Blackboard Announces BbWorld Commerce '07(TM), a Users Conference for Campus Service Professionals to Learn, Collaborate and Network

WASHINGTON, DC, Dec 06, 2006 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), a leading provider of enterprise technology to the education industry, announces a dedicated users conference for Blackboard Commerce Suite clients, BbWorld Commerce '07. The three-day conference will be held in Carefree, Arizona, April 15 - 18, 2007, and will provide unique opportunities for educational professionals focused on student life and campus services to network with peers from across the country.

Larry Moneta, Vice President for Student Affairs at Duke University, will deliver the opening keynote address on the challenges of integrating student consumer and learner needs on the contemporary college campus. BbWorld Commerce '07 will feature a robust client-centered program with sessions dedicated to the use of identification technology to enhance the student experience. Topics will include wireless technologies, Social Security conversion strategies, access control and card office management strategies, among others.

John Beckwith, Director of Campus Business Services at Loyola Marymount University and member of the BbWorld Commerce Client Program Committee, said, "With a dedicated conference in Carefree for Blackboard Commerce Suite clients, we anticipate great opportunities to network with our colleagues and learn from their experiences. It will be extremely valuable to hear different perspectives and solutions from other institutions -- everything from marketing campus cards, to how folks are using wireless technology, to off-campus programs. And if you haven't been to a conference in Carefree -- you won't want to miss it!"

"Campus services are a very big part of what students expect and want from their college experience," said Michael Chasen, President and CEO of Blackboard. "It's very exciting to host a dedicated users conference for this group, where clients focused on this part of the college experience can come together to share best practices, exchange ideas and form lasting relationships."

The Blackboard Commerce Suite includes three enterprise software applications that support cashless transactions on-campus, off-campus and online, linked to university ID cards. Hundreds of academic institutions rely on the Blackboard Transaction System(TM), the center of the Blackboard Commerce Suite, to securely process millions of transactions involving payments, data transfer, physical access control and activity authentication, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

A call for proposals for presentations at BbWorld Commerce '07 is now open. For more information about submitting a proposal or to register for BbWorld Commerce '07 please visit http://www.blackboard.com/company/events/BbWorldCommerce07/home.htm.

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) is a leading provider of enterprise software applications and related services to the education industry. Founded in 1997, Blackboard enables educational innovations everywhere by connecting people and technology. Millions of people use Blackboard everyday at academic institutions around the globe, including colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other education providers, as well as textbook publishers and student-focused merchants that serve education providers and their students. Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Blackboard
Educate. Innovate. Everywhere.(TM)

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-Q filed on November 9, 2006 with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of December 6, 2006. 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 December 6, 2006.

Senior Manager Public Relations at Blackboard:
Melissa Chotiner
Blackboard Inc.
202-463-4860 ext. 2404
Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=9AC270C545239CCA

Media Contact, Fleishman-Hillard:
Amy Storey
Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
+1 202 828-8819
Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=ACD186B354D0ACD6

SOURCE: Blackboard Inc.