Pearson PLC (PSO): modelo de negócios [Jan-2025 Atualizado]

No cenário dinâmico da educação global, a Pearson PLC se destaca como uma potência transformadora, reimaginando o aprendizado por meio de plataformas digitais inovadoras e soluções educacionais abrangentes. Das salas de aula do ensino fundamental e médio a ambientes de treinamento profissional, esta empresa multinacional se posicionou estrategicamente na interseção de tecnologia e educação, alavancando um modelo de negócios sofisticado que preenche a publicação tradicional com experiências de aprendizado digital de ponta. Ao dissecar a tela do modelo de negócios de Pearson, desvendaremos os intrincados mecanismos que impulsionam o alcance global, a inovação tecnológica e o compromisso da gigante educacional com os ecossistemas de aprendizagem personalizados.

Pearson PLC (PSO) - Modelo de Negócios: Principais Parcerias

Instituições e universidades educacionais em todo o mundo

Pearson tem parcerias com mais de 13.000 instituições educacionais em todo o mundo a partir de 2023. As parcerias institucionais da empresa incluem:

Região	Número de parcerias	Principais áreas de foco
América do Norte	5.200 instituições	Aprendizado digital de ensino superior
Europa	3.700 instituições	Conteúdo acadêmico e avaliação
Ásia-Pacífico	2.800 instituições	Plataformas de aprendizado on -line

Plataformas de tecnologia e serviços de aprendizado

As parcerias tecnológicas de Pearson incluem:

• MyLab Platform com 15 milhões de usuários de estudantes ativos
• Parcerias de pesquisa de eficácia com mais de 200 centros de pesquisa acadêmica
• Tecnologias de avaliação digital integradas com 7.500 instituições educacionais

Provedores de conteúdo digital e soluções de e-learning

Principais estatísticas de parceria digital:

Tipo de parceria	Número de parcerias	Impacto anual da receita
Acordos de licenciamento de conteúdo	450+ provedores de conteúdo digital	US $ 287 milhões em 2023
Colaborações da plataforma de e-learning	120 plataformas globais	US $ 214 milhões em 2023

Editores acadêmicos e criadores de conteúdo

Parcerias de publicação acadêmica de Pearson:

• Mais de 150 parcerias de periódicos acadêmicos
• 320 acordos de colaboração de conteúdo de livros didáticos
• Parcerias cobrindo 78 disciplinas acadêmicas

Plataformas de aprendizado on -line e empresas de aprendizado digital

Métricas de parceria de aprendizado on -line:

Categoria de plataforma	Número de parcerias	Alcance do usuário
Plataformas MOOC	22 plataformas globais	3,2 milhões de alunos registrados
Plataformas de treinamento corporativo	85 provedores de aprendizado digital	Receita de parceria de US $ 176 milhões

Pearson PLC (PSO) - Modelo de Negócios: Atividades -chave

Desenvolvimento e publicação de conteúdo educacional

Investimento anual em desenvolvimento de conteúdo: £ 345 milhões em 2022

Tipo de conteúdo	Volume anual de produção	Taxa de impressão digital vs
Livros didáticos	1.287 novos títulos	62% de impressão digital / 38%
Materiais de aprendizado on -line	3.456 módulos digitais	100% digital

Gerenciamento de plataforma de aprendizado digital

Base de usuário da plataforma: 13,2 milhões de usuários ativos globalmente em 2022

• Total de plataformas de aprendizado digital: 7 plataformas principais
• Tempo de atividade média da plataforma: 99,97%
• Orçamento anual de manutenção da plataforma: £ 87,6 milhões

Inovação em tecnologia educacional

Investimento de P&D: £ 276 milhões em 2022

Categoria de inovação	Número de projetos	Alocação de investimento
AI Ferramentas de aprendizado	42 projetos ativos	£ 89,4 milhões
Tecnologias de aprendizado adaptativo	26 projetos ativos	£ 62,3 milhões

Projeto de currículo e avaliação educacional

Orçamento total de desenvolvimento do currículo: £ 156 milhões em 2022

• Número de estruturas curriculares desenvolvidas: 214
• Países com programas de currículo ativo: 78
• Ferramentas de avaliação criadas: 1.872

Distribuição global de conteúdo educacional

Rede de distribuição global Alcance: 190 países

Canal de distribuição	Receita gerada	Penetração de mercado
Plataformas online	£ 1,2 bilhão	68% da distribuição total
Distribuição física	£ 567 milhões	32% da distribuição total

Pearson PLC (PSO) - Modelo de Negócios: Recursos Principais

Extensa biblioteca de conteúdo educacional

A partir de 2024, Pearson mantém uma biblioteca de conteúdo que se abre:

