Blackboard loses high-profile clients as its rivals school it in innovation

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/blackboard-loses-high-profile-clients-as-students-gripe-about-its-design/2015/08/21/1fd91708-4511-11e5-8e7d-9c033e6745d8_story.html

My note: if this is going on with BB, imagine what is the issue with D2L.

competitors emerged that were more difficult to ignore. Firms such as Instructure and Sakai attempted to separate themselves from Blackboard by focusing on customizing their software for clients and providing extensive daily maintenance.

As rivals gained traction, Blackboard’s grip on the market began to slip. Some companies relied on open-source software that made them more nimble. Blackboard didn’t adopt it until 2012. Student and faculty complaints about the software also took on new life.

“Blackboard will be the death of me,” wrote one student on Tumblr a year ago.

“Why is everything so counter-intuitive?” said one professor on an online forum at the Chronicle of Higher Education. “Why do you have to click a million times just to do a simple task?”

the company has struggled to find technology that will appeal to all students and professors

It is focused on expanding its reach in K-12 institutions to broaden the market, Blot said, and is diving into the world of mobile apps.