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Requesting a few updates

Hi folks, I've been asked by Blackboard to request some updates to a few areas of this article, as there have been some changes at Blackboard recently. Because I have a financial COI, I will not be making any direct edits to the article. Instead, I'll propose the updates here on the Talk page so other editors can review them and then implement them if they look okay. I should also note that I am a colleague of editors 16912 Rhiannon and WWB Too, who have posted here previously.

  • The first request is for "Blackboard Learning System" in the introductory paragraph to be changed to "Blackboard Learn," which is supported by this source.
  • Secondly, I'd like to propose including additional recent events under the Buyout heading of the History section. I've prepared new language to follow information about Blackboard's acquisition of Moodlerooms Inc. and NetSpot.
Addition to Buyout section
Jay Bhatt succeeded Chasen as CEO of the company in October 2012.[1] In January 2014, Blackboard purchased Austin-based online education company MyEdu, which provides education and career planning tools for college students. The acquisition was the first under Bhatt's leadership and was seen as a step toward a new focus on student-based software according to The Washington Post.[2]

References

  1. ^ Nagel, David (15 October 2012). "Blackboard CEO Chasen To Step Down". T.H.E. Journal. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  2. ^ Overly, Steven (16 January 2014). "The Download: Blackboard makes first acquisition under CEO Jay Bhatt". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
Markup
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=[[T.H.E. Journal]] |date=15 October 2012 |accessdate=23 January 2014}}</ref> In January 2014, Blackboard purchased Austin-based online education company MyEdu, which provides education and career planning tools for college students. The acquisition was the first under Bhatt's leadership and was seen as a step 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>
  • Finally, I'd like to request recent leadership changes be reflected in the Operations section of the article. I've revised the entire last sentence of this section below. Please note that the final two SVP's titles can only be verified via the company Leadership page.
New leadership sentence
The company's leadership is comprised of president and CEO Jay Bhatt, CFO Bill Davis,[1] SVP of Product Management Mark Strassman, SVP of Product Development Gary Lang, SVP of International Matt Small, SVP of Marketing Tracey Stout,[2] SVP of Education Services Katie Blot,[3] SVP of K-12 Mark Belles,[4] SVP of Higher Education, Corporate & Government Markets Maurice Heiblum, and SVP of Blackboard Transact David Marr.[5]

References

  1. ^ Tong Zhang (15 November 2012). "Michael Chasen calls D.C. a top tech city". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  2. ^ Flook, Bill (28 June 2013). "Exclusive: Blackboard brings in Autodesk vets in centralization push". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  3. ^ Joshua Kim (16 January 2013). "7 Questions for Katie Blot, President Blackboard Education Services". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Nixa Public Schools earns national communication award". Christian County Headliner. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Leadership". Blackboard. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
Markup
The company's leadership is comprised of president and CEO Jay Bhatt, CFO Bill Davis,<ref name=Zhang12>{{cite news |title= Michael Chasen calls D.C. a top tech city |author= Tong Zhang |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2012/11/15/michael-chasen-calls-dc-a-top-tech.html |work=[[American City Business Journals|Washington Business Journal]] |date=15 November 2012 |accessdate=23 January 2014}}</ref> SVP of Product Management Mark Strassman, SVP of Product Development Gary Lang, SVP of International Matt Small, SVP of Marketing Tracey Stout,<ref name=FlookJun13>{{cite news |title=Exclusive: Blackboard brings in Autodesk vets in centralization push |last1=Flook |first1=Bill |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/techflash/2013/06/blackboard-brings-in-autodesk-vets-in.html?page=all |newspaper=[[American City Business Journals|Washington Business Journal]] |date=28 June 2013 |accessdate=23 January 2014}}</ref> SVP of Education Services Katie Blot,<ref name=Kim13>{{cite news |title=7 Questions for Katie Blot, President Blackboard Education Services |author=Joshua Kim |url=http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/7-questions-katie-blot-president-blackboard-education-services |work=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |date=16 January 2013 |accessdate=23 January 2014}}</ref> SVP of K-12 Mark Belles,<ref name=CC13>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Nixa Public Schools earns national communication award |url=http://ccheadliner.com/n2christiancounty/nixa-public-schools-earns-national-communication-award/article_a2690d8e-4d49-11e3-80d1-001a4bcf887a.html |newspaper=[[Christian County Headliner]] |date=14 November 2013 |accessdate=23 January 2014 }}</ref> SVP of Higher Education, Corporate & Government Markets Maurice Heiblum, and SVP of Blackboard Transact David Marr.<ref name=Blackboard14>{{cite web |url=https://www.blackboard.com/About-Bb/Who-We-Are/Leadership.aspx |title=Leadership |publisher=[[Blackboard]] |accessdate=6 February 2014}}</ref>

