Harnessing the Power of the New Language Capabilities in the

Blackboard Academic Suite™ Christopher Etesse

Vice President Blackboard Consulting - International Practice

April 14th, 2005

Peter Van TienenDirector, Solution Engineering

Welcome

• Session Objectives:– Academic Suite Overview– Multi-language capabilities– Demonstration

• Innovation– True Multi-Language Enterprise System

• Results/Outcomes– Global Learning– Learning without Borders– Increased retention of high margin students

Now a word from our lawyers…

Any statements in this presentation about future expectations, plans and prospects for Blackboard and other statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recent 10-K filed with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of April 11, 2005. 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 April 11, 2005. Blackboard, in its sole discretion, may delay or cancel the release of any product or functionality described in this presentation.

Blackboard’s Product Strategy

• Leading institutions are harnessing the power of information networks to connect people and resources in new and powerful ways all around the world

• In moving beyond Course Web Sites, these institutions are deploying their core technologies in an effort to establish a dynamic and cohesive learning network.

• Blackboard’s product strategy is to develop and support the core technologies that enable a true Networked Learning

Environment™.

Introducing the Networked Learning Environment

Networked Learning Environment -

A true networked learning environment exists when any student or teacher can view instructional content, collaborate with educators, evaluate academic performance, and access any learning resources at any time to achieve their educational objectives.

The Networked Learning Environment

Obstacles to Growth

• The promise of e-Learning is not only national, but global

• Growing global network for education – we see clients sharing across borders

• Current commercial platforms are either:– Local, low scale, no breadth (ISV and Publishers)– US-based, with some translations, but not able to

support multiple languages within a single installation• Results are single-language products that stifle

innovation and are costly to support

International Notes

• “One student in seven is foreign.” – Daily Mail, 6/4/05, London, United Kingdom– 9 percent increase over 2004– 13.4% of total student population

in HE and FE• 35.8% from China

– Business drivers:• Overseas students pay

full fees• Full fees are 8x

domestic fees

Domestic Notes

• MENAFN.com, 6/4/05, http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=86908

– According to the US embassy, 31,852 foreign students in the US were from the Middle East in academic year 2003-04.

• “University to pay visa fee for foreign students,” 29/3/05, Online from Northwest Missouri, http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/articles/2005/03/29/news/news1.txt

– In an effort to provide a warmer welcome to full-time students from outside the United States, Northwest Missouri State University will soon begin reimbursing a $100 fee levied to foreign students by the Department of Homeland Security.

Domestic Notes, continued…

• “International graduate applications are on decline according to new CGS survey,” The Tuffs Daily, 31/3/05, http://www.tuftsdaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/03/31/424b97b653e5f

– Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) found that applications to American graduate schools from foreign students are experiencing a decline

– average decrease of five percent in application volume from abroad – less drastic cut in comparison to the 28 percent decrease in foreign

applications for the 2003-2004 academic year – most important factor, …, is increased competition from foreign graduate

schools. – Graduate school options outside the US changing

• DHS– As of December 2004, about 725,000 students and exchange visitors (F-1,

M-1 and J-1 visa categories) were registered in SEVIS. – More than 7,800 schools and 1,400 exchange programs are active in

SEVIS. – From September 2003, when all foreign students, exchange visitors and

their academic or cultural programs were required to register with SEVIS, through September 2004, SEVIS recorded a slight increase in the foreign student (F/M visa) population from approximately 605,000 to 640,000

Needs

• Foreign Students as a business• Language studies as fundamental to the institution• Retention and matriculation

Blackboard Academic SuiteProduct Roadmap Goals

• Converge on one platform for worldwide usage

• Support multi-language learning• Stable, quality, released on time• App Pack 3 on includes:

– Blackboard Learning System™– Blackboard Community System™– Blackboard Content System™

• Core locales developed and maintained by Blackboard

• …with features that are truly global and market-driven

TRANSFORMATIVE:THE NETWORKED

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Bb Learning Sys

Bb Community Sys

Bb Content Sys

BlackboardAcademic Suite

Market Exploration

Dates (*=targets only)

Anticipated Blackboard Academic Suite Globalization Timeline*

Charter Release European Languages and

Regions

TransformativeWorldwide

ML 5.7.8- 14 locales- Multi-locale per course, user and system- Community Tab

- Bug Fixes- RH Linux AS 2.1

Phase I7/04

Phase 28/04

Phase 3~12/04

Phase 4~6/05*

Phase 5late ’05*

% of M

L Functionality

Bb AS (App Pack 2)- 4 languages- 1 language per system only- Manual content migration path from ML- English, Spanish, French and Italian

Bb ASApp Pack 3

- 7 language packs- Multi-language per course, user and system- Course by course migration path from ML- Add German, Dutch, and Portuguese

Bb AS r7

- 9 language packs- Language Pack Editor- Add Simplified Chinese and Japanese- Full migration path from ML

ML 5.7.9- Bug Fixes

Blackboard Academic Suite:Application Pack 3• Developed on sixth generation

Blackboard® code-base– Proven, scalable technology– Global user community– Pre-existing network of content and

tool extensions• Result of multi-million dollar (U.S.)

in R&D and 16 months of development and planning

• New innovations include single-installation support of 7 languages

– User, Course, Course Mandated and System Specific

• Traditional focus on ease of use, pedagogical effectiveness and enterprise-scale technology

Blackboard Academic Suite:Application Pack 3

• Key Facts:– Languages for the user interface

• English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Dutch, Portuguese

– Early Availability: February 2005

– General Availability Target: June 2005

Blackboard Academic Suite: Release 7.0

• Theme: “Global Blackboard Academic Suite”

• Includes:– A roll-up of Release 6.1 +

App Packs 1, 2 and 3– Double-byte enabled

database– Additional languages:

Japanese and Simplified Chinese

– Language Pack Editor– Embedded Quick Tutorials– Links to Blackboard

Backpack™ Download

Demonstration

Closing Slide

• Innovating Together in ‘05:– Blackboard Academic Suite Overview– Multi-language capabilities– Learning without Borders

• Resources Available:– http://www.blackboard.com/products/academic/index.htm

• Follow up Contact(s):– cetesse@blackboard.com

• IF YOU ONLY REMEMBER 1 THING:– Blackboard® is a True Multi-Language Enterprise System