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Blackboard Reborn: Is this EdTech’s “Steve Jobs Moment”?
Today marks a definitive turning point for one of the most recognized names in education technology. After successfully emerging from a 14-month financial restructuring process, Anthology has officially rebranded as Blackboard, launching as a debt-free, stand-alone entity focused exclusively on the future of the learning environment. The “Steve Jobs Moment” of EdTech In a move…
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Student First: Born from Scratch to Deliver the Future‑Ready SIS
Founded in 2021 by EdTech veteran David Meek, Student First is a brand-new Student Information System built entirely from the ground up. Unlike legacy SIS providers, it was conceived with modern technology and a clear purpose: to empower non‑traditional institutions through a truly future‑ready platform. Origins and Purpose David Meek, who previously founded Campus Management Corporation…
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Blackboard, D2L, Instructure: the Future of AI in LMS
Last month, Anthology, D2L, and Instructure used their annual conferences to outline upcoming product roadmaps and long-term strategies. Moodle will do the same at its own event in September. Together, these gatherings highlight where the LMS market is headed. What stands out isn’t just the new features being announced, but the bigger bets each vendor…
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Learning Management Systems in Oceania
With nearly 350 higher education institutions across Australia and New Zealand, Oceania represents a distinct and evolving learning management system market. This marks our first official deep dive into the region—and it arrives at a critical moment. In this post, we trace the historical dominance of Moodle, analyze the rise of newer platforms like Canvas…
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New Gartner SIS Quadrant: Who’s In and Who’s Not?
Gartner’s latest Higher Ed SIS Magic Quadrant just dropped last week. It’s been a while since they’ve done one—maybe a decade? If you haven’t seen it yet, some vendors have purchased distribution rights, so you might be able to download it for free. I always enjoy looking at magic quadrants. They’re iconic—instantly recognizable and always a great…
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HR Systems in HigherEd: The Shift to Cloud and the Battle for Market Share
Managing people effectively is at the heart of every higher education institution—whether it’s hiring top faculty, tracking payroll, or ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. But as colleges and universities grow in size and complexity, so do their HR needs. We observe the following trends in the HigherEd HR market: With shifting demands, the HigherEd HR…
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North American SIS HigherEd Market Share – January 2025 Update
As the year 2025 just started, it’s the perfect time to revisit the dynamic landscape of the North American Student Information System market. Our last analysis in September 2023 highlighted emerging trends and notable shifts in the SIS HigherEd ecosystem. This update delves into how the market has evolved over the past sixteen months, showcasing key developments.…
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Leveraging Network Analysis to Explore Ellucian’s Product Ecosystem
In an earlier post, we leveraged network analysis to explore Anthology’s product ecosystem to understand whether its ” togetherness ” message was reflected in its products’ implementations. Our study revealed that while Anthology has made great strides in delivering this message, it could do more, such as creating a narrative highlighting the potential benefits of the…
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Educause 2024: Tracking the Evolution of HigherEd Tech Through Exhibitor Data
Justin Menard and James Wiley are in San Antonio this week for the Educause conference and hope to see many of you there. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Justin and James. The fall tradition returns with our latest analysis of the Educause exhibitor floorplan. Before we dive into this year’s trends, let’s revisit why…
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Are ERPs in Decline?
In his article “The Decline And Fall Of ERP, And Why Colleges Should Care” posted on August 23, 2024, Ryan Craig argues that the decline of traditional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and the rise of specialized SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms have significantly transformed the job market, especially for entry-level positions. Historically, ERPs…
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Are Institutions Embracing Same-Vendor Bundles?
Many vendors build their strategy around the idea that implementing same-vendor bundles is more valuable than combining products from various vendors. These vendors suggest bundling their products would help institutions overcome integration challenges, receive richer combined functionality, and lessen issues managing relationships with multiple vendors. To some degree, this argument makes sense. As many smartphone…
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Different, But the Same
Key Takeaways for This Post Differences in Educational Structures: The text highlights significant structural differences between the higher education systems in Canada and in the United States. Canada has a higher proportion of two-year colleges compared to the US. On the other hand, the US has a notable number of institutions offering programs of less…
