Dive Brief:
- Blackboard on Thursday announced its acquisition of Requestec, which provides IP telephony, video conferencing, and instant messaging capability via desktop and mobile.
- Otherwise known as Web-based Real Time Communication (WebRTC), its technology doesn't require users to download an external application for use, and its advanced tools include screen sharing capabilities.
- With the fourth acquisition under CEO Jay Bhatt, Blackboard is now among the leading tech companies to become an early adopter of WebRTC.
Dive Insight:
As the release states, WebRTC is now the standard when it comes to video conferencing and real-time communication, and Requestec has been recognized with "Most Ready Now" and "Best All Around Platform" awards in the space. It's not had to imagine how this might help improve collaboration between administrators, faculty, and students.
Though the tech was already being incorporated into Blackboard's products, further WebRTC additions are expected before the end of the year as the company continues working to improve its user experience.
How WebRTC will look on Blackboard was first previewed at this summer's BbWorld conference.
