When Apple and IBM announced their partnership last year, it would see a push into the enterprise market for Apple. It seems that not only would it push Apple into the enterprise in the US, but now it looks like it will be headed to Japan in a recent partnership with Japan Post where they will all work together to address the needs of the elderly in the country.How does Apple play a role in this? Apparently it is thanks to their iPad which according to Japan Post’s CEO Taizo Nishimuro, is a device favored by the elderly due to its ease of use. Together with the help of IBM, they will be developing app analytics and cloud services around specially designed apps for the elderly that would connect them to healthcare services and their families.
This is also a push by Japan Post to become an “integrated lifestyle support group” when they are planning to go public by the end of the year. At the moment the organization is government-owned. According to IBM’s CEO Ginni Rometty, IBM’s approach to this partnership is threefold in which they will be creating “quality of life apps”, developing new accessibility features that aren’t available yet, and lastly helping with Japan Post create a service layer that will be able to deliver these features to the elderly.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was quoted as saying that this is “not only important for Japan, but [also] has global implications. Together, the three of us and all the teams that work so diligently behind us will dramatically improve the lives of millions of people.”