Japan Post partnering with IBM and Apple to offer services for elderly clients
Japan Post will be working with IT giants IBM and Apple to extend its national Watch Over service. In a joint statement issued today, the three companies announced that they are launching a new initiative which “will deliver iPads with IBM-developed apps and analytics to connect millions of seniors with services, healthcare, community and their families”.
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% of Japan’s population, projected to grow to 40% over the next 40 years.
Effectively, this new initiative will build on and extend the Watch Over service which Japan Post launched in late 2013. Under the fee-based Watch Over service, post office employees check in on elderly clients, offer them consultation services and report back to family members.