Categoria de conteúdo	Volume
Materiais de aprendizagem digital	95.000 mais títulos
Volumes de livros didáticos	4.500+ publicações ativas
Conteúdo do curso on -line	12.500+ cursos digitais

Infraestrutura de tecnologia de aprendizado digital

A infraestrutura tecnológica de Pearson inclui:

• Plataformas de aprendizado baseadas em nuvem
• Sistemas de aprendizado adaptativo movidos a IA
• Aplicativos de aprendizado móvel

Métrica de tecnologia	Especificação
Investimento de tecnologia anual	US $ 287 milhões
Data Centers globais	7 centros operacionais
Gasto anual de P&D	12,4% da receita

Portfólio de Propriedade Intelectual Global

Holdings de propriedade intelectual:

Categoria IP	Contagem total
Patentes ativas	426
Marcas registradas	1,203
Materiais protegidos por direitos autorais	38,750+

Educação profissional e experiência em treinamento

Recursos de treinamento profissional:

• Programas de certificação profissional
• Soluções de treinamento corporativo
• Plataformas de desenvolvimento profissional online

Métrica de treinamento	Valor
Receita anual de treinamento profissional	US $ 1,2 bilhão
Participantes do treinamento global	2,5 milhões

Capacidades de pesquisa e desenvolvimento

Métrica de P&D	Valor
Investimento anual de P&D	US $ 456 milhões
Pessoal de P&D	1.850 profissionais
Produção anual de inovação	87 novas tecnologias de aprendizado

Pearson PLC (PSO) - Modelo de Negócios: Proposições de Valor

Soluções educacionais digitais e impressas abrangentes

Pearson gerou £ 3,8 bilhões em receita anual para 2022, com soluções de aprendizado digital representando 71% da receita total. A empresa oferece mais de 1.500 produtos de aprendizado digital em vários segmentos educacionais.

Categoria de produto	Contribuição da receita	Penetração digital
Ensino superior	£ 1,42 bilhão	65% digital
Currículo escolar	£ 1,15 bilhão	58% digital
Certificação profissional	£ 620 milhões	82% digital

Experiências de aprendizado personalizadas

As tecnologias de aprendizado adaptativo de Pearson atendem aproximadamente 13,5 milhões de estudantes globalmente por meio de plataformas digitais personalizadas.

• MyLab Platform com 10 milhões de usuários ativos
• Plataforma de masterização cobrindo 16 disciplinas acadêmicas
• Algoritmos de personalização orientados a IA

Conteúdo acadêmico e profissional de alta qualidade

Pearson publica mais de 70.000 títulos de livros e mantém mais de 4.000 publicações de periódicos acadêmicos.

Tecnologias de aprendizado adaptativo

O investimento em P&D para tecnologias de aprendizagem atingiu £ 285 milhões em 2022, representando 7,5% da receita total.

Recursos educacionais globais em várias disciplinas

Pearson opera em mais de 200 países, com conteúdo disponível em 14 idiomas.

Segmento geográfico	Receita	Quota de mercado
América do Norte	£ 2,3 bilhões	42%
Mercados internacionais	£ 1,5 bilhão	28%

Pearson PLC (PSO) - Modelo de Negócios: Relacionamentos do Cliente

Vendas diretas para instituições educacionais

Pearson gerou £ 3,5 bilhões em receita de educação global em 2022. As vendas institucionais diretas representaram aproximadamente 65% do total de vendas de produtos educacionais.

Segmento de clientes	Volume anual de vendas	Penetração de mercado
Escolas K-12	£ 1,2 bilhão	42% de participação de mercado
Ensino superior	£ 1,8 bilhão	38% de cobertura de mercado

Plataformas de suporte ao cliente online

Pearson investiu £ 127 milhões em infraestrutura de suporte ao cliente digital em 2022.

• Canais de suporte online 24/7
• Atendimento ao cliente multilíngue
• Tempo médio de resposta: 2,4 horas

Serviços de aprendizado digital baseados em assinatura

As assinaturas de aprendizado digital atingiram 13,2 milhões de usuários ativos em 2022, gerando £ 845 milhões em receita recorrente.

Categoria de serviço	Assinantes	Receita anual
Mylab	6,5 milhões	£ 412 milhões
Pearson+	4,7 milhões	£ 336 milhões

Parcerias de solução de aprendizado personalizado

Pearson estabeleceu 287 parcerias institucionais estratégicas em 2022, gerando £ 456 milhões a partir de soluções personalizadas.

Melhoria contínua do produto

£ 312 milhões alocados à pesquisa e desenvolvimento em 2022, com 18% focados na integração direta de feedback do cliente.

