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Updates for History and new Mergers and acquisitions section

Hi again. As promised, I've returned with a few more updates for this article. These are more significant edits than last time and include new drafts for two sections. The first is for the History section. It's been a few years since the majority of this section was written, so it's in need of some maintenance. For instance, it includes a Recent expansion subsection that covers details that are no longer recent. I retained much of the wording and information in the current draft, but re-evaluated how the information is grouped. The new draft divides company's history into three sections: Early history, Expansion and buyout, and New leadership. The New leadership section includes the most new information and focuses on Blackboard under Jay Bhatt. I also trimmed down the details about individual acquisitions throughout, which I'll explain the reasoning for further down (though you can probably guess from this Talk section heading!). The text and markup for the new History section is below:

Proposed History update
History
Early History

Blackboard Llc. was founded in 1997 by Michael Chasen and Matthew Pittinsky and began as a consulting firm contracting to the non-profit IMS Global Learning Consortium.[1] Chasen and Pittinsky started Blackboard upon leaving KPMG Consulting where they both had worked as part of the company’s Higher Education practice.[2] In 1998, the company merged with CourseInfo LLC, a small software provider that originated at Cornell University and was founded by Daniel Cane and Stephen Gilfus.[2][3][4] The combined company became known as Blackboard Inc. The first line of e-learning products was branded Blackboard CourseInfo,[5] until the CourseInfo brand was dropped in 2000.[6] The product was initially given to teachers for free to try out and then was licensed to schools.[7] The new company made a profit in its first year, and its sales in 1998 approached US$1 million.[2] Other early products included Blackboard Classroom and Blackboard Campus.[8]

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the company had become the leading learning management system[9] This expansion was initially funded through venture capital from a number of investors, including Pearson PLC, Dell, AOL, The Carlyle Group and Novak Biddle Venture Partners.[10][11]

Overseas expansion began in the early 2000s, growing to include Asia, Australia and Europe in its service area.[12] In particular, through a partnership with a Chinese education company, Blackboard also began providing software services to many universities in China.[13]

Blackboard went public in June 2004 under the stock market ticker BBBB.[14] Sale of shares in the initial public offering raised an estimated $70 million for the company,[9] making it the second-most successful technology IPO of that year.[15]

Company expansion and buyout

In 2006, Blackboard completed the acquisition of its largest competitor, WebCT Inc, enlarging its share of the higher education market to between 65 and 75 percent.[7][16][17]

Over the next five years, the company invested in a series of new products and acquisitions, expanding beyond the learning management system market.[18] New products released during this time include Blackboard Xythos,[19] Blackboard Connect, Blackboard Mobile, Blackboard Collaborate, and Blackboard Analytics.[20][18]

By 2011, Blackboard was used by over half of colleges and universities in the US.[21] On July 1, 2011, Blackboard agreed to a $1.64 billion buyout by an investor group led by Providence Equity Partners, which was completed on October 4.[22][23] Following the sale, Providence Equity Partners merged Edline, its K-12 learning system, with Blackboard. Edline was later renamed Blackboard Engage.[24][25]

New leadership

Jay Bhatt succeeded Chasen as CEO of the company in October 2012.[26] Bhatt came to the company after serving as the CEO of Progress Software.[27] As CEO of Blackboard, Bhatt combined the company's product portfolio into offerings called solutions.[28][29] He also restructured the company by market (including North America and International) rather than by product, and consolidated product development and management under new executives.[30] It was reported in July 2014 that approximately 500 of Blackboard's 3,000 employees were hired between 2013 and 2014.[29]

The company's key focuses under Bhatt's leadership have been: student-driven learning solutions; investing in Blackboard Learn, the company's core product;[31] integrating the company’s portfolio of products; and building education service offerings, such as online program management.[20][32][33] In 2013, the company introduced a platform to host massive open online courses called MOOCs, and it introduced student profiles and databases in 2014.[20][31][27] Bhatt also changed the company's strategy for acquiring new businesses. Rather than purchasing competitors, Bhatt has stated he prefers to acquire companies based on their innovations.[31]

In July 2014, Bhatt announced multiple product changes, including a redesign of Blackboard's UX to an interface resembling iOS, expanding the deployment options of Blackboard Learn to include self-hosted, managed hosting and public cloud, and improvements to Blackboard's mobile app.[28][29]

As of July 2014, Blackboard serves approximately 17,000 schools and organizations.[29] It holds the highest share of the education market with 75 percent of colleges and universities and more than half of K-12 districts in the US using its products and services.[34]

As of September 2014, Blackboard had acquired MyEdu,[27] Perceptis,[29] and CardSmith,[35] and Requestec[36] under Bhatt's leadership. The acquisitions reflected Bhatt's new acquisition strategy of making investments that serve students and will lead to innovations in Blackboard's core teaching and learning products.[35][28]

