Company Profile
Is ZeeMee the Next Facebook?
It’s been nearly two decades since many of us started using Facebook. Using a social network (or any website) for that amount of time is pretty astonishing. Known collectively as Meta, the world’s most used social network conglomerate now includes Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Workplace. The arc of Facebook’s dominance started off as a ... Is ZeeMee the Next Facebook? Read More
Workday: Focus on Student Success
Workday entered the education world about a decade ago. The offering of its HR Management and Financial Management solutions went without saying, but Workday positioned itself in the education world when it launched Workday Student in 2016. Ex-PeopleSoft Employees Founded a New Company Workday was founded in March 2005 following the acquisition of PeopleSoft by Oracle. ... Workday: Focus on Student Success Read More
Justin’s Thoughts on Anthology Together
Earlier this month, I was invited to attend the annual Anthology/Blackboard conference, entitled Anthology Together. This was my first time attending an Anthology or a Blackboard conference. The conference took place at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando (Florida) from July 11th to July 14th, 2022 and had about 2,200 total attendees. I must say that ... Justin’s Thoughts on Anthology Together Read More
Neolth: Student Mental Health at the Forefront
Student mental health challenges have occurred for decades, but the recent pandemic brought the subject to the forefront. Universities, colleges and even school districts propose different support systems to ensure students achieve their program requirements. In addition to institutions, companies also develop tools and diverse solutions to help students and establishments overcome mental health challenges. ... Neolth: Student Mental Health at the Forefront Read More
Elsevier to Acquire Interfolio
Nothing prepared the HigherEd market for the announcement of Elsevier acquiring Interfolio on April 21st. It is indeed rare that a smaller player (#2 in this case) would purchase the leader of a product category. But when we look at the two companies, it makes total sense why Elsevier would purchase Interfolio. Summary of the ... Elsevier to Acquire Interfolio Read More
Jenzabar: From a Class Enrollment Portal to a Multi-Product Platform
The story behind Jenzabar is strongly linked to its CEO and Founder Chai Ling. Chai, a Chinese native came to the US in 1990 to study public affairs. She then worked at Bain & Co. where she met her future husband Robert A. Maginn Jr. By the end of the decade, she received an M.B.A. ... Jenzabar: From a Class Enrollment Portal to a Multi-Product Platform Read More
Similarities Between Anthology and PowerSchool
Last week, I was at ASU+GSV Summit for the first time. I had the opportunity to meet with several clients, friends and new acquaintances. On the flight back, I was looking at my notes and noticed that two companies I had met had referenced each other. They were saying that only the other company has the same ... Similarities Between Anthology and PowerSchool Read More
Populi: Designed for Smaller Institutions
Populi is fundamentally different in its business approach. Instead of proposing one solution in one product category and building their company from there, the company chose to target one specific client type: smaller colleges. And from there, they offered them an all-in-one software suite. At first, we had doubts about this company. How can they ... Populi: Designed for Smaller Institutions Read More
A Brief History of Blackboard
It’s time for another company profile. For this post, we want to paint the picture of one of the first LMS companies: Blackboard. Once the leading company in this product category, Blackboard diversified its corporate assets to curb the decline of revenues and to explore new business opportunities. To understand how Blackboard started, we need ... A Brief History of Blackboard Read More
PowerSchool: The Path to Dominate the K-12 Market
Like many IT stories in the 1980s and 1990s, the creation of PowerSchool initiated from one specific need: getting attendance tracking (as well as other information) to be sent through the school district’s network. From this initial class project, Greg Porter (founder of PowerSchool) worked on his project to build the first version of PowerSchool ... PowerSchool: The Path to Dominate the K-12 Market Read More
Moodle: The Open-Source LMS
The learning management system product category is one where many companies fight hard to gain more market shares. Moodle set itself apart from the beginning by deciding to offer its LMS for free. In 2022, not many products remain open-source. What makes Moodle a different player? The Long History of Moodle Moodle is not only ... Moodle: The Open-Source LMS Read More
