Eric's ramblings, experiences and random thoughts about e-Learning, distance education and Educational Technology.
Today WebCT and Blackboard announced a merger and the new company promisses a new product that contains the best of both platforms. My two word reply is: Holy Crow! If Desire2Learn was a publicly traded company I would be rushing to invest in it right about now!!! In my dealings with the training and product development staff they seem to be a company that is far more customer focussed than WebCT or Blackboard and in the end it is the customer that rules. I'm predicting that the new combined WebCT/Blackboard product will be a rigid behemoth that will take days to upgrade current licensees and that in the final analysis many customers will take this opportunity to make the switch to another LMS. (Not to open source products as some people predict. In-house development and maintenance of open source LMSs is too daunting for most.) I will make the bold prediction that Desire2Learn will surpass WebCT/Blackboard as the leading LMS producer within the next two to three years! This will be a very interesting item to watch.
What do you think? Click comment below.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
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5 comments:
Eric, I howled when I read your blog today. Holy Crow! Too funny. It seems there are many new things on the horizon and it will be interesting to see how those changes affect us - and even if I'll be around to see them! ;)
Hey Christina... it just emphasizes the idea that we have to stay sharp and current in this fast changing field! Take as many opportunities as you can to go to free online talks and to read pertinent articles in your field of interest. Blogs are a great way to chronicle your thoughts as well. Why don't you start one up too? (*grin*)
Eric, maybe I will start a blog as soon as all my Mommy duties are done with my 1 year old and 3 year old, after running my own Message Board, AND after getting the swing of my new temp job. Oh, and THEN there's my hobbies! :) For now, I'll keep peeking at your blog! Maybe some day.
Hi Eric!
Yes, "Holy Crow" seems to sum it up! I'm not sure what to think. I do agree with you that "In-house development and maintenance of open source LMSs is too daunting for most". Not sure about Desire2Learn though. I also may be the eternal optimist, but I don't see this having a huge impact on my WebCT courses at least in the short term -- we've already become quite good at "packing up and moving". Right? (-:
I do know that this will take some time to digest and there is certainly lots to think about. I'm thinking that publishing companies who are currently developing content for both WebCT and BB may benefit from this merger. Hmm.
Have you checked out Stephen Downes blog on the subject, Eric? Some good comments etc. at:
http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=31687
I look forward to "talking" with you more about this, Eric. take care. janet.
Hey, we're thinking along the same lines!!!
http://incsub.org/blog/2005/bugger
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