Blackboard has announced it is buying both Wimba and Eluminate for US$116 million. Perhaps to revive their stock’s value, which has been falling as of late.
I can’t overstate how much this concerns me. Blackboard has been following the Microsoft model for a number of years now: acquire competing products, then cannibalize them. One by one most of the vendor-based LMSs have been bought–and neutered or killed. Their acquiring what are ostensibly the two leading learning communication suites further limits the range of vendors for educational institutions (corporate users don’t bother me: business is [their] business).
Of the two I think Wimba is the superior product, but for K-12 schooling Eluminate is often the more affordable option.
Unhappy, very unhappy. 🙁
(gangked from icitte)