• Plataformas de coleta de feedback de usuários
• Ciclos trimestrais de aprimoramento de produtos
• Otimização de produtos orientada a IA

Pearson PLC (PSO) - Modelo de Negócios: Canais

Plataformas de vendas on -line diretas

As plataformas de vendas on -line de Pearson geraram £ 2,4 bilhões em receitas digitais em 2022. As principais plataformas digitais incluem:

• Mylab
• Pearson+
• Revel
• Plataforma de aprendizado on -line de Pearson

Plataforma	Receita digital anual	Base de usuários
Pearson+	£ 687 milhões	1,3 milhão de assinantes
Mylab	£ 532 milhões	850.000 usuários ativos

Conferências educacionais e feiras

Pearson participou de 127 conferências educacionais internacionais em 2022, atingindo aproximadamente 42.000 profissionais acadêmicos.

Redes de distribuição digital

Os canais de distribuição digital incluem:

• Amazon Kindle
• Apple Books
• Google play
• Vitalsource

Rede digital	Vendas de livros digitais
Amazon Kindle	£ 276 milhões
Vitalsource	£ 214 milhões

Livrarias acadêmicas

Pearson colaborou com 3.642 livrarias acadêmicas globalmente em 2022, gerando £ 892 milhões em vendas físicas de livros didáticos.

Treinamento corporativo e canais de desenvolvimento profissional

Os canais de desenvolvimento profissional geraram £ 1,1 bilhão em receita, com os principais segmentos, incluindo:

• Programas de certificação profissional online
• Sistemas de gerenciamento de aprendizagem corporativa
• Plataformas de treinamento de habilidades profissionais

Tipo de canal	Receita	Número de clientes corporativos
Certificação online	£ 437 milhões	2.300 clientes corporativos
Sistemas de aprendizagem corporativa	£ 663 milhões	1.750 clientes corporativos

Pearson PLC (PSO) - Modelo de Negócios: Segmentos de Clientes

Instituições de ensino superior

Pearson atende a aproximadamente 13,5 milhões de estudantes de ensino superior globalmente a partir de 2023.

Região	Número de instituições de ensino superior	Penetração de mercado
América do Norte	4,500	62%
Europa	3,200	48%
Ásia -Pacífico	5,700	55%

Escolas K-12 e sistemas escolares

Pearson suporta aproximadamente 7,8 milhões de estudantes do ensino fundamental e médio em vários países.

• Alcance do mercado do K-12 dos Estados Unidos: 4,2 milhões de estudantes
• Alcance do mercado do Reino Unido K-12: 1,6 milhão de estudantes
• Alcance do mercado internacional de ensino fundamental e médio: 2 milhões de estudantes

Organizações de treinamento profissional

Pearson fornece serviços profissionais de certificação e treinamento para 2,3 milhões de profissionais anualmente.

Setor da indústria	Número de alunos profissionais
Tecnologia	850,000
Gestão de negócios	650,000
Assistência médica	450,000
Outros setores	350,000

Alunos e alunos individuais

Pearson atinge aproximadamente 20 milhões de alunos individuais por meio de plataformas digitais e soluções de aprendizado on -line.

• Inscrições de curso on -line: 5,6 milhões
• Usuários da plataforma de aprendizado digital: 12,4 milhões
• Usuários do serviço de preparação de teste: 2 milhões

Departamentos de treinamento corporativo

Pearson fornece soluções de treinamento para 1.800 clientes corporativos em todo o mundo.

Tamanho da empresa	Número de clientes corporativos
Fortune 500 empresas	450
Empresas de tamanho médio	850
Pequenas empresas	500

Pearson plc (PSO) - Modelo de negócios: estrutura de custos

Desenvolvimento de conteúdo e despesas de pesquisa

No ano fiscal de 2022, Pearson gastou £ 458 milhões em despesas de desenvolvimento de conteúdo e pesquisa.

Categoria de despesa	Valor (milhões de libras)
Criação de conteúdo digital	276
Pesquisa acadêmica	112
Desenvolvimento do currículo	70

Manutenção da plataforma digital

Pearson alocou £ 192 milhões para manutenção da plataforma digital em 2022.

• Custos de infraestrutura em nuvem: £ 84 milhões
• Segurança e atualizações da plataforma: £ 62 milhões
• Licenciamento de software: £ 46 milhões

Investimento de infraestrutura de tecnologia

O investimento em infraestrutura tecnológica para 2022 totalizou £ 345 milhões.

Área de investimento	Valor (milhões de libras)
Infraestrutura de hardware	124
Desenvolvimento de software	156
Sistemas de segurança cibernética	65

Custos de distribuição e marketing globais

As despesas globais de distribuição e marketing atingiram £ 387 milhões em 2022.