References

  1. ^ "GEO Interactive Re OEM Agreement". London Stock Exchange Aggregated Regulatory News Service. October 21, 1998.
  2. ^ a b c Leibovich, Mark (January 4, 1999). "Blackboard Chalks Up a Breakthrough; Its Educational Software Lets Colleges Put Classes on the Internet". The Washington Post. p. F05.
  3. ^ Darlene Darcy (9 August 2009). "Years at Blackboard an education that turns employees into entrepreneurs". Washington D.C. Business Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  4. ^ Michelle Nagler (October 16, 1997). course management "Senior's company helps to produce Web pages for college courses". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved 28 May 2014. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  5. ^ "Blackboard Announces Release Of Blackboard CourseInfo 2.0". Business Wire. November 2, 1998.
  6. ^ "Blackboard Aims For Standard With Building Blocks Initiative". Educational Marketer. Vol. 31, no. 33. November 20, 2000.
  7. ^ a b Timothy Burn (May 2006). "Agent of Change: Blackboard CEO Michael Chasen erases the old way of learning" (PDF). SmartCEO. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  8. ^ Anne Kelleher (1 July 2011). "Blackboard Founders' Roots at American University". American Today. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  9. ^ a b Burn, Timothy (May 2006). "Michael Chasen: CEO of the Year" (PDF). Washington Smart CEO. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  10. ^ Daniels, Alex (January 29, 2001). "Big company on campus: Blackboard hopes an IPO will help it dominate the Internet education market". Washington Techway. p. 26.
  11. ^ Henry, Shannon (May 11, 2000). "Help for an Earning Curve". The Washington Post. p. E01.
  12. ^ Hughlett, Roger (August 8, 2003). "Blackboard's success may erase bad feelings about dot-coms". Washington Business Journal. Vol. 22, no. 14. p. 3.
  13. ^ Knowlton, Brian (September 1, 2003). "U.S. firm makes grade in China". The International Herald Tribune. p. 11.
  14. ^ "Fastest Growing Companies 2004: Blackboard". Washington Business Journal. Vol. 23, no. 22. October 1, 2004. p. 16.
  15. ^ Richard Gibbons (24 June 2004). "Blackboard's Screeching IPO". The Motley Fool. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Carnevale was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference Empson12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ a b Kolowich, Steve (February 22, 2011). "Blackboard's Next Phase". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference Foster08 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference FlookJuly13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Bill Flook (19 October 2012). "Michael Chasen ponders angel investing post-Blackboard". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  22. ^ Fitzgerald, Drew (July 1, 2011). "Providence Equity Partners To Buy Blackboard For About $1.64B". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  23. ^ "Providence Equity Partners Completes Acquisition of Blackboard Inc". Blackboard Inc. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  24. ^ Krista Giovacco (9 September 2011). "Providence Increases Blackboard Buyout Loan as Outflows Subside". Businessweek. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  25. ^ "Our Company is getting a new name!". edline.com. Edline. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  26. ^ Nagel, David (15 October 2012). "Blackboard CEO Chasen To Step Down". THEJournal. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  27. ^ a b c Gregory T. Huang (2 June 2014). "Blackboard CEO Jay Bhatt on the Global Future of Edtech". Xconomy. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  28. ^ a b c Michael Feldstein (18 July 2014). "Blackboard's Big News that Nobody Noticed". e-Literate. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  29. ^ a b c d e Betsy Corcoran (23 July 2014). "Blackboard's Jay Bhatt Strikes Up the Brass Band". Edsurge. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  30. ^ Cite error: The named reference Overly14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  31. ^ a b c Jeffrey R. Young (11 July 2014). "Blackboard May Double or Triple Spending on Software Development". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  32. ^ Cale Guthrie Weissman (PandoDaily). "Blackboard makes another acquisition, says it will make good on past acquisitions". 15 January 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ Cite error: The named reference Heussner13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ Rip Empson (16 January 2014). "Education Giant Blackboard Buys MyEdu To Help Refresh Its Brand And Reanimate Its User Experience". TechCrunch. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  35. ^ a b Dian Schaffhauser (7 August 2014). "Blackboard Expands Transact Business with CardSmith Acquisition". T.H.E. Journal. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  36. ^ Steven Overly (25 September 2014). "Blackboard scoops up British technology firm Requestec for undisclosed sum". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
Markup
==History== ===Early history=== Blackboard Llc. was founded in 1997 by [[Michael Chasen]] and Matthew Pittinsky and began as a consulting firm contracting to the non-profit IMS Global Learning Consortium.<ref name=LSE>{{cite news |title=GEO Interactive Re OEM Agreement |url= |newspaper=London Stock Exchange Aggregated Regulatory News Service |date=October 21, 1998}}</ref> Chasen and Pittinsky started Blackboard upon leaving [[KPMG|KPMG Consulting]] where they both had worked as part of the company’s Higher Education practice.<ref name=Leibovich>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Chalks Up a Breakthrough; Its Educational Software Lets Colleges Put Classes on the Internet |first=Mark |last= Leibovich|url= |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 4, 1999 |page=F05}}</ref> In 1998, the company merged with [[CourseInfo LLC]], a small [[Software as a service|software provider]] that originated at [[Cornell University]] and was founded by [[Daniel Cane]] and [[Stephen Gilfus]].