IXL Social Enterprise Case Studies Education January 2012 | Page 2

Executive Summary/Table of Contents

Revolutionizing the way to make education affordable
for everyone

Going beyond the status quo - creating bigger, better, bolder, faster
and cheaper solutions
OLPC wanted to provide the world’s poorest children with education

A billion children in the developing world do not get an adequate education

OLPC’s goal has been to educate the world’s poorest children through a laptop

OLPC wanted to operate as a self-sustaining business

OLPC distributed laptops through national governments but had not found it easy

OLPC had driven costs down but other viable competitive solutions have emerged

OLPC had used a range of techniques to deploy 2.5 million laptops successfully

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However, this is not enough and OLPC needs new and better solutions across its value
chain to reach 10 million children in 5 years
10

Are there new markets to target?

Are there new ways to deliver?

Are there new offerings that OLPC can provide?

Are there new ways to produce the offering?

Are there new business models that will sustain OLPC?

Can OLPC get 10 million laptops to children in 5 years, drive the
industry to make laptops more affordable, and improve education
with its principles?
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