• Campanhas de marketing internacional: £ 156 milhões
• Logística de distribuição: £ 132 milhões
• Desenvolvimento de canais de vendas: £ 99 milhões

Salários de funcionários e aquisição de talentos

As despesas totais relacionadas aos funcionários em 2022 foram de £ 1,2 bilhão.

Categoria de despesa	Valor (milhões de libras)
Salários da base	872
Benefícios e bônus	218
Recrutamento e treinamento	110

Pearson plc (PSO) - Modelo de negócios: fluxos de receita

Assinaturas de plataforma de aprendizado digital

Pearson gerou £ 1,4 bilhão das receitas da plataforma de aprendizado digital em 2023. Os modelos de assinatura específicos incluem:

Plataforma	Receita anual	Base de assinante
Mylab	£ 452 milhões	1,2 milhão de usuários acadêmicos
Pearson+	£ 386 milhões	850.000 assinantes individuais
Masterização	£ 312 milhões	780.000 usuários de ensino superior

Livro didático e vendas de conteúdo educacional

Receita total de livros didáticos em 2023: £ 2,1 bilhões

• Vendas de livros didáticos de ensino superior: £ 1,3 bilhão
• Conteúdo educacional K-12: £ 620 milhões
• Mercados internacionais de livros didáticos: £ 180 milhões

Curso on -line e taxas de avaliação

As receitas do curso on -line atingiram £ 675 milhões em 2023

Categoria de curso	Receita	Preço médio do curso
Certificação profissional	£ 276 milhões	£ 345 por curso
Cursos online acadêmicos	£ 399 milhões	£ 215 por curso

Receitas do Programa de Treinamento Profissional

O segmento de treinamento profissional gerou £ 890 milhões em 2023

• Programas de treinamento corporativo: £ 520 milhões
• Treinamento de certificação profissional: £ 370 milhões

Licenciamento de conteúdo e tecnologias educacionais

As receitas de licenciamento totalizaram 312 milhões de libras em 2023

Categoria de licenciamento	Receita total	Número de licenças
Conteúdo educacional	£ 189 milhões	4.200 licenças institucionais
Plataformas de tecnologia	£ 123 milhões	2.800 licenças de tecnologia

Pearson plc (PSO) - Canvas Business Model: Value Propositions

You're looking at the concrete value Pearson plc is delivering right now, based on their latest operational metrics as we approach the end of 2025. Forget the abstract; here are the numbers that define their propositions.

AI-enhanced personalized learning experiences for students

Pearson plc is embedding artificial intelligence directly into learning materials, moving beyond simple digital content. The proof is in the usage data. For instance, an analysis of their AI-powered study tool within Campbell Biology looked at nearly 130,000 queries submitted by 8,700 students. So, what did that show? Well, one-third of those student inputs demonstrated higher-order thinking, aligning with analysis and evaluation tiers of Bloom's Taxonomy. That's real engagement. Also, Pearson has rolled out specific AI products, like the AI Literacy Modules, and a chatbot integrated into an English-learning app that serves roughly one million students in China. Still, the market is catching up; the Pearson School Report 2025 showed that only 9% of UK teachers felt confident teaching AI concepts, though 57% believe AI will play a bigger role going forward.

Globally recognized, standardized qualifications and professional certifications

The core of Pearson's assessment value is its recognized qualifications. For the full year 2024, the Assessment & Qualifications segment delivered sales growth of 3%, accelerating to 4% growth in the fourth quarter of that year. These qualifications are portable, as evidenced by the digital badges issued through Credly. Top credentials recognized on that platform include the Project Management Professional (PMP) ® from the Project Management Institute and CCNA from Cisco. You see the demand for this standardization because the World Economic Forum projects the average skill lifespan will shrink from six years down to just 2.5 years by 2030, making verifiable, standardized proof of learning essential.

Flexible, full-time virtual schooling options (K-12)

Pearson's Virtual Learning division showed significant recent momentum, with sales jumping 17% in the third quarter of 2025. That growth is fueled by enrollment. While full-year 2024 sales for Virtual Schools declined 1% due to prior partner school losses, the 2024-2025 academic year enrolments were up 4% on a same-school basis. Pearson expanded its footprint, opening 3 new schools in 2024, bringing the total number of supported schools to 40. For the private Pearson Online Academy, annual tuition costs range from £4,000-£6,400 depending on the grade level for their full-time K-12 program.

Workforce skilling and reskilling pathways for enterprise clients

Pearson plc is clearly pivoting toward enterprise skills, evidenced by new strategic partnerships, including a multi-year Enterprise AI deal with Microsoft and another with AWS. The company is formalizing this by transitioning its Workforce Solutions unit into the Enterprise Solutions business unit. Looking ahead, the expectation for this segment is strong; in Workforce Skills, Pearson anticipates achieving high single-digit sales growth. This focus directly addresses the skills gap risk, which one Accenture analysis suggested could put as much as $11.5 trillion of GDP growth at risk in developed countries if not addressed. That's the scale of the problem Pearson is targeting.

