<s>
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Learn	I-Protocol
(	O
previously	O
the	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Learning	B-Application
Management	I-Application
System	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
web-based	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environment	I-Protocol
and	O
learning	B-Application
management	I-Application
system	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Inc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
features	O
course	O
management	O
,	O
customizable	O
open	B-Architecture
architecture	I-Architecture
,	O
and	O
scalable	O
design	O
that	O
allows	O
integration	O
with	O
student	O
information	O
systems	O
and	O
authentication	O
protocols	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
may	O
be	O
installed	O
on	O
local	O
servers	O
,	O
hosted	O
by	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
ASP	O
Solutions	O
,	O
or	O
provided	O
as	O
Software	B-Architecture
as	I-Architecture
a	I-Architecture
Service	I-Architecture
hosted	O
on	O
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
Matthew	O
Pittinsky	O
and	O
Michael	O
Chasen	O
formed	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
LLC	O
and	O
were	O
contracted	O
to	O
help	O
lead	O
the	O
formation	O
of	O
the	O
Educause	O
IMS	O
standards	O
group	O
for	O
online	O
education	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
groups	O
merged	O
to	O
form	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Inc.	O
,	O
which	O
then	O
developed	O
the	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Learning	I-Protocol
System	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2005	O
,	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Inc	O
.	O
and	O
WebCT	O
,	O
the	O
two	O
leading	O
providers	O
back	O
in	O
the	O
day	O
of	O
course	O
management	O
software	O
for	O
e-learning	O
services	O
to	O
the	O
education	O
market	O
,	O
announced	O
plans	O
to	O
merge	O
their	O
companies	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
led	O
to	O
a	O
combined	O
LMS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2009	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
learn	I-Protocol
purchased	O
the	O
privately	O
held	O
competing	O
learning	B-Application
management	I-Application
systems	I-Application
company	O
Angel	O
Learning	O
,	O
inc	O
.	O
ANGEL	O
Learning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2017	O
,	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
partnered	O
with	O
OpenEd	O
to	O
integrate	O
OER	O
with	O
Learning	B-Application
Management	I-Application
Systems	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultra	O
is	O
an	O
optional	O
user	O
interface	O
sitting	O
on	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
existing	O
Learn	O
9.1	O
architecture	O
,	O
only	O
available	O
for	O
SaaS	B-Architecture
installations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
uses	O
a	O
single	B-Application
page	I-Application
application	I-Application
format	O
,	O
which	O
significantly	O
changes	O
the	O
user	O
experience	O
and	O
the	O
ways	O
in	O
which	O
3rd-party	O
tools	O
can	O
be	O
included	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackboard	B-Protocol
has	O
begun	O
offering	O
additional	O
products	O
such	O
as	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Collaborate	O
Ultra	O
(	O
a	O
video-classroom	O
service	O
)	O
,	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Ally	O
(	O
an	O
accessibility	O
assistant	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
chat-bot	B-Protocol
support	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Inc	O
.	O
has	O
had	O
several	O
legal	O
issues	O
,	O
including	O
faulty	O
patent	O
rights	O
claims	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
educational	O
institutions	O
,	O
teachers	O
,	O
and	O
students	O
have	O
expressed	O
concerns	O
about	O
the	O
reliability	O
of	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
McMaster	O
University	O
in	O
Hamilton	O
,	O
Ontario	O
,	O
Canada	O
,	O
has	O
replaced	O
their	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
system	O
after	O
multiple	O
problems	O
during	O
one	O
year	O
of	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citing	O
numerous	O
glitches	O
and	O
high	O
costs	O
,	O
many	O
universities	O
are	O
turning	O
to	O
the	O
cheaper	O
,	O
open	O
source	O
alternative	O
Moodle	B-Application
,	O
including	O
University	O
of	O
Montana	O
,	O
Vassar	O
College	O
,	O
California	O
State	O
University	O
,	O
Long	O
Beach	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
other	O
schools	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Spring	O
2020	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
coronavirus	O
pandemic	O
,	O
Fairfax	O
County	O
Public	O
Schools	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
largest	O
school	O
systems	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
with	O
189,000	O
students	O
,	O
abandoned	O
Blackboard	B-Protocol
Learn	I-Protocol
24/7	O
after	O
weeks	O
of	O
unsuccessful	O
attempts	O
to	O
use	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
