McGraw-Hill and Wipro to Develop mConnect -- an Affordable Mobile Learning Platform -- to Reduce Skills Gap in Emerging Markets

The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a premier global financial information and education company, and Wipro, a leading technology solutions provider, will work together to develop "mConnect,(1)" an open-standard mobile learning platform designed to bridge the skills gap in emerging markets.

Photo: Michal Marcol 

India provides an important development ground for mConnect. The country is home to a growing, young workforce hungry for access to high-quality education to improve their career prospects. According to mobileyouth.org, by 2012, one in five of all mobile phones in use worldwide will be owned by a young person in India. Currently, one hundred million mobile phones are owned by youth in rural areas who use them an average of 5.5 hours per day.

Even within the population of Indian students with access to university education, according to a recent World Economic Forum report on the global talent crisis, only 25 percent of those graduates are considered employable by multinational companies today. Given this staggering data, mobile learning is uniquely positioned to overcome historic boundaries of distance, infrastructure and economic status, and harness the prolific and growing use of mobile devices to engage these myriad audiences.

Additional Facts and Figures about Mobile Device Market:
• There are 5.3 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide. (Source: International Telecommunications Union)
• In the developing world, mobile cellular penetration rates to reach 68% at the end of 2010—mainly driven by the Asia and Pacific region. (Source: International Telecommunications Union)
• By 2013, the number of smart phones worldwide will surpass PCs, 1.82 billion to 1.78 billion. (Source: Gartner Research)
• There are 833 million cell phone subscribers in China. (Source: Reuters)
•  In India, there are 706 million cell phone subscribers, equivalent to about 60% of the population. (Source: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India)
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About McGraw-Hill Education
McGraw-Hill Education is a premier provider of teaching and learning programs for 21st century post-secondary and education markets worldwide. Through a comprehensive range of traditional and digital education content and tools, McGraw-Hill Education empowers educators and prepares professionals and students of all ages to connect, learn and succeed in the global economy. McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 65 languages.
Additional information is available at http://www.mheducation.com/.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
McGraw-Hill is a global education and financial information company with leading brands including McGraw-Hill Education, Standard & Poor's, CRISIL, Platts, and J.D. Power. These brands share a commitment to creating a smarter, better world where everyone can succeed in the Knowledge Economy. Around the world, the company is serving this mission by personalizing education around the needs of students, and by providing the financial and business information that markets need to grow. With approximately 21,000 employees worldwide, McGraw-Hill has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Wherever the company operates, it is committed to responsible business practices that enhance the economic, social and environmental well-being of the communities where we work and live.
Please visit our website at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/ 

About Wipro
Wipro Technologies, a division of Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT) is the first PCMM Level 5 and SEI CMM Level 5 certified global IT services organization. Wipro Technologies was recently assessed at Level 5 for CMMI V 1.2 across offshore and onsite development centers. Wipro is one of the largest product engineering and support service providers worldwide. Wipro provides comprehensive research and development services, IT solutions and services, including systems integration, information systems outsourcing, package implementation, software application management, and datacenter managed services to corporations globally. In the Indian market, Wipro is a leader in providing IT solutions and services for the corporate segment in India, offering systems integration, network integration, software solutions and IT services.
Wipro also has a strong presence in niche market segments of consumer products and lighting. In the Asia-Pacific and Middle East markets, Wipro provides IT solutions and services for global corporations. Wipro's ADS' are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and its equity shares are listed in India on the Stock Exchange - Mumbai, and the National Stock Exchange.
Please visit our website at www.wipro.com. 

Source: PR Newswire