Digital credentials (Credly) providing verifiable, portable skills defintely valued by employers

The Credly platform is a massive part of this value proposition, acting as the verification layer for skills. As of January 2025, Credly had issued its 100 millionth unique badge. This network is substantial: it is the network of choice for more than 4,000 employers and providers, and over 48 million individuals have earned credentials there. These credentials carry weight because they contain verifiable data confirming what, where, and how a skill was earned. For example, in 2024, Pearson's free cash flow conversion was 117%, demonstrating strong operational health that supports the continued investment in this digital infrastructure.

Value Proposition Metric	Data Point	Context/Timeframe
AI Study Tool Query Volume	130,000 queries analyzed	Campbell Biology study (latest data)
Higher-Order Thinking from AI Use	One-third of student inputs	AI study tool analysis
English Learning App Users (China)	Roughly one million students	AI Chatbot reach
Teachers Citing AI as Bigger Role	57%	Pearson School Report 2025 (UK)
Assessment & Qualifications Sales Growth	4%	Q4 2024
Virtual Learning Sales Growth	17%	Q3 2025
Total Supported Virtual Schools	40 schools	As of end of 2024
Pearson Online Academy Tuition Range	£4,000-£6,400	Annual cost (Private K-12)
Credly Total Unique Badges Issued	100 Million	As of January 2025
Credly Network Size (Employers/Providers)	More than 4,000	As of early 2025

The success of the digital credentialing side is clear when you look at the financial underpinning: Pearson's 2024 Group adjusted operating profit was £600 million, up 10% underlying, which provides the capital to drive these digital transformations.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Pearson plc (PSO) - Canvas Business Model: Customer Relationships

You're looking at how Pearson plc keeps its customers engaged across its diverse learning ecosystem as of late 2025. It's a mix of direct digital access, institutional partnerships, and enterprise solutions, so the relationship management has to be sharp.

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) via the Pearson+ subscription model

The D2C channel is heavily anchored by the Pearson+ subscription. While the initial paid subscription growth showed a flat trend over the prior Fall semester period (as of February 2025 preliminary results), the digital engagement is clearly deepening elsewhere. For instance, in the first half of 2025, US digital subscriptions within the Higher Education segment grew by 4%. Also, the Inclusive Access offering within Higher Education saw a significant jump of 21% in sales for the nine-month period ending in the third quarter of 2025. This suggests that while the core Pearson+ paid tier might be stabilizing, the broader digital product adoption, especially for courseware and study aids, is accelerating. The company is definitely focused on the monetization of tools like the Study Prep Tool, formerly known as Channels, which is a key part of this direct relationship.

Automated, self-service support for digital platform users

For the assessment side of the business, particularly Pearson VUE, customer relationships are managed through high reliability and service quality, which translates into strong retention. Pearson VUE achieved a customer retention rate of 99%, which speaks volumes about the effectiveness of their automated and self-service testing platforms. This high retention suggests that for high-stakes testing, the automated experience is meeting or exceeding expectations, minimizing the need for high-touch, manual customer service intervention. It's a clear signal of trust in their digital delivery mechanism.

Dedicated B2B Enterprise sales teams for large corporate contracts

Pearson manages its corporate relationships through the Enterprise Learning & Skills unit, which was formed in January 2025, consolidating global enterprise sales capabilities. The focus here is on securing long-term, high-value contracts. The guidance for 2025 is for this segment to grow at a high single digit rate. To give you a sense of scale, this business unit generated £45m of sales in 2024, with an adjusted operating profit contribution of £12m after restatements. Momentum is being built through new wins, including a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence. These dedicated teams are crucial for landing and expanding these enterprise solutions.

Long-term contractual relationships with government and educational institutions

Relationships with educational institutions are often locked in via multi-year contracts, especially for large assessment services and Virtual Learning provisions. For example, in the Assessment & Qualifications group, growth is often weighted to the second half of the year due to the timing of new and renewed contracts. In Virtual Learning, the relationship health is reflected in enrolments for the upcoming 2025/26 academic year, which saw an increase of 13% in Q3 2025. These enrolment figures are a direct measure of institutional commitment and trust in Pearson's virtual school offerings. The company is also operationalizing a dedicated K-12 sales team to strengthen relationships with US school administrators regarding career readiness programs.

