Tech giants Apple and IBM have come together to form a partnership which can transform the enterprise mobility space. The deal will see 100 enterprise solutions including native business apps to iPads and iPhones, IBM cloud services built for iOS, Apple service and support for enterprises and new offerings from IBM. IBM will also sell iPhones and iPads pre-loaded with enterprise solutions to businesses.
The partnership is Apple’s acknowledgement of the enterprise space, a distinct shift from their consumer-focussed approach. For IBM, it is a shot at becoming the leader in the enterprise mobility market. Essentially, the two technology behemoths are looking to feed off each other’s core strengths. IBM’s Big Data, Analytics and Cloud capabilities will be fused with Apple’s superior consumer experience, hardware and software to give them a unique advantage in the enterprise market.
In the official statement released on the Apple and IBM websites, Apple CEO Tim Cook has issued a statement boasting that 98% of workforce in the Fortune 500 companies is using iOS devices. He has openly stated that the partnership with IBM will open up a huge market opportunity for Apple. For IBM too, this partnership presents a great opportunity to leverage the Apple market share and take their profit figures northwards.
Stated to be available from this fall and into 2015, business apps will be developed for specific sectors. Currently, the two companies have decided to focus on retail, healthcare, travel and transportation, telecommunications and insurance.
This development is sure to spur on the race to enterprise mobility dominance. How other big enterprise players such as Google, Blackberry and Microsoft react will be something to watch out for!
Photo credit : gsmarena.com
