WASHINGTON -- Blackboard Inc., an education technology company, has announced a new partnership with Uber Technologies Inc. that creates a convenient travel alternative for students at hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide.
The partnership will be brought to life through Blackboard Transact, a leading provider of payment and security solutions that enhance the student experience on campus, off campus and online. Students will be able to arrange for Uber cars and pay for their rides using a campus payment option enabled by Blackboard Transact, including an account dedicated exclusively to the ride service, all directly from the Uber app.
By way of this innovation, students can request a timely, convenient and dependable ride, and seamlessly pay using their campus card account as a tender type. Under the program, a dedicated "specific use" purse can be established in the institution's Blackboard Transact campus card system, enabling deposits and payments by the institution, parents or the student.
"For decades, Blackboard Transact has been committed to delivering innovative payment and security solutions in the interest of serving students and the institutions they attend," said David Marr, SVP for Blackboard Transact. "This exciting new partnership with Uber, an industry leader in its own right, demonstrates our commitment to improving the overall student experience. We believe this program provides students with reliable transportation options at any time—particularly when it may be unsafe for that student to get behind the wheel. We hope this innovative partnership will encourage responsible transportation decisions by ensuring availability of funds and ease of access."
"We want to make sure that students at campuses across the country have a safe, convenient and affordable way to get around," said Amy Friedlander Hoffman, head of Business Development & Experiential Marketing for Uber. "We're looking forward to working with Blackboard to make it even easier to ride safely around campus— something that is important to students, parents and universities."