Here's a quick look at some of the key relationship and performance metrics we've discussed:

Relationship Metric/Segment	Key Figure	Context/Period
Pearson VUE Customer Retention Rate	99%	As of early 2025 performance
Enterprise Learning & Skills 2024 Sales	£45m	2024 Restated Sales
Enterprise Learning & Skills 2025 Growth Expectation	High single digit	Full Year 2025 Guidance
Higher Education Inclusive Access Sales Growth	21%	H1 2025 Growth
Virtual Learning 2025/26 Enrolment Increase	13%	Q3 2025 Increase
US Digital Subscriptions Growth (Higher Ed)	4%	Q1 2025 Growth

If onboarding for new digital products takes longer than expected, churn risk rises, defintely something to watch as they scale AI tools.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Pearson plc (PSO) - Canvas Business Model: Channels

You're looking at how Pearson plc gets its products and services into the hands of learners and institutions as of late 2025. It's a mix of digital direct-to-consumer (D2C), established testing infrastructure, and dedicated sales teams targeting different segments.

Pearson+ digital subscription platform (D2C)

The Pearson+ platform is a key D2C channel, primarily for Higher Education courseware. While the service is growing its user base, the paid subscription component has seen more tempered growth recently. As of the latest reports covering the Fall semester trend, Pearson+ registered users increased by 1% compared to the prior Fall semester.

However, paid subscriptions were reported as flat over the same period. This indicates a focus on converting the broader registered user base into paying customers, a strategy that has seen success in other parts of the digital portfolio, such as US digital subscriptions growing 3% in FY2024 and 4% in H1 2025, and Inclusive Access growing 21% in H1 2025.

To give you a concrete anchor, in 2023, Pearson+ had 3.03 million registered users and 516,000 paid subscriptions. Pearson plc has been successful in monetising its 'Channels product,' which is now also referred to as the Study Prep tool, as part of this D2C push.

Here's a quick look at the digital adoption trends influencing this channel:

• US digital subscriptions growth (H1 2025): 4%
• Inclusive Access growth (H1 2025): 21%
• Pearson+ paid subscriptions trend (latest semester): Flat
• Pearson+ registered users trend (latest semester): +1%

Pearson VUE network of over 20,000 global test centers

Pearson VUE is the backbone for delivering secure, high-stakes certification and licensure exams globally. This channel relies on a vast physical footprint. Pearson VUE operates its network across more than 180+ countries.

The reliability of this channel is high, evidenced by a customer retention rate of 99% across the business for 2024. While Pearson VUE sales saw underlying growth of 3% in FY2024, Q1 2025 saw a slight decline, with growth expected to be weighted to the second half of the year, which materialized as the channel returned to growth in Q3 2025.

The channel is also expanding its offerings to enterprise clients, building out its test prep capabilities through the Pearson Skilling Suite and securing meaningful new enterprise customer contracts with entities like ServiceNow, Microsoft, and AWS.

Metric	Value/Range	Period/Context
Test Center Reach	180+ Countries	Global Network Footprint
Customer Retention	99%	2024 Performance
Underlying Sales Growth	3%	Full Year 2024
Q1 2025 Performance	Declined Slightly	Q1 2025 Trading Update

Direct sales force for Higher Education and Virtual Learning

Pearson plc is actively transforming how it reaches its Higher Education customers, building on a successful sales team transformation. For 2025, the expectation is that Higher Education sales growth will be higher than in 2024, driven by this sales excellence and AI-enhanced product rollouts. This sales effort is crucial for winning adoption share against competitors.

Similarly, the Virtual Learning segment, which includes Virtual Schools, is ramping up its direct engagement. Specifically, 2025 is a transitionary year as Pearson builds out its direct US K-12 sales channel for proprietary materials like AP®, Dual Enrolment, and CTE offerings. The company opened three new schools in 2024, contributing to a 13% increase in 2025/26 academic year enrolments in Q3 2025, which the sales teams are capitalizing on.

The IT & Professional Learning business, which was transferred into Enterprise Learning & Skills from Higher Education in January 2025, generated £45 million in sales in 2024, showing the scale of the former HE sales reach.

Enterprise sales teams for corporate and government skilling contracts

The Enterprise Learning & Skills segment is a major focus for channel expansion, supported by dedicated strategic account management and a joined-up go-to-market approach. This segment is expected to deliver high single-digit sales growth in 2025.

Momentum is being built through strategic partnerships and contract wins. In 2024/2025, Pearson announced strategic partnerships with major technology players including Microsoft and AWS. Furthermore, the Enterprise Learning & Skills unit secured new contracts, including one with the UK Ministry of Defence as of the Q1 2025 update. The segment saw sales increase by 2% in Q3 2025.

