Yesterday it was revealed that Blackboard, who already own and operate the Connect-Ed alert messaging system(or Blackboard Connect as it is now known)  have acquired STN, or Alert Now as they are more commonly known. Is this an admission on the part of Blackboard of the shortcomings of their Connect-Ed platform I wonder?

At a recent PTO expo in Malrboro MA we heard from alot of unhappy parents receiving Connect Ed / Blackboard Connect messages. The primary reason for disatisfaction seemed to be the lack of parental control in deciding how messages of varying importance would be delivered..."another phone call just to remind me of an event my child isn't even involved in" type feedback. Note School Announcement address this problem with our Parent Portal.

So will Blackboard ditch Connect Ed altogther in favor of Alert Now and convert the many districts and schools using that platform? Or run and maintain two similar platforms in tandem (which is rare in the business world due to the cost inefficiencies of doing so)? Either way it will be interesting to see how this bid for market dominance will play out...

Read the article from Tech Crunch here: http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/08/blackboard-buys-mobile-messaging-company-saf-t-net-for-33-million/