I may be back with some additional update requests later, but I hope an editor can take a look at these in the meantime and, if they look okay, go ahead and implement these changes. Let me know if you have any questions! Cheers, ChrisPond (Talk · COI) 14:51, 7 February 2014 (UTC)

I finished making these changes; I hope that the way that I implemented these is satisfactory.--ɱ (talk) 20:58, 10 February 2014 (UTC)
Looks perfect, thanks so much! ChrisPond (Talk · COI) 22:26, 10 February 2014 (UTC)
I've removed the info about the WP:NN executives. While you have sources, it's not clear that the information there does anything other than promote the executives that have hired you. There's no indication that they've done anything that needs to be noted in an encyclopedia. Sure they have the roles now but this isn't Linkedin. The info about the CEO is presented in other areas of the article. The Dissident Aggressor 16:24, 13 December 2014 (UTC)

Marketing

This article looks like it was written by BlackBoard's marcom department. The Dissident Aggressor 16:58, 11 December 2014 (UTC)

I've removed some redundant information and some material that was obvious corporate spin. There's more to be done. This is a mess. The Dissident Aggressor 14:09, 13 December 2014 (UTC)
I've added a well-sourced criticism section to balance out some of the spin provided by these COI editors. The Dissident Aggressor 16:19, 13 December 2014 (UTC)
Hi DissidentAggressor, first of all, thanks for finding and fixing the error in the two references I had switched in my proposed draft for the introduction. I'm not sure how that happened and I apologize for the confusion. Second, as you'll see from discussions above, any material proposed for this page has been reviewed by independent editors before being placed into this article. Both myself and WWB Too have been clear about our COI here and specifically sought review of our suggested changes on that basis. We each have been circumspect about what changes we've requested and have aimed to provide neutral content, not "spin". I'm sorry to hear, therefore, that you feel there are areas of this article that are problematic and respectfully disagree that this article "is a mess". I'd be happy to discuss any specific issues with you.
I see that you've removed the explanation of Blackboard's switch to offering solutions instead of individual products. Without this section under Products and services, the details about the products and services is now a little misleading, seeming to suggest that they're available individually. If the text of the section was an issue, perhaps we could find a compromise wording that you feel would work better? If you just oppose there being a section called Solutions, how about working some wording to explain the change into the existing sections on Products and services?
Also, I understand the addition of the criticism of Blackboard, though generally criticism sections are discouraged, which is why you'll see that previously WWB Too had suggested incorporating criticism into the Products and services section. Likewise the criticism you've added could be incorporated into that section. What do you think?
Finally, regarding the "infamous" line added to the introduction, if you feel it's necessary to include in the introduction and other editors agree, then I won't push the issue. However, I do think that it's really unusual and POV to make this the second line of the article. While I know that this is a bit "other stuff exists", even companies that are primarily known for their controversies (e.g. Blackwater (now Academi), Monsanto, Halliburton) don't have that as the second line of their Wikipedia articles. What do you think about moving the line into the second paragraph to balance the details about Blackboard's products' use in 75% of US colleges? 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 20:51, 15 December 2014 (UTC)
Regarding any switch to solutions, I can't imagine that anyone outside of either the VP of sales or your CMO cares about solutions vs. products. If you're worried about your potential customers being misled, then you need to understand that this page is not here to educate your customers on your offerings. In fact, the history section is far too detailed and company-centric.
I added the criticism because the criticism of the company is extreme - as a "most hated" company, it is highly relevant. Such criticism is indeed an exceptional claim but it is supported by multiple reliable sources in the article (as well as dozens of less reliable sources not included in the article). Such extreme criticism of your employer is relevant and should be part of the lede. As I said below, if your company is infamous for something, I'd say that it belongs pretty high in the lede. The Dissident Aggressor 23:28, 15 December 2014 (UTC)
Perhaps Rhiannon can respond more eloquently, but it appears you're just a disgruntled consumer, and therefore have as much conflict of interest as Rhiannon does. I believe that details about products and services are relevant, although perhaps the wording "Solutions" isn't the best choice, being a biased-sounding marketing term. I can support her that the recent changes were approved by uninvolved editors and are far from being 'a mess'; as well, with my primary interest on this Wiki relating to history, I can inform you that you can never be too detailed with writing history on Wikipedia. If needed, the article History of Blackboard could be created. As for being company-centric, one would expect a history of a company to be 'company-centric', no?--ɱ (talk · vbm) 00:54, 16 December 2014 (UTC)
Full disclosure: I have never used any Blackboard product, nor do I have any connection to the company. I happened upon this article through the "random article" link and have endeavored to improve this article that has been heavily influenced - whitewashed even - by paid COI editors. The Dissident Aggressor 01:24, 16 December 2014 (UTC)
That's good to hear, but Rhiannon isn't a regular employee that would be proud of the company in any way and reflect that in the writing; the job is just to write the article, and I as well feel that it's fairly neutral. Articles, including ones on companies, aren't supposed to be heavy in support or criticism. There's no section in the Barack Obama article primarily voicing criticism; and so you can't say that just because there's a lot of extreme criticism, it has to be spotlighted. And I saw that most of your sources were popular news media, sources that often are very opinionated and biased, so I would expect harsh criticism from them, and wouldn't consider them reliable sources for many facts. And I'd say it's unfair to call Blackboard a 'most hated' company; that's wording that no neutral source, and certainly not Wikipedia, would ever use.--ɱ (talk · vbm) 01:57, 16 December 2014 (UTC)

