Connecting Blackboard and Ning

Has anyone had any success and/or experience in somehow connecting Ning and Blackboard together? Specifically account authentication? Blackboard does not have any (real) social networking tools, and Ning rocks. We still need to use Bb (or so we think) for other features it provides quite well (grade center, assessments, connection to student information systems, campus portal, etc.). Even with Bb Learn, we are not completely impressed. Has anyone from Ning figured out how to use other authentication models, like Scholar or Wimba Pronto?

Thanks!