More than a million users have chosen the latest release of Blackboard Connect 5 for their mass notification service needs.

According to Blackboard, after just 90 days in the marketplace the service now serves clients in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. More than 200 school districts, higher education institutions and local governments have signed on.

The 2011 Campus Computing survey reported Connect is the most widely used notification service in higher education and helps institutions create and send messages faster and ensure that they are targeted and relevant to specific audiences.

One school district said the change was made over the weekend and by Monday “we were back at work sending 41 messages to thousands of parents without a hitch.”

Blackboard Connect enables users to record, send and track voice notifications to home phones, businesses, local agencies and mobile devices. The system also sends email, text messages and posts to Facebook and Twitter. In addition, built-in features, such as automated language translation and real-time delivery reports ensure users receive messages during time-sensitive events and critical situations.