Uh, no. The source that called them "infamous" was Rhiannon's! It was one of the two that she switched talking about the zillions of customers (see below). That's how I discovered that they were a disliked company. I had no idea. Now, I wonder why you're assailing the source that I used (that s/he provided) when the article is filled with press releases as sources. Why don't you pitch in and clean this PR piece up ? Now why you're assuming bad faith on my part, in the face of obvious corprorate editing is a good question. The Dissident Aggressor 04:32, 16 December 2014 (UTC)

If only I had time, I would get more deeply involved. I am very busy with real-life work and thus I'm only commenting a bit. As for 'taking your side versus hers', I've helped Rhiannon upon request to approve her paid editing in the past, and usually I have very few changes; her writing and neutrality is usually good. I didn't push any of her changes for this article because I've been busy and because I had more doubts with the text. Now press releases can be fine when citing simple facts, but I wouldn't use them to cite any controversial information. I had less faith in your editing because of your widespread content removal without consensus, as well as that you're adding criticisms like many would to George W. Bush. Now that I understand where you're coming from, I'm more open towards your changes and opinion. Regardless, your approach is still somewhat one-sided; I don't believe the article should be heavy in opinion-based statements like "most hated" or "infamous". Statistical facts can stand for themselves in drawing a reader towards criticism or praise. My largest work, Briarcliff Manor, New York, is one that I'd like to say is boring; I don't believe I have any opinion-based statements; they're all just facts backed up by neutral, reliable sources. That should be our ideal here.--ɱ (talk · vbm) 22:49, 16 December 2014 (UTC)
Hi Ɱ and Dissident Aggressor, sorry for being late in the day on coming back to this conversation. To clarify, as Ɱ says, I am not an employee at Blackboard, but am consulting with them on Wikipedia to help them offer updates to this article in the right way (ie. not making direct edits themselves). Again, Dissident Aggressor I'm sorry to hear you're unhappy with information in this article -- although my work has only involved the History, Mergers and acquisitions and a few smaller updates within the introduction and Products and services, I'd be happy to help with any fixes you think are needed to make this article more neutral. I see your point that there are a few press releases used in the article and it would seem reasonable to me to remove those, though the article isn't "filled with" them by any means. (Also, just to note: unless I'm very mistaken, my drafted proposals did not add any press releases.) Regarding the criticism of the company's products, like I said earlier, if you and other editors think it reasonable to include, then I won't push the matter. I do just have a couple of points of feedback: 1. would it not work better to integrate the criticism into the Products and services section, to show how the products are received by consumers?; 2. rather than having so many quotes with statements like "infamous" and "most hated" what about paraphrasing and summarizing the key criticisms instead? 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 00:01, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Claims in this article need to be verified

