AARP has pushed for apps and digital health tools that address the needs of the diverse population of its members aged 50 and older. But substantial elderly populations aren’t limited to the US. It’s a big issue in Japan where 33 million seniors make up one-quarter of the country’s population. An IBM initiative with Apple and a holding company owned by Japan’s government called Japan Post Group point to one way to deal with the challenge. The initiative will provide hardware, create apps, and develop intuitive text commands geared to the elderly.
The collaboration will support Japan Post Watch Over, a service provided by Japan Post Group in which mail delivery staff check in on seniors and their families.
It will provide iPads with IBM-developed apps and analytics to connect seniors with services, healthcare, community and their families, according to the statement.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Among the key points of the initiatives are:
- 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.
- 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.
- iPad and 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 with settings for low vision and hearing impaired users.
Japan Post said it would launch a pilot program in the second half of the year providing iPads through its Watch Over service. The service will expand in stages, ultimately aiming to reach 4 million to 5 million customers in Japan by 2020, the statement said.
The Wall Street Journal notes that the move follows a collaboration deal between Apple and IBM that dates back to last summer. It involves creating simple-to-use business apps and selling iPhones and iPads to IBM’s corporate customers.
Ginni Rometty, chairman and CEO of IBM said: “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.”
The watch service is a cool idea and sounds a little like initiatives in the U.S. in which EMS staff check in on vulnerable patients with chronic conditions, not just seniors. Japan Post Watch charges a little more than $80 for the service, according to the article.
The deal will help Apple boost iPad sales which have sagged in the past couple of years, although remain more competitive than rivals.
[Photo credit: Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images]
[Feature photo credit: Photo of IBM CEO Ginni Rometty by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for FORTUNE]