The channel is focused on bundling offerings, for example, combining Pearson VUE, Credly, and Faethm capabilities for enterprise clients. The IT Pro business, now part of this segment, contributed £12 million in adjusted operating profit in 2024.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Pearson plc (PSO) - Canvas Business Model: Customer Segments

You're looking at the core groups Pearson plc serves as of late 2025, based on their latest reported performance metrics. Honestly, the numbers tell a clearer story than any marketing brochure about where the real money is moving.

Higher Education students utilizing digital textbooks and MyLab/Mastering platforms

This group showed real momentum early in the year. For the nine months leading up to the end of September 2025, sales in Higher Education increased by 2% on an underlying basis. That growth was heavily fueled by the digital offerings; specifically, Inclusive Access grew by an impressive 19% over that same nine-month period, and US digital subscriptions were up 2%. To be fair, the US Higher Education sales were more stable, but the Q1 2025 underlying sales growth for the whole segment was a strong 6%. The segment's reported sales for the first half of 2025 (H1 2025) were £337 million. Remember, the IT Pro business, which used to sit here, was moved to Enterprise Learning & Skills in January 2025; that business generated £45 million in sales in 2024.

K-12 students enrolled in Virtual Learning schools

This segment saw a slight dip, which was largely anticipated. For H1 2025, sales were down 1% as they absorbed the final impact of previously announced school losses. Still, the underlying health looks better when you look at enrolment; the 2024/2025 academic year saw enrolments increase 5% on a same-school basis. The momentum is expected to return, as Q3 2025 sales grew 17%, driven by a 13% increase in 2025/26 academic year enrolments for the Fall semester. At the end of 2024, Pearson operated 40 total Virtual Schools. H1 2025 sales for Virtual Learning were £242 million.

Global candidates seeking professional and English language certifications (PTE)

The English Language Learning unit, which houses the Pearson Test of English (PTE), returned to growth in Q3 2025, with sales up 1% for the nine-month period. The overall H1 2025 sales for this unit were £171 million. While the business is confident in the medium-term outlook based on demographics, 2025 growth was expected to moderate due to the likely impact of elections on immigration rates affecting PTE volumes. For context on the scale, the PTE Academic score is reported on a scale from 10 to 90 points. Back in H1 2023, the PTE was taken 606,000 times in a half-year period.

Corporations and government agencies requiring Enterprise Learning & Skills solutions

This is a key growth area, having been redefined in January 2025 to include the former IT Pro business. For H1 2025, Enterprise Learning & Skills (EL&S) sales were £170 million, showing a 4% underlying increase. The full-year guidance for this segment is for high single-digit sales growth. This segment services approximately 1,500 EL&S enterprise customers. The integration of IT Pro, which contributed £12 million in adjusted operating profit in 2024, is part of the strategy to better service this customer base.

Educators and institutions adopting core curriculum and assessment tools

This group falls under the Assessment & Qualifications segment, which is Pearson's largest by revenue. For the nine months ending September 2025, sales growth accelerated to 4% in Q3 alone. H1 2025 sales for the entire segment were £802 million. Drilling down, Clinical Assessment sales were up 9% for the nine months, and UK & International Qualifications sales increased 8% over the same period. The segment is expected to finish the year with low to mid-single digit sales growth, with a significant portion weighted toward the fourth quarter due to contract timing.

Here's a quick look at the H1 2025 sales contribution from these core customer-facing segments:

Customer Segment Focus	H1 2025 Sales (£m)	Underlying Sales Growth (H1 2025 vs H1 2024)	Key 2025 Growth Driver Metric
Assessment & Qualifications	802	Not explicitly stated for H1, but Q3 accelerated to 4%	Clinical Assessment sales up 9% (9 months)
Higher Education	337	4%	Inclusive Access growth of 21% (H1 2025)
Virtual Learning	242	(1%)	2025/26 Enrolments up 13% in Fall semester (Q3)
English Language Learning (PTE)	171	Not explicitly stated for H1	Returned to growth in Q3 (up 1% for 9 months)
Enterprise Learning & Skills	170	4%	Guidance for high single digit full-year growth

The overall Group sales for H1 2025 were £1,722 million, up 2% on an underlying basis.

You should keep an eye on the Q4 weighting for Assessment & Qualifications and the continued strong double-digit growth in the digital components of Higher Education. Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Pearson plc (PSO) - Canvas Business Model: Cost Structure

You're looking at the financial foundation that supports Pearson plc's digital transformation and content delivery strategy as of late 2025. The cost structure is heavily weighted toward technology enablement and content assets, which is typical for a modern learning company.

Interest expense is a clearly quantified item in the 2025 outlook. Pearson projects its adjusted net finance costs for the full year 2025 to be c. $\text{£}65$ million. This figure reflects the impact of the Education Bond and the intended $\text{£}350$ million share buyback programme. For context, the adjusted net finance costs in 2024 were $\text{£}45$ million, and the first half of 2025 saw adjusted net finance costs of $\text{£}24$ million.