In the context of my statements above, the first reference I checked came up with failed verification and has been tagged as such.

I think this article needs to be gone over very carefully. I'm afraid that this smacks of corporate manipulation. The Dissident Aggressor 14:41, 13 December 2014 (UTC)

So both claims where the company has zillions of customers failed verification - they were switched. I fixed it. In doing so, I found the Empson article that said the company's software was "infamous" for negative qualities. Odd that the COI editors failed to mention that. I've added it to the lede. If the company becomes infamous for other things, that should go there too. The Dissident Aggressor 15:07, 13 December 2014 (UTC)
I have buckled to the pressure from the paid editor and removed the negative info about the company from the lede. The Dissident Aggressor 05:47, 16 December 2014 (UTC)
Look, I want to keep this civil and polite, but that's a complete mischaracterization. I did not ask you to remove the criticism. As I explained above, it seemed POV to have such criticism as the second line of the intro and I asked what you thought about moving it into the second paragraph. I'm fine with you removing it, but I dislike intensely the insinuation that I applied any pressure for you to make an edit you didn't want to. That's not how I work. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 00:12, 17 December 2014 (UTC)
Dissident Agressor asked me to comment. I have some experience of my own with the product and therefore I do not want to make any evaluation or substantial edits. I did make some copyedits. But the best way in general of resolving disputes about emphasis is to look for additional sources. DGG ( talk ) 05:35, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Replacing press release citations

Hi to anyone watching this page, also pinging DissidentAggressor, Ɱ, DGG, ChrisGualtieri and Jonpatterns who have either reviewed my suggestions here before, or with whom I had discussed this article late last year. I'd like to follow up on DissidentAggressor's previously noted concerns about the use of press releases in this article, also the length of the material discussing Acquisitions and the details included in the Criticism section, to see if we can work towards some improvements we can all agree upon.

Starting with (hopefully) the simplest of the above, the use of press releases, I'd like to propose some independent sources that can be used to replace the four press releases currently used in the article:

