The first step in our comparison is to describe the two businesses. Both target the education market, providing software based solutions for primary and secondary school learning, but using different software business models that affect how they provide their solution and hence how they operate.
Based on the SaaS model, this is a web-based software service for children to learn and practice math skills required by their school curriculum. The service tackles the school curriculum requirements by providing access to a large number of math activities that children, parents, and teachers can pick and choose from. The interactive activities are made more appealing to parents and teachers by tracking the child's progress in order to provide access to reports that identify what progress has been made during the child's engagement with the online activities.
Using the software supporting a service model, Nextpoint operates a traditional tuition agency style business that focuses on the same market as IXL, but with a specific focus on teaching a specific learning strategy to people who struggle with math. The business uses a software system designed to support all activities related to providing tuition services, including session booking, creation of learning plans and engagement of revision exercises. Students are provided with access to an online login account where they can access software service features relating to the tuition services they are engaging.