Technology industry’s behemoths Apple and IBM are partnering to develop a new class of business applications for iPhone and iPad, as well as IBM cloud services for Apple’s iOS, hoping to transform the enterprise mobility space. The partnership could establish iOS as the mobile platform for the enterprise and transform Apple from a strictly consumer-focused company into a business powerhouse. IBM on the other hand has been struggling with revenue declines and hopes to change that by offering its services on Apple’s mobile devices.
Under the agreement, the two companies will develop more than 100 new apps to address the needs of specific industries. These apps will be built from the ground up for iPhone and iPad, and the first batch is expected to be available in the fall when Apple releases its iOS 8. IBM and Apple said in the joint announcement that they hope to combine the expertise of IBM’s consultants with Apple’s legendary consumer experience, to create business apps that can transform specific aspects of how businesses and employees work using Apple’s mobile devices. The apps will be powered by IBM’s computing services such as big data and analytics.
