News Corp to sell Amplify, its much watched foray into the EdTech market
Recently News Corp officially announced it would wind down production of Amplify educational tablets and that it is also in the late stages of a negotiation to sell off the entire education unit. The decision will result in a $371m write-down for News Corp, which acquired Amplify five years ago in a high profile move into the education technology business. Amplify offered classroom resources, including digital curriculum, however the decision to begin offering its own tablets resulted in a host of problems, including glitchy devices, mediocre sales, and the same school infrastructure issues other tablet providers have run into with device deployments.
Amplify, a much-heralded push by News Corporation into digital education, led by Joel Klein, a former New York City schools chancellor, is nearing an inglorious end.

News Corporation, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, said on Wednesday that it would take a $371 million write-down on the education division and would move to wind down the production of tablets for schoolchildren, a key part of the unit’s offering.

Moreover, News Corporation’s chief executive, Robert Thomson, said in an earnings call with analysts that the company was in an “advanced stage of negotiations” with a potential buyer for the remaining education business.

Together, the moves highlight the difficulty that has confronted News Corporation and others looking to move teaching into the digital age, relying on the Internet and tablets to update traditional curriculums.