Blackboard, writes The New York Times, "has all the earmarks of a ‘disruptive technology’—a blend of computing and Internet-based connectivity with the potential to transform how established institutions operate." But the company’s public-relations strategy, which has been undeniably effective, has focused more on diplomacy than on disruption.
"We’re not looking to ‘revolutionize’ education," says Michael L. Chasen, Blackboard’s president and chief executive officer. "We help schools deliver more effectively what they are good at already.”
According to the Times, Blackboard’s conservative strategy—which is shared by several other companies marketing potentially disruptive technologies—is a sign that some in the tech industry have learned a lesson or two from the dot-com bust. Silicon Valley still has its share of swaggering big thinkers, but companies like Blackboard have achieved success by convincing campus officials that they’re not out to rebuild academe from the ground up. —Brock Read
