the leading digital media technology provider to expand and enrich the e-Education experience for our clients,” said Matthew Pittinsky, Blackboard’s Chairman. “Through our partnership with RealNetworks educational enterprises using the Blackboard Learning System for the first time will be able to integrate digital media into the Blackboard system, thereby simplifying the process of managing digital media assets for use by students.”

“Educators continue to be one of the most important users of RealNetworks technology. As such, we are pleased to collaborate with the industry-leading e-Education provider to help our shared customers to fully leverage the power of digital media in the classroom and across the campus,” said Dave Richards, vice president business products and services, RealNetworks, Inc. “With our Helix Universal Server, educators are able to deliver all of the popular digital media formats on a wide range of operating systems and to an ever-growing variety of devices.”

The rich media capabilities of the Helix Universal Server combined with the Blackboard Learning System and a growing number of Building Blocks applications in critical areas such as library management, student information systems, synchronous communication, and more, will enable academic institutions to create a networked learning environment tailored to meet their specific institutional needs.

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