  • The first source to replace is #10, a BusinessWire source used in the Early history and Blackboard Learn sections. Below are the lines of text the reference supports, with suggested replacement sources:
    • Text:The combined company was renamed Blackboard Inc. and its first line of e-learning products was branded Blackboard CourseInfo
    • <ref name=Flook13>{{cite news |title=Gilfus Ventures takes on Blackboard, Instructure with Adrenna purchase |last1=Flook |first1=Bill |url=http://www.nexis.com/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=59KF-BB21-F05M-K527&csi=8399&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[American City Business Journals|Washington Business Journal]] |date=14 October 2013 |accessdate=24 April 2015}}</ref>
    • <ref name=Hammer07>{{cite news |title=Blackboard alums plan networking site |last1=Hammer |first1=Ben |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2007/06/18/story8.html |newspaper=[[American City Business Journals|Washington Business Journal]] |date=18 June 2007 |accessdate=6 April 2015}}</ref>
  • The second source to replace is #28, used under Company expansion and buy-out, where it supports just the final clause of the sentence (confirming the completion date of the buyout):
    • Text: On July 1, 2011, Blackboard agreed to a $1.64 billion buyout by an investor group led by Providence Equity Partners, completed on October 4, 2011.
    • <ref name=Korn14>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.wsj.com/privateequity/2014/11/03/providences-blackboard-to-offer-chegg-tutoring-serivces-through-its-software/ |title=Providence’s Blackboard to Offer Chegg Tutoring Services Through Its Software |author=Melissa Korn |date=3 November 2014 |work=Private Equity Beat |publisher=[[Wall Street Journal]] |accessdate=27 April 2015}}</ref>
  • The third press release source to replace is #30, used in Company expansion and buy-out, Mergers and acquisitions and Other products to support the detail about Edline being renamed to Blackboard Engage. As the new source below doesn't mention the date of the renaming, in the second instance, I recommend removing "June 2012". Also, seeing these details listed out, it strikes me that it's rather repetitive, so perhaps could just be mentioned the one time--either in the History or in Acquisitions?:
    • Text: Following the sale, Providence Equity Partners merged Edline, its K-12 learning system, with Blackboard. Edline was later renamed Blackboard Engage.
    • Text: Edline was renamed Blackboard Engage in June 2012.
    • Text: In October 2011, following Blackboard's merger with Edline, a provider of online learning products for the K-12 market, Edline's products became known as Blackboard Engage.
    • <ref name=Schaffhauser12>{{cite news |title=Blackboard Connect 5 Adds New Mass Notification Features |last1=Schaffhauser |first1=Dian |url=http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/09/17/blackboard-connect-5-adds-new-mass-notification-features.aspx?=THE21 |newspaper=THE Journal |date=17 September 2012 |accessdate=24 April 2015}}</ref>
  • Finally, source #57 for the company locations under Operations:
    • Text: The company's headquarters are in Washington, D.C. and it has offices in Asia, Australia, Europe and in several locations in North America.
    • <ref name=BloombergBusiness>{{cite news |title=Company Overview of Blackboard Inc. |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=25643 |accessdate=24 April 2015}}</ref>

While I was reviewing the citations, I also noticed that there's currently a Blogspot blog used in the Other products section to support a detail about Blackboard Collaborate being used by the Open University. I don't think this information is crucial, so it (and the citation) could be removed.

Due to my conflict of interest with this article, since I have been working as a consultant to Blackboard Inc., it would be best for others to review the above and make the changes if they are appropriate. I hope that editors will be able to help with this. Thanks in advance, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 21:05, 27 April 2015 (UTC)

I do not see these changes to be controversial and have implemented the same. Anyone is free to revert. Regards - NQ (talk) 01:46, 28 April 2015 (UTC)
Thanks NQ! Much appreciated. I'll be back here soon to discuss the Criticism and Acquisitions sections, til then, if anyone has any questions, feel free to ping me here or on my Talk page. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 21:07, 28 April 2015 (UTC)

Addressing tag on Mergers and acquisitions

Hi again! As I mentioned above, I'd like to help resolve the tag on the Mergers and acquisitions section of the article. The current section is, admittedly, quite lengthy. I think this speaks to Blackboard's history of growth being driven heavily by acquiring competitors and related companies—something that is frequently mentioned in the company's media coverage. Considering that the company is well known for its aggressive acquisition strategy, I do feel that the section should be retained. However, I can understand that it may come across as being a lot of detail that many readers may be less interested in.

Below, I've put together a more condensed draft for the section. What I've tried to do here is to give more context to the mentions of the acquisitions, while paring down the detail about individual acquisitions. That way, the impact of the acquisitions for the company's development and offerings is more clear: ie. readers are getting a better understanding of how these acquisitions have led to the Blackboard that exists today. I've also weeded out some of the smaller acquisitions that are perhaps less interesting to readers or impactful on the company's development. Can folks take a look over this and see if it would be a reasonable replacement for the existing section? I'm hoping that this draft will resolve the tag, or at least be a starting point towards it.