<ref name="Leibovich"/><ref name=Darcy2009>{{cite news |title=Years at Blackboard an education that turns employees into entrepreneurs |author=Darlene Darcy |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/08/03/story2.html?page=all |work=[[American City Business Journals|Washington D.C. Business Journal]] |date=9 August 2009 |accessdate=3 June 2013}}</ref><ref name=Nagler98>{{cite news |title=Senior's company helps to produce Web pages for college courses |author=Michelle Nagler |url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/1997/10/seniors-company-helps-produce-web-pages-college-courses course management |work=[[Cornell Chronicle]] |date=October 16, 1997 |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref> The combined company became known as Blackboard Inc. The first line of e-learning products was branded Blackboard CourseInfo,<ref name=BusinessWire>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Announces Release Of Blackboard CourseInfo 2.0 |newspaper=Business Wire |date=November 2, 1998}}</ref> until the CourseInfo brand was dropped in 2000.<ref name=Educational>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Aims For Standard With Building Blocks Initiative |magazine=Educational Marketer |date=November 20, 2000 |volume=31 |issue=33}}</ref> The product was initially given to teachers for free to try out and then was licensed to schools.<ref name=Burn06>{{cite news |title=Agent of Change: Blackboard CEO Michael Chasen erases the old way of learning |author=Timothy Burn |url=http://www.smartceo.com/sites/default/files/May06.pdf |work=SmartCEO |date=May 2006 |accessdate=30 May 2013}}</ref> The new company made a profit in its first year, and its sales in 1998 approached US$1 million.<ref name="Leibovich"/> Other early products included Blackboard Classroom and Blackboard Campus.<ref name=Kelleher11>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Founders’ Roots at American University |author=Anne Kelleher |url=http://www.american.edu/americantoday/campus-news/20110701-Blackboard-Pittinsky-Chasen.cfm |work=American Today |date=1 July 2011 |accessdate=30 May 2013}}</ref> By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the company had become the leading [[learning management system]]<ref name=Burn>{{cite news |title=Michael Chasen: CEO of the Year |first=Timothy |last=Burn |url=http://library.blackboard.com/docs/Press_Center/CEO_of_the_Year_2006.pdf |magazine=Washington Smart CEO |date = May 2006|accessdate=May 15, 2011}}</ref> This expansion was initially funded through venture capital from a number of investors, including [[Pearson PLC]], [[Dell]], [[AOL]], [[Carlyle Group|The Carlyle Group]] and Novak Biddle Venture Partners.<ref name=Techway>{{cite news |title=Big company on campus: Blackboard hopes an IPO will help it dominate the Internet education market |first=Alex |last=Daniels |url= |newspaper=Washington Techway |date=January 29, 2001 |page=26}}</ref><ref name=Henry>{{cite news |title=Help for an Earning Curve |first=Shannon |last=Henry |url= |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 11, 2000 |page=E01}}</ref> Overseas expansion began in the early 2000s, growing to include Asia, Australia and Europe in its service area.<ref name=Roger>{{cite news |title=Blackboard's success may erase bad feelings about dot-coms |first=Roger |last=Hughlett |url= |newspaper=Washington Business Journal |date=August 8, 2003 |volume=22 |issue=14 |page=3}}</ref> In particular, through a partnership with a Chinese education company, Blackboard also began providing software services to many universities in China.<ref name=Knowlton>{{cite news |title=U.S. firm makes grade in China |first=Brian |last=Knowlton |url= |newspaper=The International Herald Tribune |date=September 1, 2003 |page=11}}</ref> Blackboard went [[Initial public offering|public]] in June 2004 under the stock market [[Ticker symbol|ticker]] BBBB.<ref name=WBJ04>{{cite news |title=Fastest Growing Companies 2004: Blackboard |newspaper=Washington Business Journal |date=October 1, 2004 |volume=23 |issue=22 |page=16}}</ref> Sale of shares in the initial public offering raised an estimated $70 million for the company,<ref name="Burn"/> making it the second-most successful technology IPO of that year.<ref name=Gibbons04>{{cite news |title=Blackboard's Screeching IPO |author=Richard Gibbons |url=http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2004/06/24/blackboards-screeching-ipo.aspx |work=[[The Motley Fool]] |date=24 June 2004 |accessdate=30 May 2013}}</ref> ===Company expansion and buyout=== In 2006, Blackboard completed the acquisition of its largest competitor, [[WebCT]] Inc, enlarging its share of the higher education market to between 65 and 75 percent.<ref name=Burn06/><ref name=Carnevale/><ref name=Empson12/> Over the next five years, the company invested in a series of new products and acquisitions, expanding beyond the learning management system market.<ref name=Kolowich>{{cite news |title=Blackboard's Next Phase |first=Steve |last=Kolowich |url=http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/02/22/blackboard_evolves_its_business_strategy_in_light_of_market_saturation_in_higher_ed |newspaper=Inside Higher Ed |date=February 22, 2011 |accessdate=April 10, 2011}}</ref> New products released during this time include Blackboard Xythos,<ref name=Foster08/> Blackboard Connect, Blackboard Mobile, Blackboard Collaborate, and Blackboard Analytics.<ref name=FlookJuly13/><ref name="Kolowich"/> By 2011, Blackboard was used by over half of colleges and universities in the US.<ref name=FlookOct12>{{cite news |title= Michael Chasen ponders angel investing post-Blackboard |author= Bill Flook |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/print-edition/2012/10/19/michael-chasen-ponders-angel-investing.html |work=[[American City Business Journals|Washington Business Journal]] |date=19 October 2012 |accessdate=30 May 2013}}</ref> On July 1, 2011, Blackboard agreed to a $1.64 billion buyout by an investor group led by [[Providence Equity Partners]], which was completed on October 4.<ref>{{cite news |title=Providence Equity Partners To Buy Blackboard For About $1.64B |first=Drew |last=Fitzgerald |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110701-705527.htm |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=July 1, 2011 |accessdate=August 26, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Blackboard buyout press release">{{cite web|title=Providence Equity Partners Completes Acquisition of Blackboard Inc.|url=http://www.blackboard.com/about-bb/media-center/Press-Releases.aspx?releaseid=1613617|work=Blackboard Inc.|accessdate=January 8, 2012}}</ref> Following the sale, Providence Equity Partners merged Edline, its [[K-12 (education)|K-12]] learning system, with Blackboard. [[Edline]] was later renamed Blackboard Engage.