SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc.
(Nasdaq: BBBB), today announced the launch of a cloud-based
learning management solution developed specifically for
corporations focused on sales training and professional
development. Fully integrated into Salesforce CRM, Blackboard
Learn™ for Sales, is designed to align employee development
programs with key corporate priorities and business goals by
allowing sales reps, business partners and service teams to
directly enroll in and complete training courses on Blackboard's
flagship learning management platform.
The announcement was made today at Dreamforce 2011, the cloud
computing event of the year being held at the Moscone Center in
San Francisco.
With a single Salesforce login, sales managers can measure the
impact of training on sales growth, certify reps on new products,
deliver training to geographically dispersed or traveling teams,
and create targeted courses for reps needing improvement.
Blackboard Learn for Sales fully complements the usage of social
learning tools and is integrated with Salesforce Chatter, allowing
colleagues to instantly share information and ideas.
"Our new solution allows salespeople to parallel their daily
Salesforce usage with an engaging interface that delivers impactful
and collaborative product, promotion and sales training," said
Tim Hill, president of Blackboard
Professional Education (ProEd). "Now sales leaders will be able to
align training with sales and business metrics. It's high time that
companies integrate sales tracking and pipeline management with
sales and product training to really move the needle on sales
performance. Through our partnership with salesforce.com, we are
helping maintain peak employee performance levels that will have a
real impact on a company's bottom line."
Used worldwide by millions of learners and by hundreds of
companies, associations, and government agencies, Blackboard Learn
embeds the concept of informal learning directly into the platform
by incorporating social learning tools and Web 2.0 innovations that
enable collaborative, peer-to-peer learning experiences. The
application can also be enabled for use on smartphones and other
mobile devices.
"Customers coming to Dreamforce will have a chance to see some
truly innovative approaches that partners like Blackboard have
taken in leveraging the capabilities of the Force.com platform,"
said Ron Huddleston, vice president,
ISV Alliances, salesforce.com. "Apps like these continue to push
the social, open, mobile and trusted capabilities customers expect
from the salesforce.com ecosystem."
The ninth annual Dreamforce conference will welcome more than
30,000 customers, partners and developers to the new world of the
social enterprise. With more than 450 sessions and 250 cloud
companies in the expo, Dreamforce offers the content and
educational opportunities that enable attendees to tap into the
power of the social enterprise. Blackboard will be in booth #1006
in the Dreamforce Expo.
For more information about Blackboard Learn for Sales, please
visit www.blackboard.com/salesforce.
About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) is a global leader in enterprise
technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of
millions of students and learners around the world every day.
Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12,
professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend
teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and
security, and communicate more effectively with their communities.
Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia
and Australia.
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 Form 10-K filed
on February 18, 2011 and Form 10-Q
filed on August 4, 2011 with the
SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in
this press release represent the Company's views as of August 31, 2011. 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
August 31, 2011.
SOURCE Blackboard Inc.