Condensed Mergers and acquisitions draft

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.[3]

Competing learning management platforms that were acquired by Blackboard in order to absorb their users and reduce competition include:[4] George Washington University's course management software, Prometheus, in 2002;[5] and WebCT Inc., its largest rival in the education software industry, in 2005.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8]

The company has also made acquisitions in order to expand its product base with other education-related services and software.[4] Such acquisitions include: NTI Group in 2008, which became the basis for Blackboard Connect;[4][9] providers of online and mobile collaboration tools, Wimba, Inc. and Elluminate, Inc. in 2010, to form Blackboard Collaborate; iStrategy in December 2010, which led to the creation of Blackboard Analytics;[10] Presidium Inc. in 2011, which developed into Blackboard Student Services.[11] Following the company's merger with Edline in 2011,[12] Edline was later renamed Blackboard Engage.[13] In March 2012, Blackboard acquired Moodlerooms Inc. and NetSpot of Adelaide, Australia, which then became the basis of Blackboard's Open Source Services division.[14][15]

From January 2014 to April 2015, Blackboard acquired nine companies,[16][17] including: MyEdu, an Austin-based online education company;[18] Perceptis, a provider of help desk and administrative services;[19][20] CardSmith, a company that offered cards for student ID and on-campus payments;[21] Requestec, a provider of technology for VoIP, video conferencing and instant messaging;[22] and Schoolwires, a company that specialized in building school websites.[23]

References

  1. ^ Rip Empson (October 18, 2012). "Blackboard: With Both Co-founders Now Gone, It's The End Of An Era For The Education Software Giant". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  2. ^ Ki Mae Heussner (July 12, 2013). "A new Blackboard? 4 ways the ed tech giant's new CEO hopes to win back market share". GigaOM. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Kenneth C. Green (April 2, 2012). "The Long (and Open?) View on Blackboard". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Bill Flook (July 16, 2013). "Rebuilding Blackboard: How Jay Bhatt plans to resurrect one of D.C.'s original tech startups". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  5. ^ Greg Licamele (March 5, 2002). "GW's Prometheus Merges with Software Developer Blackboard Inc". By George!. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  6. ^ "Makers of Online Systems Merge; Blackboard buys up rival in course-handling market". Education Week. Vol. 25, no. 9. October 26, 2005. p. 8.
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ Kennedy, Kathleen (May 20, 2009). "Blackboard Inc.Purchases Education Software Developer". Education Week. Vol. 28, no. 32. p. 4.
  9. ^ Zachary R. Mider (January 14, 2008). "Blackboard to Buy NTI, Alert Maker, for $182 Million (Update1)". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  10. ^ Kolowich, Steve (February 22, 2011). "Blackboard's Next Phase". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  11. ^ Young, Jeff (January 12, 2011). "In Bid to Expand Into Student Services, Blackboard Buys Presidium". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  12. ^ Jeff Clabaugh (October 5, 2011). "Blackboard private, merges with Edline". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  13. ^ Krista Giovacco (September 9, 2011). "Providence Increases Blackboard Buyout Loan as Outflows Subside". Businessweek. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  14. ^ Jeff Clabaugh (March 26, 2012). "Blackboard makes Moodle acquisitions". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  15. ^ Steve Kolowich (March 27, 2012). "Blackboard's Open-Source Pivot". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  16. ^ "Blackboard Snags Remote-Learner UK in Its Ninth Acquisition in a Year". EdSurge. April 13, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  17. ^ "Blackboard's Next Acquisition: Schoolwires". EdSurge. February 4, 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  18. ^ Overly, Steven (January 16, 2014). "The Download: Blackboard makes first acquisition under CEO Jay Bhatt". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  19. ^ Lawrence Biemiller (July 8, 2014). "QuickWire: Blackboard Swallows a Small Competitor". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  20. ^ Roger Riddell (July 8, 2014). "Blackboard expands student services with Perceptis acquisition". EducationDive. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  21. ^ Dian Schaffhauser (August 7, 2014). "Blackboard Expands Transact Business with CardSmith Acquisition". T.H.E. Journal. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  22. ^ Steven Overly (September 25, 2014). "Blackboard scoops up British technology firm Requestec for undisclosed sum". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  23. ^ Paul Sawers (February 4, 2015). "Ed-tech giant Blackboard acquires Schoolwires to help build school websites and apps for K-12 students". VentureBeat. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
Markup

