Blackboard Unveils AWS Powered Cloud Center

Blackboard, the popular learning management system, has entered into a partnership with AWS to transition its services to the cloud, and has officially detailed plans to leverage the cloud platform.

Hundreds of colleges and universities across the US use its solutions, 75% by some estimates.

And Blackboard announced this new team up on Monday, confirming that it plans to leverage cloud services from Amazon Web Services to help clients transition to the cloud. It had selected AWS as its strategic cloud services provider for its community engagement and web conference solutions last year.

Now, the company has confirmed that its Cloud Center of Excellence will incorporate AWS Well-Architected Framework and best practices recommended by AWS in order to ensure that the infrastructure is as secure as possible.

As Mark Ryland, chief solutions architect, Worldwide Public Sector, AWS put it:

“AWS is excited to support Blackboard’s Cloud Center of Excellence, which will enable the company to build a secure, high-performing, resilient, and efficient infrastructure.

With more and more educational institutions worldwide taking advantage of cloud technology, we are pleased that Blackboard is focused on ensuring that applications meet a high bar for security and reliability.”

The announcement comes at a time as educational institutes are considering moving away from Blackboard, in their quest for more flexible features and systems that are hosted in the cloud.

In other words, delivered as SaaS, or Software as a Service.

Blackboard officials believe that they will be able to deliver more robust cloud solutions with this new service, and enhance the user experience for students across the length and breadth of the country, particularly as company specialists help with the transition process.