Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, CEO of Japan Post Holdings Mr. Taizo Nishimuro and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty announce a first-of-its-kind initiative to address the economic and societal issues of the aging population in Japan in New York City on Thurs., April 30, 2015. Building on the landmark Apple-IBM partnership, the companies plan to bring the power of iPad together with IBM-developed apps and the accessibility technologies of IBM and Apple to connect millions of seniors in Japan with services, communities and their families. Photo courtesy of IBM / Jon Simon/Feature Photo Service for IBM

Tokyo, Japan and Armonk, N.Y. and Cupertino, California, USA - April 30, 2015

Japan Post Group, IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Apple today announced a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at improving the quality of life for millions of Japanese senior citizens.

Built on the global partnership Apple and IBM announced last year, the new initiative will deliver iPads with IBM-developed apps and analytics to connect millions of seniors with services, healthcare, community and their families.

Apple and IBM Announce Global Partnership to Develop Business Apps for iPhone, iPad. Cupertino, California, USA - At Apple Inc’s headquarters in Cupertino, California on Tuesday, July 15, 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty announced a global strategic partnership to redefine the way work gets done by transforming the way businesses and employees use mobile technology through a new class of business apps that bring IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to iPhone and iPad. The new mobile business apps for iOS are targeted for specific business opportunities in industries including retail, healthcare, banking, travel and transportation, telecommunications and insurance. Photo courtesy of IBM: Paul Sakuma/Feature Photo Service for IBM

After piloting iPads and apps custom developed for the elderly, Japan Post Group will expand the service in stages with the objective of including 4 million to 5 million customers in Japan by 2020.

Today more than 33 million seniors make up about 25 percent of Japan's population, projected to grow to 40 percent over the next 40 years. [Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions 2013”].

Photo courtesy of IBM

"We are joining with two of the world’s most respected leaders in technology to bring our elderly generation into the connected world, expand our businesses by deepening relationships, and discover new ways to strengthen the fabric of our society and economy,” said Taizo Nishimuro, CEO of Japan Post Group.

Apple and IBM Forge Global Partnership to Transform Enterprise Mobility. IBM CEO Ginni Rometty and Apple CEO Tim Cook at Apple Inc’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, USA on Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Photo courtesy of IBM

The initiative includes:

• iPad and its intuitive built-in apps, capabilities and features including FaceTime, Messages, Mail, Photos and iCloud Photo Sharing, along with access to rich content in the App Store, iTunes Store and iBooks Store. iOS 8, offering award-winning accessibility features, including settings for low vision and hearing impaired users.

• Custom-built apps specifically for the elderly by IBM Global Business Services for reminders and alerts about medications, exercise and diet, along with direct access to community activities and supporting services such as grocery shopping and job matching.

• Exclusive cloud services of the IBM MobileFirst for iOS platform, for data integration and security, analytics, and management of millions of devices; along with systems integration services and training for Japan Post Group employees.

• Pioneering text analytics and accessibility technologies, many invented in IBM Research - Tokyo, including Japanese natural language analysis and tracking to guide seniors and make the experience more natural.

• The nationwide infrastructure of Japan Post Group and its ability to cover the "last mile" to virtually every citizen of Japan. In addition to 24,000 post offices and a workforce of 400,000, Japan Post Group has existing financial relationships with nearly all of the 115 million adults in Japan.

Photo courtesy of Apple

“What we're starting today draws on IBM's long heritage of innovation at the intersection of technology, business and society," said Ginni Rometty, President, Chairman and CEO of IBM.
“The potential we see here - as broad as national economics and as specific as the quality of life of individuals and their families - is one example of the potential of mobile-led transformation anywhere in the world where issues of an aging population exist.”

Photo courtesy of IBM

“This initiative has potential for global impact, as many countries face the challenge of supporting an aging population, and we are honored to be involved in supporting Japan’s senior citizens and helping enrich their lives," said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
“iPad is incredibly intuitive, easy to use and has accessibility features built in, making it a perfect device for any generation to be connected and engaged.”

Photo courtesy of IBM

Addressing a global priority

As a percentage of global population, the elderly will increase from 11.7 percent in 2013 to more than 21 percent by 2050.

Every day, 10,000 people turn 65, and 40 percent of seniors live alone or with their spouse only. [UN World Population Aging Report, and US Census Bureau].

Photo courtesy of IBM

In Japan, these historic generational shifts contribute to an imbalance in the labor force, a concentration of wealth among people who tend to spend less than other age groups, and significant strain on extended families.

Photo courtesy of IBM

Today, nearly 180,000 people in Japan between the ages of 15 and 29 provide care for a family member. [Basic Survey on Employment Structure, 2012, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Statistics Bureau].


Next steps

Japan Post Group's postal operations include the national Watch Over service.

For a nominal monthly fee, Japan Post Group personnel check in on elderly customers and assure families about the well-being of their relatives.

Photo courtesy of IBM

That service can now be extended and enhanced with iPad, complementing the in-person monitoring.

Japan Post Group will begin the pilot service in the second half of this year, which will be offered in conjunction with the Watch Over service.

Photo courtesy of IBM

The service will expand in stages, ultimately aiming to reach 4 million to 5 million customers in Japan by 2020.


About Apple

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software.

Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store.

Photo courtesy of IBM and Apple

Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.


About Japan Post Group

Japan Post Group was established in 2007 under the Postal Service Privatization Act in Japan.

Japan Post Holdings provides postal, banking and insurance services through three wholly owned subsidiaries, Japan Post, Japan Post Bank, Japan Post Insurance.

Japan Post Holdings had consolidated reported revenue of JPY 15,240 billion (USD 127 billion) and Net Ordinary Income of JPY 1,104 billion (USD 9.2 billion) in the financial year ended 31 March 2014.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, CEO of Japan Post Holdings Mr. Taizo Nishimuro and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty announce a first-of-its-kind initiative to address the economic and societal issues of the aging population in Japan in New York City on Thurs., April 30, 2015. Photo courtesy of IBM / Jon Simon/Feature Photo Service for IBM

Japan Post Group employs approximately 400,000 people across 13 branches and 24,000 post offices throughout Japan.

Japan Post Group offers various products and services required at any life stage, prioritizing customer’s daily life via a nationwide network.


About IBM MobileFirst

IBM’s 6,000 mobile experts have been at the forefront of mobile enterprise innovation.

IBM has secured more than 4,300 patents in mobile, social and security, which have been incorporated into IBM MobileFirst solutions that enable enterprise clients to radically streamline and accelerate mobile adoption, help organizations engage more people and capture new markets.

Through IBM's partnership with Apple, the two organizations are transforming enterprise mobility with a new class of industry specific business apps.

For more information on IBM MobileFirst, visit the press kit or www.ibm.com/mobilefirst 

Follow @IBMMobile on Twitter, and see IBM MobileFirst on YouTube, Tumblr and Facebook.


Contacts information

Karen Davis
IBM Media Relations
1 (917) 346-4406
karend@us.ibm.com  

Ryan James
Apple Media Relations
1 (206) 661-4420
ryanj@apple.com  


Source: IBM

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/index.wss  



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