Apple and IBM have announced a partnership that will see the two companies team up in an enterprise push involving IBM software and Apple hardware. This exclusive partnership will see IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities arrive on Apple’s iOS devices.
The deal covers more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions and will include native apps designed exclusively for the iPhone and iPad from the ground up. There’s also going to be new a new breed of AppleCare tailored to the needs of enterprise customers as well as packaged offerings from IBM covering device activation, supply, and management.
IBM is going to be selling iPhones and iPads paired with its enterprise solutions to its business clients globally, which is a huge win for Apple. The company hasn’t seen nearly the same level of success in enterprise as it has in the consumer market and this partnership will see IBM target retail, healthcare, banking, travel, transportation, and telecommunications with its new portfolio of MobileFirst for iOS Solutions, which will become available next year.
Meanwhile, IBM can sell enterprise solutions and device management alongside beautifully-designed Apple hardware. Cupertino will provide AppleCare for Enterprise, which offers 24/7 assistance to IT departments, and IBM is promising cloud services optimized for iOS and covering device management, analytics, and mobile integration. Speaking to CNBC, IBM CEO Virginia Rometty promised that security, which has been another weak point for Apple in enterprise, will be one of the partnership’s priorities.
[source]MarketWatch[/source]
