IBM > Case Studies > Benesse Corporation: Revolutionizing Education with IBM's Flexible iPad Rental Program

Benesse Corporation: Revolutionizing Education with IBM's Flexible iPad Rental Program

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Technology Category
  • Drones - VTOL & VTOL Hybrid Drones
  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Hybrid Cloud
Applicable Industries
  • Education
  • Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions
  • Procurement
Use Cases
  • Time Sensitive Networking
Services
  • System Integration
  • Training
About The Customer
Benesse Corporation is a company engaged in educational and lifestyle businesses. It recently launched the Shinkenzemi Plus Hybrid Style program, by digitizing and developing its main business of Shinkenzemi correspondence courses. The company aimed to combine digital technology with conventional learning materials to create a unique and personalized learning experience for each student. The company was looking for a way to make this new service accessible to all members, regardless of whether they owned an iPad, a device necessary for the new learning style.
The Challenge
Benesse Corporation, a company engaged in educational and lifestyle businesses, was seeking ways to uniquely use digital technology to differentiate its education services. The company aimed to develop a strategy that combined digital technology with conventional learning materials. To successfully launch this new education service in the market, Benesse Corporation needed a system to offer a flexible and affordable payment service to meet the members’ economical needs. The company was also faced with the challenge of making the new service accessible to members who did not own an iPad, a device necessary for the new learning style. The cost of purchasing a new iPad was seen as a potential obstacle for members.
The Solution
Benesse Corporation utilized a rental program from IBM Global Financing to overcome these challenges. The company worked with IBM to create a simple and affordable monthly plan for Shinkenzemi members to easily and securely rent an iPad to access learning materials. This new style helped create an e-learning environment that could be personalized according to the student’s level of understanding, providing a rich learning experience for each child. IBM proposed a unique and flexible rental system in which new iPads could be rented out with no cancellation fees if customers terminate their contracts. This system allowed IBM to rent out new iPads to Benesse Corporation, which then lent them to members for educational use.
Operational Impact
  • The iPad rental option has contributed to the increase of registration of new members to the new education service. The results of monitoring key performance indicators monthly, such as login rates and access time, show that the new program is highly utilized. Benesse Corporation has also collaborated with major cram schools throughout Japan to start Class Benesse, a program combining Shinkenzemi and face-to-face tutoring at cram schools. The company anticipates that the enhancement of such initiatives will develop a growing trend for mobile devices to be used in various learning environments. Furthermore, the rental program will likely play an increasingly significant role in becoming the driving force that supports this strategy.
Quantitative Benefit
  • Increase in the number of members due to the flexible and affordable iPad rental program.
  • Lower business risk as a result of rental use.
  • High utilization of the new program as indicated by monthly monitoring of key performance indicators such as login rates and access time.

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