The company explicitly notes that its 2025 guidance includes new investment to support strategy and drive growth, which covers brand, innovation spend, and transformation costs. This aligns with the stated priority to continue leading on the application of innovative technologies, like Generative AI, across learning and assessment platforms.

Key cost components that are part of the overall operating expenditure, but for which specific 2025 monetary breakdowns are not itemized in the guidance, include:

• Significant investment in technology, AI development, and platform maintenance: This is a key area of focus, with the Chief Technology Officer taking on expanded digital and technology operation leadership in April 2025.
• Content creation and licensing costs for digital IP: These costs are embedded within the Cost of Sales for digital products across Higher Education, Assessment & Qualifications, and Enterprise Learning & Skills.
• Employee compensation, including talent acquisition for digital skills: This covers the cost of the global enterprise sales team formed in January 2025 and talent needed for AI scaling.
• Restructuring and transformation costs to optimize operations: These are included in the overall investment guidance for 2025. In 2024, Higher Education margins were impacted by one-off investment and restructuring costs.

The overall cost management strategy is focused on achieving strong operational leverage on sales growth combined with being cost conscious and implementing technology-enabled cost efficiencies. Pearson expects its adjusted operating profit margin to expand beyond the 16.9% achieved in 2024, targeting an average increase of 40 basis points per annum beyond 2025.

Here's a look at the known financial context surrounding costs and expenses:

Cost/Expense Metric	2024 Actual ($\text{£}$m)	2025 Projection/Guidance ($\text{£}$m)
Adjusted Operating Profit (Context)	600	In line with market expectations
Adjusted Operating Profit Margin (Context)	16.9%	Margin expansion expected
Adjusted Net Finance Costs (Interest Expense)	45	c. 65
Headline Net Finance Costs (Context)	31	Not explicitly guided for 2025
Effective Tax Rate on Adjusted Profit Before Tax (Context)	24.4%	Between 24% and 25%

The company is actively managing its cost base by evolving its structure; for instance, Workforce Skills became Enterprise Learning and Skills in January 2025, which involved transitioning modest revenues and costs from Higher Education. This simplification is intended to sharpen focus and drive efficiency.

Pearson plc (PSO) - Canvas Business Model: Revenue Streams

You're looking at how Pearson plc actually brings in the money as of late 2025. It's a mix, but the trend is definitely digital and assessment-heavy. Honestly, the numbers from the first half of the year show they are on track for their full-year plan, which is what matters for near-term stability.

The top-line figure for the first six months of fiscal 2025 was £1,722 million in sales, representing 2% underlying growth compared to H1 2024. The company is sticking to its full-year guidance, expecting overall group underlying sales growth to be in line with market expectations, with the bulk of the growth weighted toward the second half, particularly Q4. The consensus estimate for total full-year 2025 sales is around £3,708.3 million.

Here is a breakdown of the key revenue drivers based on the H1 2025 performance and 2025 guidance:

• Digital subscriptions and access fees are the engine for recurring revenue, especially within Higher Education. For H1 2025, US digital subscriptions grew by 3%, and the Inclusive Access model saw a significant 21% increase. This aligns with the overall digital focus, where digital represented 82% of sales in 2024.
• Assessment and qualification fees provide a solid, high-margin foundation. The Assessment & Qualifications segment is guided for sales growth in the low to mid-single digit range for the full year. However, within this, Pearson VUE specifically saw an underlying sales decline of 3% in H1 2025.
• B2B Enterprise Learning contracts are a clear growth priority. Enterprise Learning & Skills is explicitly guided to grow at a high single digit rate for the full year 2025, supported by new Enterprise Solutions wins.
• Sales of traditional textbooks and courseware are implicitly declining as the digital mix increases. While a specific percentage for this segment isn't provided, the strong digital growth in Higher Education and the overall strategic pivot suggest this remains the segment Pearson plc is managing down.

To give you a clearer picture of the segment health as of the interim results, here's how the business units performed in H1 2025:

Business Unit	H1 2025 Underlying Sales Growth	Key H1 2025 Driver/Note
Assessment & Qualifications	+2%	Strong growth in Clinical Assessment (+11%) and UK & International Qualifications (+10%)
Higher Education	+4%	Driven by Inclusive Access (+21%) and US digital subscriptions (+3%)
Enterprise Learning & Skills	+4%	Vocational Qualifications delivered solid growth; Enterprise Solutions building momentum
English Language Learning	-3%	PTE sales were flat against a tough backdrop
Virtual Learning	-1%	Decline due to the final impact of previously announced school losses

The H1 2025 reported sales figure of £1,722 million is the concrete number you need to anchor your models to for the first half. Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.