Blackboard, known for its course-management software, is moving into a whole new sector. Today the company announced that it bought Presidium Inc., which provides outsourced call centers and consulting services for admissions, financial aid, and other student services, and also runs IT help desks for many colleges.
Blackboard paid $53-million to acquire the company, in a deal that wrapped up December 30. Blackboard already held about 10 percent of the company, which was founded by former Blackboard employees, said Matthew Maurer, a spokesman for Blackboard. Presidium is based in Reston, Va., and has 160 full-time employees.
Presidium’s offerings will remain the same in the short term, under the new name Blackboard Student Services, according to Blackboard officials.
One Response to In Bid to Expand Into Student Services, Blackboard Buys Presidium
tallenc - January 13, 2011 at 11:29 am
I certainly hope Blackboard can do a better job with this than with its course-management system, which is disastrously unreliable.