Bulletin/Advisory Information:
Beginning with Learn 9.1 Service Pack 10, Blackboard introduced Inline Grading, which enabled users to view and annotate common document formats directly within the browser. This capability was accomplished using the then-independent Crocodoc product integrated into Learn's core Assignment and Grading workflows, and delivered via the Inline Grading Building Block.
In 2013, the Crocodoc organization and product were acquired by Box, Inc. In 2016, Box announced the anticipated end of life for Crocodoc as January 15, 2018. Box has stated that from this date forward all documents sent to or requested from Crocodoc will not be available.
Blackboard is working closely with Box to transition Learn's implementation of Crocodoc to Box's New View service as a replacement for Crocodoc. The work to update Blackboard Learn's Inline Grading interface to use the newer Box services is actively underway and we expect the completion and availability of the new integration with the Learn 9.1 Q4 2017 release of Blackboard Learn, well in advance of the official Crocodoc EOL date. Blackboard is also working with Box to ensure that all customer data associated with Crocodoc will be available to customers throughout the transition to the newer Box services.
We expect the integration with Box's new services to be available with the Learn 9.1 Q4 2017 release, as well as available to customers on fully supported versions of Learn via a Cumulative Update; the fully supported versions at the time of this transition will be 9.1 Q2 2016, 9.1 Q4 2016, 9.1 Q2 2017, and 9.1 Q4 2017. In order to continue to use the inline grading feature, customers should begin planning to upgrade to one of these supported releases prior to January 15, 2018.
Blackboard understands the value of the Inline Grading functionality, and we are committed to maintaining the usability of this feature leveraging the new Box View. More details on the upgrade and data transition process will be made available in the coming weeks and months.
Link to Box's Announcement of Crocodoc EOL:
https://blog.box.com/blog/new-box-view/