<ref name=Giovacco11>{{cite news |title=Providence Increases Blackboard Buyout Loan as Outflows Subside |author=Krista Giovacco |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-09/providence-increases-blackboard-buyout-loan-as-outflows-subside.html |work=[[Businessweek]] |date=9 September 2011 |accessdate=17 May 2013}}</ref><ref name=Edline12>{{cite web |url=http://edline.com/news-events/edline-in-the-news/engage |title=Our Company is getting a new name! |date=11 June 2012 |work=edline.com |publisher=Edline |accessdate=17 May 2013}}</ref> ===New leadership=== Jay Bhatt succeeded Chasen as CEO of the company in October 2012.<ref name=Nagel12>{{cite news |title=Blackboard CEO Chasen To Step Down |last1=Nagel |first1=David |url=http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/10/15/blackboard-ceo-chasen-to-step-down.aspx |newspaper=THEJournal |date=15 October 2012 |accessdate=23 January 2014}}</ref> Bhatt came to the company after serving as the CEO of [[Progress Software]].<ref name=Huang14/> As CEO of Blackboard, Bhatt combined the company's product portfolio into offerings called solutions.<ref name=Feldstein14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard’s Big News that Nobody Noticed |author=Michael Feldstein |url=http://mfeldstein.com/blackboards-big-news-nobody-noticed/ |work=e-Literate |date=18 July 2014 |accessdate=2 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=Corcoran14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard's Jay Bhatt Strikes Up the Brass Band |author=Betsy Corcoran |url=https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-07-23-blackboard-s-jay-bhatt-strikes-up-the-brass-band?elq=29068c31188e4150bde7dd6db8a3dab7&elqCampaignId=7599 |work=[[Edsurge]] |date=23 July 2014 |accessdate=2 September 2014}}</ref> He also restructured the company by market (including North America and International) rather than by product, and consolidated product development and management under new executives.<ref name=Overly14/> It was reported in July 2014 that approximately 500 of Blackboard's 3,000 employees were hired between 2013 and 2014.<ref name=Corcoran14/> The company's key focuses under Bhatt's leadership have been: student-driven learning solutions; investing in Blackboard Learn, the company's core product;<ref name=Young14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard May Double or Triple Spending on Software Development |author=Jeffrey R. Young |url=http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/blackboard-will-double-or-triple-spending-on-software-development/44743 |work=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]] |date=11 July 2014 |accessdate=2 September 2014}}</ref> integrating the company’s portfolio of products; and building education service offerings, such as online program management.<ref name=FlookJuly13/><ref name=Weissman14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard makes another acquisition, says it will make good on past acquisitions |author=Cale Guthrie Weissman |url=http://pando.com/2014/01/15/blackboard-makes-another-acquisition-says-it-will-make-good-on-past-acquisitions/ |work=15 January 2014 |date=[[PandoDaily]] |accessdate=29 May 2014}}</ref><ref name=Heussner13/> In 2013, the company introduced a platform to host [[Massive open online course|massive open online courses]] called MOOCs, and it introduced student profiles and databases in 2014.<ref name=FlookJuly13/><ref name=Young14/><ref name=Huang14/> Bhatt also changed the company's strategy for acquiring new businesses. Rather than purchasing competitors, Bhatt has stated he prefers to acquire companies based on their innovations.<ref name=Young14/> In July 2014, Bhatt announced multiple product changes, including a redesign of Blackboard's [[User experience|UX]] to an interface resembling [[iOS]], expanding the deployment options of Blackboard Learn to include [[self-hosting|self-hosted]], [[Dedicated hosting service|managed hosting]] and [[Cloud computing|public cloud]], and improvements to Blackboard's mobile app.<ref name=Feldstein14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard’s Big News that Nobody Noticed |author=Michael Feldstein |url=http://mfeldstein.com/blackboards-big-news-nobody-noticed/ |work=e-Literate |date=18 July 2014 |accessdate=2 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=Corcoran14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard's Jay Bhatt Strikes Up the Brass Band |author=Betsy Corcoran |url=https://www.edsurge.com/n/2014-07-23-blackboard-s-jay-bhatt-strikes-up-the-brass-band?elq=29068c31188e4150bde7dd6db8a3dab7&elqCampaignId=7599 |work=[[Edsurge]] |date=23 July 2014 |accessdate=2 September 2014}}</ref> As of July 2014, Blackboard serves approximately 17,000 schools and organizations.<ref name=Corcoran14/> It holds the highest share of the education market with 75 percent of colleges and universities and more than half of K-12 districts in the US using its products and services.<ref name=Empson14>{{cite news |title=Education Giant Blackboard Buys MyEdu To Help Refresh Its Brand And Reanimate Its User Experience |author=Rip Empson |url=http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/16/education-giant-blackboard-buys-myedu-to-help-refresh-its-brand-and-reanimate-its-user-experience/ |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=16 January 2014 |accessdate=29 May 2014}}</ref> As of September 2014, Blackboard had acquired MyEdu,<ref name=Huang14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard CEO Jay Bhatt on the Global Future of Edtech |author=Gregory T. Huang |url=http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2014/06/02/blackboard-ceo-jay-bhatt-on-the-global-future-of-edtech/ |work=[[Xconomy]] |date=2 June 2014 |accessdate=2 September 2014}}</ref> Perceptis,<ref name=Corcoran14/> and CardSmith,<ref name=Schaffhauser14/> and Requestec<ref name=OverlySept14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard scoops up British technology firm Requestec for undisclosed sum |author=Steven Overly |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/blackboard-scoops-up-british-technology-firm-requestec-for-undisclosed-sum/2014/09/25/ede39098-44c1-11e4-b47c-f5889e061e5f_story.html |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=25 September 2014 |accessdate=5 November 2014}}</ref> under Bhatt's leadership. The acquisitions reflected Bhatt's new acquisition strategy of making investments that serve students and will lead to innovations in Blackboard's core teaching and learning products.<ref name=Schaffhauser14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Expands Transact Business with CardSmith Acquisition |author=Dian Schaffhauser |url=http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/08/07/blackboard-expands-transact-business-with-cardsmith-acquisition.aspx |work=T.H.E. Journal |date=7 August 2014 |accessdate=4 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=Feldstein14/>

