Washington — Nov. 9
Blackboard has made an investment to support online learning in China by acquiring full ownership of CerBibo, a company that has brought its online learning service to hundreds of institutions in China, the company announced Wednesday.
Blackboard says it has seen strong momentum in China with CerBibo, a joint venture launched in 2003 in partnership with CERNET, a public-private organization that provides technology and information services to Chinese education institutions. The venture has brought Blackboard’s online teaching and learning product to more than 270 Chinese higher education and K-12 institutions including Peking University, Renmin University, Sun Yat-Sen University and the China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS).
Given the effort’s success and the growing demand for education technology in China, Blackboard wanted to have a more direct investment in the region as institutions explore options for online and distance learning to meet the needs of rapidly expanding enrollments. The company expects the acquisition to simplify the process for bringing new products and investments to Chinese institutions.
With CerBibo operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blackboard, Chinese institutions will gain access to Blackboard’s newest teaching and learning platform, Blackboard Learn 9.1, which has been adopted in the United States and other regions.
Institutions will also get access to other products from Blackboard including Blackboard Collaborate for Web conferencing, Blackboard Mobile to support course access and campus services through smartphones and mobile devices, and Blackboard Connect for mass notification and alert.
In addition to bringing a new mix of technologies to China, Blackboard will also make its existing Blackboard Building Blocks program available to Chinese institutions. Leveraging the open APIs of the Blackboard Learn platform, Blackboard Building Blocks lets clients customize their online learning systems with a range of existing enhancements and the ability to develop their own.
Source: Blackboard Inc.
