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Blackboard and North Carolina Community College System Offer Students and Faculty New e-Learning Options

 Expanded Agreement Makes Comprehensive e-Learning Platform Available to Community College Students

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) announced today an expanded relationship with the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), enabling the system's 58 colleges, as well as the system office, to license the complete Blackboard Academic Suite(TM). Unveiled at the League for Innovation in the Community College 2004 Conference on Information Technology, the new licensing agreement also provides NCCCS schools with the option to have their Blackboard(R) software hosted by Blackboard ASP Services.

The Blackboard Academic Suite, which Blackboard will demonstrate today and tomorrow at booth #209 at the League for Innovation 2004 Conference, is an integrated family of enterprise-grade software applications that supports teaching, learning and campus life. Comprised of three leading e-education software solutions, the Blackboard Learning System(TM), the Blackboard Community System(TM), and the Blackboard Content System(TM), the Blackboard Academic Suite provides North Carolina community colleges a comprehensive online learning platform that supports anytime, anywhere student access to learning resources, teachers and other students.

Through this agreement individual NCCCS colleges can now select and license, based on a system-wide pricing structure, the software solutions within the Blackboard Academic Suite, that best support their individual e- learning environment and goals.

"We are delighted to take this next step forward with leading state systems like the North Carolina Community College System as they work to create Networked Learning Environments(TM) at community colleges across their state and at the system-wide level," said Matthew Pittinsky, Chairman of Blackboard. "Students, teachers and staff alike benefit from the increased sharing of expertise, technology and learning resources made possible by an integrated e-learning platform."

"We are very excited about the possibilities for our students and teachers through this new agreement with Blackboard," said Dr. Bill Randall, Associate Vice President for Learning Technology at the North Carolina Community College System. "Many students enrolled in our colleges have part or full-time jobs, children and community responsibilities. With so much going on in their lives, it is very important for our schools to offer students a flexible but powerful e-learning platform that supports their learning efforts wherever and whenever those efforts may occur."

More than 350 community colleges across the United States use software and services from Blackboard, which offers customizable solutions to help community colleges meet their e-learning goals while managing individual budgets and technology support limitations.

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard is a leading provider of enterprise software applications and related services to the education industry. The Company's product line consists of five software applications bundled in two suites, the Blackboard Academic Suite (TM) and the Blackboard Commerce Suite (TM). Blackboard's clients include colleges, universities, 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 and staff in North America, Europe and Asia.

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 most recent 10-Q filed with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of November 8, 2004. 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 November 8, 2004.

SOURCE Blackboard Inc.

CONTACT:
Melissa Chotiner
Public Relations Manager of Blackboard Inc.
+1-202-463-4860 ext. 2404
Mchotiner@blackboard.com
or
Stacey Finkel of DBC Public Relations
+1-866-774-4720
stacey@dbcpr.com
for Blackboard Inc.
Web site: http://www.blackboard.com
(BBBB)
 

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