My second request is for a new section to follow the History section. Blackboard has a reputation for acquiring companies—and rightfully so, it has gained four companies in the last year alone. Including the details of each one of the acquisitions in the History section makes that section very long, however, and perhaps takes away from its readability. I think information about Blackboard's acquisitions is important to keep in the article as it is a major part of the company's strategy, so I'd like to propose having a separate section about mergers and acquisitions which will allow readers to find information they're interested in more easily. I've written a draft for this section below:

Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions

Blackboard has used the acquisition of other companies as a strategy to both limit competitors and enter new markets.[1][2][3] Between 2006 and 2012, the company spent more than $500 million on acquisitions.[2]

In 2001, Blackboard acquired AT&T Campuswide and CEI Special Teams, developers of ID cards that can be used for campus commerce and security.[4] The following year, the company purchased George Washington University's course management software, Prometheus.[5] Blackboard acquired SA Cash, a student ID rewards program developed by Student Advantage, in 2003.[6]

In October 2005, the company announced that it was acquiring WebCT Inc., its largest rival in the education software industry.[7] Through the acquisition, Blackboard gained over 1,400 institutional customers as well as 274 employees.[7] In the two years leading to the merger, Blackboard's most significant growth was in the elementary and secondary education client sector.[7] According to market research company Eduventures, the merger with WebCT increased the firm's share of the higher-education market to between 65 and 75 percent.[8]

Following the purchase of WebCT, Blackboard purchased content management company, Xythos Software, Inc in November 2007.[9] The company expanded into the area of emergency phone and email notifications with the acquisition of NTI Group in 2008, which became the basis for Blackboard Connect.[10][11] In 2009, the acquisition of ANGEL Learning, an education software developer, increased Blackboard's client base to nearly 6,000 educational institutions, companies and government agencies.[12] In July of the same year, the company purchased the Stanford University student-run TerribyClever Design, LLC, whose iPhone application provided the basis for the Blackboard Mobile division to develop the service for other university campuses.[13] Blackboard then acquired Saf-T-Net, provider of mobile alerts for K-12, in March 2010.[14]

In July 2010, the company purchased both Wimba, Inc. and Elluminate, Inc., providers of online and mobile collaboration tools, to form Blackboard Collaborate. The purchase of iStrategy, a data analysis firm, in December of 2010 led to the creation of Blackboard Analytics.[15] Blackboard Student Services was developed from Presidium Inc., a provider of administrative and academic support services, which Blackboard acquired in January 2011.[16]

The company merged with Edline, a provider of online communications software for K-12 schools, after Edline's owner, Providence Equity Partners, acquired Blackboard in October 2011.[17] Edline was renamed Blackboard Engage in June 2012.[18][19]

