Apple, IBM Partner With Japan Post To Serve An Aging Japanese Population

Apple, IBM Partner With Japan Post To Serve An Aging Japanese Population On Thursday,

that it would be partnering with

International Business Machines

and

to serve Japan's elderly population. The three are planning to improve the quality of life for senior citizens in Japan through the use of Apple's iPads and Microsoft software.

Japan Post, which owns the majority of the nation's post offices and several large banks, created a Post Office Watch service in 2013, in which postal service workers checked in with elderly Japanese citizens and reported back to their families on their condition. Now, the Watch will add technology into its service.

The iPads will boast state of the art technology designed specifically to help monitor users' health and maintain their connection to friends and family they otherwise wouldn't see. IBM has designed a suite of software to assist with healthy living by reminding users to take medication, exercise and eat properly. In addition to the iPad's traditional features like Facetime, Messaging and Mail, the devices will also include IBM created programs that do everything from alerting the user of community activities to facilitating grocery services.

The deal represents a major step forward for Apple's partnership with IBM, which is expected to bring Apple's devices into the workplace, but has also been touted as a new opportunity for both firms to start a global initiative. Caring for aging populations has long been a concern for countries across the world, so the success of this program in Japan could push other nations to implement a similar system to support their own elderly generation.