Apple and IBM have announced an exclusive partnership that’ll see IBM creating business-focussed applications for iPhone and iPad devices. As part of the deal, IBM will also sell iPhones and iPads to its business clients with its apps already installed.
Although some aspects of the deal aren’t clear, the two companies say there’ll be four key aspects to the new partnership:
- more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions (including native apps) for iPhone and iPad,
- IBM cloud services optimised for iOS, including device management,
- a new AppleCare service and support offering for businesses, and
- new IBM deals for iOS device activation, supply and management.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said “For the first time ever we’re putting IBM’s renowned big data analytics at iOS users’ fingertips, which opens up a large market opportunity for Apple. This is a radical step for enterprise and something that only Apple and IBM can deliver.”