In March 2012 Blackboard acquired two companies based on Moodle's open-source software: Baltimore-based Moodlerooms Inc. and NetSpot of Adelaide, Australia. The two companies became the basis of Blackboard's Open Source Services division.[20][21]

In January 2014, Blackboard made its first acquisition under the leadership of Jay Bhatt with the purchase of MyEdu, an Austin-based online education company, which provides education and career planning tools for college students. The acquisition was seen as Blackboard stepping toward a new focus on student-based software according to The Washington Post.[22] The acquisition was followed by the purchase of Perceptis, a provider of help desk and administrative services, in July 2014.[23][24] In August 2014, Blackboard acquired CardSmith, a company that offers cards for student credentials and on-campus payments. Through the acquisition, Blackboard acquired 200 customers as well as cloud-based services for its Blackboard Transact product.[25] In September 2014, The company acquired Requestec, a provider of Web-based Real Time Communication (WebRTC) technology that allows IP telephony, video conferencing and instant messaging directly within desktop and mobile browsers.[26]

References

  1. ^ Ki Mae Heussner (12 July 2013). "A new Blackboard? 4 ways the ed tech giant's new CEO hopes to win back market share". GigaOM. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b Kenneth C. Green (2 April 2012). "The Long (and Open?) View on Blackboard". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  3. ^ Rip Empson (18 October 2012). "Blackboard: With Both Co-founders Now Gone, It's The End Of An Era For The Education Software Giant". TechCrunch. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  4. ^ Irwin, Neil (November 29, 2000). "Blackboard to Chalk Up 2 Acquisitions; Smart-Card Companies Augment Technology And Customer Base". The Washington Post.
  5. ^ Greg Licamele (5 March 2002). "GW's Prometheus Merges with Software Developer Blackboard Inc". By George!. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Student Advantage sells SA Cash program to Blackboard". Boston Business Journal. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Makers of Online Systems Merge; Blackboard buys up rival in course-handling market". Education Week. Vol. 25, no. 9. October 26, 2005. p. 8.
  8. ^ Carnevale, Dan (February 17, 2006). "Justice Department Sees No Antitrust Concerns in Blackboard's Plan to Take Over WebCT". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Vol. 52, no. 24. p. 37. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |pmd= (help)
  9. ^ Andrea Foster (5 January 2008). "Blackboard Acquires Another Software Company". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  10. ^ Zachary R. Mider (14 January 2008). "Blackboard to Buy NTI, Alert Maker, for $182 Million (Update1)". Bloomberg. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  11. ^ Bill Flook (16 July 2013). "Rebuilding Blackboard: How Jay Bhatt plans to resurrect one of D.C.'s original tech startups". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  12. ^ Kennedy, Kathleen (May 20, 2009). "Blackboard Inc.Purchases Education Software Developer". Education Week. Vol. 28, no. 32. p. 4.
  13. ^ Harlin, Kevin (January 8, 2010). "Blackboard Inc. Washington, D.C. Educational Software Maker Binds Students And Faculty". Investor's Business Daily. p. A06.
  14. ^ Leena Rao (8 March 2010). "Blackboard Buys Mobile Messaging Company Saf-T-Net For $33 Million". TechCrunch. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kolowich was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Young, Jeff (January 12, 2011). "In Bid to Expand Into Student Services, Blackboard Buys Presidium". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  17. ^ Jeff Clabaugh (5 October 2011). "Blackboard private, merges with Edline". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  18. ^ Krista Giovacco (9 September 2011). "Providence Increases Blackboard Buyout Loan as Outflows Subside". Businessweek. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  19. ^ "Our Company is getting a new name!". edline.com. Edline. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  20. ^ Jeff Clabaugh (26 March 2012). "Blackboard makes Moodle acquisitions". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  21. ^ Steve Kolowich (27 March 2012). "Blackboard's Open-Source Pivot". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  22. ^ Overly, Steven (16 January 2014). "The Download: Blackboard makes first acquisition under CEO Jay Bhatt". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  23. ^ Lawrence Biemiller (8 July 2014). "QuickWire: Blackboard Swallows a Small Competitor". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  24. ^ Roger Riddell (8 July 2014). "Blackboard expands student services with Perceptis acquisition". EducationDive. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  25. ^ Cite error: The named reference Schaffhauser14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference OverlySept14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Markup
