(Virtual Press Office, January 8, 2009) MCLEAN, Va. --(Business Wire)-- Jan 08, 2010 enTourage Systems, Inc.™, creator of the world’s first dualbook™, the enTourage eDGe™, today announced that it has joined the Blackboard Alliance Program™ as a Blackboard Building Blocks Partner™ and will be developing advanced collaboration features to use with the widely deployed Blackboard Learn™ platform. Blackboard Inc. is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. This venture marks an important step toward changing the way students interact with each other and with their teachers through a unique collaboration enhancing the learning experience.

The enTourage eDGe is the first device to combine the functionality of an e-reader, tablet netbook, and note pad, and is gaining attention from educators worldwide as the future of technology in learning. Its large format e-paper screen, advanced note taking and annotation capabilities, as well as Internet-connected functions make it possible to carry the equivalent of hundreds of pounds of textbooks in a sleek device that weighs less than three pounds.

As a result of its collaboration with Blackboard, enTourage Systems will be able to provide a single device that allows students and instructors to effortlessly share notes, textbook annotations and multimedia content while simultaneously having access to class schedules, campus maps, an online e-book store and announcements. The enTourage eDGe’s powerful Library application will be linked to the Blackboard Learn Content Module for easy file sharing between students and teachers. The new functionality is targeted for a software release for the enTourage eDGe in June 2010.

“The enTourage eDGe is an ideal educational tool, merging notepads, textbooks, audio/video recorders and tablet netbooks into one powerful device for increased interactivity and collaboration,” said Asghar Mostafa, CEO and president of enTourage Systems, Inc. “Our support of the Blackboard Learn™ platform will provide access to important educational resources, making the enTourage eDGe and the supporting systems a robust, comprehensive learning solution.”

The enTourage eDGe consists of a 9.7” diagonal e-paper screen to read e-books and take notes, and a 10.1” LCD screen to easily surf the Web, watch videos and send emails or instant messages with a virtual keyboard. The product has a built-in camera and microphone to capture audio and video content, such as lectures, and play them back later. The enTourage eDGe runs on the Google Android operating system and backs up all content on enTourage Systems’ servers. The device folds a full 360 degrees and orients its displays horizontally or vertically, to view as a book, single screen, or prop up laptop style.

The enTourage eDGe is on display at 2010 International CES in the e-Book TechZone, Central Hall booth #12140. As a CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award honoree, the product is also on display at the Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The enTourage eDGe is available for pre-orders now, and will be fully available in February 2010 online at www.entourageedge.com for $490. For more information, please visit this site or the enTourage eDGe Facebook page and @entourageedge Twitter handle.