Blackboard has used the acquisition of other companies as a strategy to both limit competitors and enter new markets.<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=October 18, 2012 |accessdate=May 30, 2013}}</ref><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=July 12, 2013 |accessdate=May 28, 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=April 2, 2012 |accessdate=May 28, 2014}}</ref> Between 2006 and 2012, the company spent more than $500 million on acquisitions.<ref name=Green12/>

Competing learning management platforms that were acquired by Blackboard in order to absorb their users and reduce competition include:<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=July 16, 2013 |accessdate=May 29, 2014}}</ref> [[George Washington University|George Washington University's]] course management software, Prometheus, in 2002;<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=March 5, 2002 |accessdate=May 28, 2014}}</ref> and [[WebCT]] Inc., its largest rival in the education software industry, in 2005.<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> 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> 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>

The company has also made acquisitions in order to expand its product base with other education-related services and software.<ref name=FlookJuly13/> Such acquisitions include: NTI Group in 2008, which became the basis for Blackboard Connect;<ref name=FlookJuly13/><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=January 14, 2008 |accessdate=May 29, 2014}}</ref> providers of online and mobile collaboration tools, Wimba, Inc. and Elluminate, Inc. in 2010, to form Blackboard Collaborate; iStrategy in December 2010, which led to the creation of Blackboard Analytics;<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> Presidium Inc. in 2011, which developed into Blackboard Student Services.<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> Following the company's merger with [[Edline]] in 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=October 5, 2011|accessdate=May 17, 2013}}</ref> 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=September 9, 2011 |accessdate=May 17, 2013}}</ref> In March 2012, Blackboard acquired Moodlerooms Inc. and NetSpot of [[Adelaide]], Australia, which then 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=March 26, 2012 |accessdate=September 5, 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=March 27, 2012 |accessdate=May 28, 2014}}</ref>

From January 2014 to April 2015, Blackboard acquired nine companies,<ref name=EdSurge15>{{cite web |url=https://www.edsurge.com/n/2015-04-13-blackboard-snags-remote-learner-uk-in-its-seventh-acquisition-in-a-year |title=Blackboard Snags Remote-Learner UK in Its Ninth Acquisition in a Year |author= |date=April 13, 2015 |work=[[Edsurge|EdSurge]] |publisher= |accessdate= May 1, 2015}}</ref><ref name=EdSurge15a>{{cite web |url=https://www.edsurge.com/n/2015-02-04-blackboard-s-next-acquisition-schoolwires |title=Blackboard's Next Acquisition: Schoolwires |author= |date=February 4, 2015 |work=[[Edsurge|EdSurge]]|publisher= |accessdate=7 May 2015}}</ref> including: MyEdu, an [[Austin]]-based online education company;<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=January 16, 2014 |accessdate=January 23, 2014}}</ref> Perceptis, a provider of [[help desk]] and administrative services;<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=July 8, 2014 |accessdate=September 4, 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=July 8, 2014 |accessdate=September 5, 2014}}</ref> CardSmith, a company that offered cards for student ID and on-campus payments;<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=August 7, 2014 |accessdate=September 4, 2014}}</ref> Requestec, a provider of technology for [[Voice over IP|VoIP]], [[Videoconferencing|video conferencing]] and [[instant messaging]];<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=September 25, 2014 |accessdate=November 5, 2014}}</ref> and [[Schoolwires]], a company that specialized in building school websites.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://venturebeat.com/2015/02/04/blackboard-acquires-schoolwires-to-help-build-school-websites-and-apps/ |title=Ed-tech giant Blackboard acquires Schoolwires to help build school websites and apps for K-12 students |author=Paul Sawers |date=February 4, 2015 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |publisher= |accessdate=7 May 2015}}</ref>

I've mentioned previously, but just to be crystal clear: I'm here as a consultant to Blackboard and due to that COI I will not make any edits to the article. Instead, I hope to discuss the draft here and I'm very much open to feedback and / or additional suggestions for improving this section. Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts on how best to address the Mergers and acquisitions information. Thanks, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 19:37, 7 May 2015 (UTC)

Thanks to NQ for reviewing this suggestion and making the update in the article. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 15:18, 18 May 2015 (UTC)
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