Distribution

i.pel curriculum will be distributed through online public and private schools, sales to public and private schools and school districts, and sales directly to consumers. School districts wishing to offer full-time online programs, blended programs, or individual courses will be able to purchase curriculum and training services to implement their own programs. Homeschooling families or students who wish to supplement their education with an individual course will be able to purchase the curriculum directly.

(The following is an abstract from “Games for a Digital Age”)

One way for newer or smaller companies to enter the market is to partner together or with one of the Big Three (Pearson, McGraw Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) because the Big Three have long ago figured out distribution and sales issues (see: K-12 Textbooks and Supplements – K-12 Market Dynamics). Emantras, a company in the education market in K-12, higher education, and virtual schools as well as in healthcare publishing, has had some success partnering with larger companies— in their case Pearson, McGraw-Hill, Cengage Learning, and others. Partnerships outside of the Big Three also have the potential for creating success: partnerships with universities, foundations, media conglomerates, and smaller publishers. Each relationship brings diverse expertise, resources, and an increased reach. Partnerships with academic institutions can provide a research base for a project and create credibility.

In addition to the education market players, giant companies such as Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle, IBM, NBC, Discovery, and NewsCorp, who normally are not in the education space, have taken a significant interest in education during the last decade and can be good candidates, depending on the product.