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Blackboard Collaborates with txttools for Mass Notification Services

By Calvin Azuri
TMCnet Contributor

Clients in the United Kingdom and Ireland will be delivered mass notification services by Blackboard, Inc., in collaboration with txttools Ltd. The Blackboard (News - Alert) Connect mass notification service is provided by Blackboard, and text messaging solutions for education, healthcare and government are provided by the U.K.-based txttools.

More than one billion voice, e-mail and text messages have been delivered by Blackboard Connect. Pioneering work in two-way text messaging has been conducted by txttools. Customers will therefore be offered a unique and comprehensive solution through this partnership. Blackboard Connect mass notification services will be marketed and sold to existing and prospective clients by txttools through this partnership.

The text messaging needs of clients have been fulfilled by txttools for more than 10 years. By serving more than 50 percent of universities and colleges, the company has well-established relationships with top academic, healthcare and municipal organizations in the U.K. and Ireland. The companies will now be able to better serve a broader set of communications requirements with Blackboard Connect's multi-channel notification solutions.

In a release, Ed Miller, president of Blackboard Connect, said, "Combining the messaging expertise of txttools with Blackboard's global commitment to education-focused institutions of all kinds creates a compelling offer for this market. We look forward to bringing the best of our respective solutions to strengthen the communications capabilities of institutions."

Blackboard is already used by many further and higher education institutions in the U.K. to support their virtual learning environments. Communication between instructors, students and the institution will be therefore further improved through this partnership. Blackboard Connect capabilities within the Blackboard Learn platform are leveraged by the latest integration. Up-to-date information on coursework, class changes or individual performance will be now made available on the mobile devices of instructors and students.

In a release, Stephen McCann, CEO of txttools, said, "Text is an integral part of modern communications strategies and our partners at Blackboard clearly recognise that. Blackboard's worldwide education focus and experience combined with our innovative messaging technology can create significant advantages for all of our clients."