Blackboard is for sale! This week sure ended with a bit of buzz on campus surrounding the news BlackBoard retained Barclays as a result of unsolicited offers to buy the company. Industry speculation on the possible sale and who might be making offers is equally interesting.
Who should Buy Blackboard
I set up the Poll on this blog to see how widespread these ideas are amongst readers. So take a second and give us your input. If you don’t like the options provided, add a comment on this post of other options that should have been included.
Campus Reaction
Our faculty, students, administrators, and especially IT staff have opinions of who may be looking to acquire the software company. Their thoughts on the possible sale are the ones most relevant to me as CIO since we continue to suffer from support issues and software quality issues following our upgrade to BB v9.x. Although the possible sale is an interesting topic for discussion, in reality we only want the issues resolved regardless of who owns the company.
As to who people want to take over, the opinions on campus are spread interestingly around a few central ideas. The ideas include another LMS or CMS company; perhaps one of the big ERP vendors is looking to move into the LMS space; Google or Microsoft; and even a few notions about a consortium or non-software company.
A few people reminded me of recent stories about one of BlackBoard’s Director resigning. And several other people sent me the link to the Taylor University students’ viral video which many consider to be the BlackBoard equivalent of Breaks Guitars.
[youtube=
Regardless of the outcome, sale or no sale, one company or another, we can only hope for the best for BlackBoard and its products. More importantly, we should hope for new owners that can infuse enough capital to improve software quality and making the customers at the top of their priorities.
I would have to concur with your last statement “…put the customers at the top of their priorities.” Up to this point that hasn't been the case. BB has been a thorn in many sides for years now.
I personally think you left off the most likely option. Nobody will be buying Blackbeard. This “news” (which if you notice, is completely speculative and without substance) was most likely manufactured by Bb to boost their sagging stock price and to stick it to investors holding the 45% short interest in their lousy company. Of course I could be wrong.
“Nobody” or “No sale” should have been a poll choice.