==Mergers and acquisitions== Blackboard has used the acquisition of other companies as a strategy to both limit competitors and enter new markets.<ref name=Heussner13>{{cite news |title=A new Blackboard? 4 ways the ed tech giant’s new CEO hopes to win back market share |author=Ki Mae Heussner |url=https://gigaom.com/2013/07/12/a-new-blackboard-4-ways-the-ed-tech-giants-new-ceo-hopes-to-win-back-market-share/ |work=[[GigaOM]] |date=12 July 2013 |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref><ref name=Green12>{{cite news |title=The Long (and Open?) View on Blackboard |author=Kenneth C. Green |url=http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/digital-tweed/long-and-open-view-blackboard#sthash.b9UjZqN5.dpbs |work=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |date=2 April 2012 |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref><ref name=Empson12>{{cite news |title=Blackboard: With Both Co-founders Now Gone, It’s The End Of An Era For The Education Software Giant |author=Rip Empson |url= http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/18/with-both-co-founders-now-gone-its-the-end-of-an-era-for-education-software-giant-blackboard/ |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=18 October 2012 |accessdate=30 May 2013}}</ref> Between 2006 and 2012, the company spent more than $500 million on acquisitions.<ref name=Green12/> In 2001, Blackboard acquired AT&T Campuswide and CEI Special Teams, developers of ID cards that can be used for campus commerce and security.<ref name=Irwin00>{{cite news |title=Blackboard to Chalk Up 2 Acquisitions; Smart-Card Companies Augment Technology And Customer Base |first=Neil |last=Irwin |url= |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 29, 2000}}</ref> The following year, the company purchased [[George Washington University|George Washington University's]] course management software, Prometheus.<ref name=Licamele02>{{cite news |title=GW’s Prometheus Merges with Software Developer Blackboard Inc. |author=Greg Licamele |url=http://www.gwu.edu/~bygeorge/march7ByG!/prometheus.html |work=By George! |date=5 March 2002 |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref> Blackboard acquired SA Cash, a student ID rewards program developed by Student Advantage, in 2003.<ref name=BostonBusinessJournal03>{{cite news |title=Student Advantage sells SA Cash program to Blackboard |author= |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2003/02/03/daily8.html |work=[[American City Business Journals|Boston Business Journal]] |date=3 February 2003 |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref> In October 2005, the company announced that it was acquiring [[WebCT]] Inc., its largest rival in the education software industry.<ref name=EW05>{{cite news |title=Makers of Online Systems Merge; Blackboard buys up rival in course-handling market |magazine=Education Week |date=October 26, 2005 |volume=25 |issue=9 |page=8}}</ref> Through the acquisition, Blackboard gained over 1,400 institutional customers as well as 274 employees.<ref name=EW05/> In the two years leading to the merger, Blackboard's most significant growth was in the elementary and secondary education client sector.<ref name=EW05/> According to market research company Eduventures, the merger with WebCT increased the firm's share of the higher-education market to between 65 and 75 percent.<ref name=Carnevale>{{cite news |title=Justice Department Sees No Antitrust Concerns in Blackboard's Plan to Take Over WebCT |first=Dan |last=Carnevale |newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education |isbn= |issn= |oclc= |pmid= |pmd= |bibcode= |id= |date=February 17, 2006 |page=37 |volume=52 |issue=24}}</ref> Following the purchase of WebCT, Blackboard purchased content management company, Xythos Software, Inc in November 2007.<ref name=Foster08>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Acquires Another Software Company |author=Andrea Foster |url=http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/blackboard-acquires-another-software-company/3641 |work=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]] |date=5 January 2008 |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref> The company expanded into the area of emergency phone and email notifications with the acquisition of NTI Group in 2008, which became the basis for Blackboard Connect.<ref name=Mider08>{{cite news |title=Blackboard to Buy NTI, Alert Maker, for $182 Million (Update1) |author=Zachary R. Mider |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?sid=a0IWy6J.gKmY&pid=newsarchive |work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |date=14 January 2008 |accessdate=29 May 2014}}</ref><ref name=FlookJuly13>{{cite news |title=Rebuilding Blackboard: How Jay Bhatt plans to resurrect one of D.C.’s original tech startups |author=Bill Flook |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/print-edition/2013/07/26/rebuilding-blackboard-how-jay-bhatt.html?page=all |work=[[American City Business Journals|Washington Business Journal]] |date=16 July 2013 |accessdate=29 May 2014}}</ref> In 2009, the acquisition of [[ANGEL Learning]], an education software developer, increased Blackboard's client base to nearly 6,000 educational institutions, companies and government agencies.<ref name=Kennedy09>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Inc.Purchases Education Software Developer |first=Kathleen |last=Kennedy |newspaper=Education Week |date=May 20, 2009 |page=4 |volume=28 |issue=32}}</ref> In July of the same year, the company purchased the [[Stanford University]] student-run TerribyClever Design, LLC, whose [[iPhone]] [[Application software|application]] provided the basis for the Blackboard Mobile division to develop the service for other university campuses.<ref name=Harlin10>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Inc. Washington, D.C. Educational Software Maker Binds Students And Faculty |first=Kevin |last=Harlin |newspaper=Investor's Business Daily |date=January 8, 2010 |page=A06}}</ref> Blackboard then acquired Saf-T-Net, provider of mobile alerts for [[K–12 (education)|K-12]], in March 2010.<ref name=Rao10>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Buys Mobile Messaging Company Saf-T-Net For $33 Million |author=Leena Rao |url=http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/08/blackboard-buys-mobile-messaging-company-saf-t-net-for-33-million/ |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=8 March 2010 |accessdate=29 May 2014}}</ref> In July 2010, the company purchased both Wimba, Inc. and Elluminate, Inc., providers of online and mobile collaboration tools, to form Blackboard Collaborate. The purchase of iStrategy, a data analysis firm, in December of 2010 led to the creation of Blackboard Analytics.<ref name="Kolowich"/> Blackboard Student Services was developed from Presidium Inc., a provider of administrative and academic support services, which Blackboard acquired in January 2011.<ref name=Pres>{{cite news |title=In Bid to Expand Into Student Services, Blackboard Buys Presidium |first=Jeff |last=Young |url=http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/in-bid-to-expand-into-student-services-blackboard-buys-presidium/28965 |newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education |date=January 12, 2011 |accessdate=August 30, 2011}}</ref> The company merged with [[Edline]], a provider of online communications software for K-12 schools, after Edline's owner, Providence Equity Partners, acquired Blackboard in October 2011.<ref name=Clabaugh11>{{cite news |title=Blackboard private, merges with Edline |author=Jeff Clabaugh |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2011/10/05/blackboard-private-merges-with-edline.html |work=[[American City Business Journals|Washington Business Journal]] |date=5 October 2011|accessdate=17 May 2013}}</ref> Edline was renamed Blackboard Engage in June 2012.<ref name=Giovacco11>{{cite news |title=Providence Increases Blackboard Buyout Loan as Outflows Subside |author=Krista Giovacco |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-09/providence-increases-blackboard-buyout-loan-as-outflows-subside.html |work=[[Businessweek]] |date=9 September 2011 |accessdate=17 May 2013}}</ref><ref name=Edline12>{{cite web |url=http://edline.com/news-events/edline-in-the-news/engage |title=Our Company is getting a new name! |date=11 June 2012 |work=edline.com |publisher=Edline |accessdate=17 May 2013}}</ref> In March 2012 Blackboard acquired two companies based on [[Moodle]]'s open-source software: [[Baltimore]]-based Moodlerooms Inc. and NetSpot of [[Adelaide]], Australia. The two companies became the basis of Blackboard's Open Source Services division.<ref name=Clabaugh>{{cite news |title=Blackboard makes Moodle acquisitions |author=Jeff Clabaugh |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2012/03/26/blackboard-makes-moodle-acquisitions.html |work=[[American City Business Journals |Washington Business Journal]] |date=26 March 2012 |accessdate=5 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=Kolowich12>{{cite news |title=Blackboard's Open-Source Pivot |author=Steve Kolowich |url=http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/03/27/blackboard-buys-moodlerooms-creates-open-source-division#sthash.eds4ewfp.dpbs |work=[[Inside Higher Ed]]|date=27 March 2012 |accessdate=28 May 2014}}</ref> In January 2014, Blackboard made its first acquisition under the leadership of Jay Bhatt with the purchase of MyEdu, an [[Austin]]-based online education company, which provides education and career planning tools for college students. The acquisition was seen as Blackboard stepping toward a new focus on student-based software according to ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref name=Overly14>{{cite news |title=The Download: Blackboard makes first acquisition under CEO Jay Bhatt |last1=Overly |first1=Steven|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/the-download-blackboard-makes-first-acquisition-under-ceo-jay-bhatt/2014/01/16/35e7dc1e-7d5d-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=16 January 2014 |accessdate=23 January 2014}}</ref> The acquisition was followed by the purchase of Perceptis, a provider of [[help desk]] and administrative services, in July 2014.<ref name=Biemiller14>{{cite news |title=QuickWire: Blackboard Swallows a Small Competitor |author= Lawrence Biemiller |url=http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/quickwire-blackboard-swallows-a-small-competitor/53761 |work=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]] |date=8 July 2014 |accessdate=4 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=Riddell14>{{cite news |title=Blackboard expands student services with Perceptis acquisition |author=Roger Riddell |url=http://www.educationdive.com/news/blackboard-expands-student-services-with-perceptis-acquisition/283456/ |work=EducationDive |date=8 July 2014 |accessdate=5 September 2014}}</ref> In August 2014, Blackboard acquired CardSmith, a company that offers cards for student credentials and on-campus payments. Through the acquisition, Blackboard acquired 200 customers as well as cloud-based services for its Blackboard Transact product.<ref name=Schaffhauser14/> In September 2014, The company acquired Requestec, a provider of [[WebRTC|Web-based Real Time Communication (WebRTC)]] technology that allows [[Voice over IP| IP telephony]], [[Videoconferencing|video conferencing]] and [[instant messaging]] directly within desktop and mobile browsers.<ref name=OverlySept14/>

Just a quick note about both drafts: because I've used material that's already in the article, in several places the citation is the short version, rather than the full one as the full cite is given elsewhere in the article. This means there's some gaps in the reflists in this request. Hopefully this won't be a problem since the material in question is already in the article, so does not need to have its sources spot-checked.

I realize this is quite a bit of new material, so I invite editors to take their time reviewing it and let me know if there are any questions. If there are no questions, I would appreciate if another editor could make the edits if they agree with them. Thanks. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:40, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

With many thanks to, ChrisGualtieri, this request is now complete. The sections have been moved into the live article. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 12:34, 9 December 2014 (UTC)
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